New Philadephia Presbyterian

Baptism and the Lord’s supper are the two sacraments of the Protestant religion. Jerry talks about these things conceptually, the fact that these are objective and given to us by God. He goes into detail about each in later sermons. Some of the Scriptures covered are Hebrews 6:13–8; Genesis 15:1-7; 1 Corinthians 4:1; Acts 14:15; Matthew 5:44–45; Exodus, 12, etc. As an aside, it is nostalgic and deeply sweet to hear the interactions between Jerry and his precious wife Angela in this recording. I pray that God continues to comfort, strengthen and bless her. May the Lord make His face to shine upon her and give her tremendous peace. Amen.

Sometimes God works supernaturally. But very often God is working His supernatural will through natural means. He knows what He is doing. Trust Him.

This is such a great sermon! So many wonderful, meaty nuggets of truth here. Mainly, we are not enough. Even the good works we do were prepared for us ahead of time by God. It’s beautiful that He prepared for each of His children the gift of doing His good work, but we must point to Him in it, and not ourselves, because we know that even our best is as filthy rags. We are a sinful people. We have no righteousness on our own. Our good works are not enough. Sanctification is an act of grace. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, PERIOD. Jesus Christ, God Himself, is our Provider, clothing us in His own righteousness. I will greatly rejoice in the LORD!

This life is not rainbows and lollypops. God never said it would be. In fact Romans 8 helps us understand our lot but reminds us that God’s love will never leave us. Sometimes our sin is a spiritual hinderance; God disciplines His children just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. His discipline and our conscience can help us recognize our need to repent and put sin behind us. He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

This sermon covers important answers to questions such as who are the family of God, how does one get to be the in family of God, Who is the Giver, what should our response be when we suffer loss, and what is our responsibility in this world. Verses covered are Genesis 1; Revelation 22; Genesis, 15:1-6; Genesis 46:8-23; Exodus 33:15–7; Revelation 20:11–15; Genesis 46:28–9; Genesis 46:30–31; John 17:14–8; John 8:44; etc.

Jerry’s sermon about different kinds of blessings, covers texts such as Genesis 1:27–28; Psalm 103: 1-5; Genesis 47: 1-6; Proverbs 2:1-8; Genesis 14:17–20; Hebrews 7:7; 2 Corinthians 5: 1-8: Psalm 90: 10–12; Romans 8:18; Hebrews 12:1-4; etc. One especially interesting concept Jerry covers is how we can bless the Lord. Check it out!

In this sermon, Jerry states that providence can be puzzling and painful, but God has a purpose for all of it. Scriptures cited are: Luke 2:1-7; Psalm 135:6; Isaiah 46:9–10; Romans 8:28; Psalm 33:11; Genesis 50:20; Mica 5:2; Romans 9; Matthew 1:1; Matthew 10:29–30; etc. Jerry makes the point that God does great work in our lives when we are hurting. God uses pain to refine us, to strip away our bad characteristics and make us shine so that we can reflect Him and have better lives. Sometimes God reveals the specific reason for the pain but not always. Still, we can be sure that God is involved in every little detail of our lives, and every trial we go through has a purpose.

In this brief but packed sermon Jerry touches upon Romans, 3:11; John 5:19; John 3:16; John 6:37; John 6:44; Titus 3:6; John 5:22; John 5:24; John 5:35; John 14: 1-10; Luke 12:49–53; Matthew 12:46–50; Mark 3:21; Luke 2:14; Matthew 23; Ephesians 2:8–9; John 10:10–18; etc. Jesus’ Earth mission was brutal; He knew it would be. Why did He take it on? 1) He came to represent the Father. 2) He came to kindle a fire. 3) He came to give us eternal life. He is the good Shepherd. He knows His sheep and we know Him. He went before us, and there are many mansions in His Father‘s house. If it were not so He would’ve told us.

In the sermon, Jerry asserts that if we take the name of Jesus, we must be like Him. We must spend time daily in the Bible, in prayer, trusting God, praying against temptation, picking up our cross, living in obedience to God, loving our neighbor, etc. Bearing the name “Christian” means we have a responsibility to bear the image of Christ. Scripture mentioned includes Proverbs 22: 1; Genesis 49:8; Genesis, 49:19; Genesis 49: 27; Genesis, 1: 3–5; Genesis 1: 26–28; Genesis 2:18–23; Genesis 3:20; Genesis 3:15; Genesis 32:30; Isaiah 43:1; Romans 11; Romans 9; Galatians 3:28–29; Matthew 1:20–23; Isaiah 43:1; Philippians 2:5–11; John 6: etc.

There are many examples in the Bible of men of faith believing in God‘s promises and facing death with courage. Jacob remained in leadership even as he lay dying. Job referenced his death, decomposition, and resurrection in a new body; he says he will be in God‘s presence. Abraham only owned one piece of property in his life – a tomb. It was both in preparation of death at some point and also an act of faith in God‘s promise to give His people the land of Canaan. Scary things like death, Jerry says, burrow into our hearts, and then our hearts rule our heads . Jacob did not let his heart rule his head. Jesus did not let His heart rule His head. He stayed faithful. He knew the Father would be with Him as He walked through the valley of the shadow of death. Jesus went before us to prepare a place for us. Our knowledge of and faith in God‘s promises can help us when our time comes. God will not leave us, so we can live and die by faith. Some scriptures covered are Genesis 49:29–33; etc.

Communion is a time of remembrance. It is a time to remember Jesus and His promises. If you know Christ, you know God. Jesus wants us with Him where He is. God is just and Justifier. Remember what He did for His people. Remember what He is doing now. He forgives sin. He makes us spiritually well. He restores us and renews us and will make us what He intended us to be in Him. God knows we are dust. We are not enough to come to the table, but Christ is. He will not remember our sins. He provides for us spiritually and physically. He gives us our faith and maintains it; it is His work in us. Jesus died on the cross for the joy set before Him. He is our eternal high Priest and lives to make intercession for us. The elect, get mercy, the non-elect get justice (because the wages of sin is death), and no one gets injustice. Jesus went to heaven to prepare a place for us, and He keeps His promises. REMEMBER. Scriptures covered are: Luke 22: 19–20; John 17:6; John 17:24; Romans 3:26; Genesis 3:15; etc.

In this sermon, Jerry touches upon the physical torment that Jesus, in His mortal form, suffered on the cross. He knows what it feels like to be human and is still interceding for us in heaven as He sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. This is a beautiful, poetic sermon, and follows on the heels of Jerry’s preceding sermon about Jesus being the last, permanent, perfect sacrifice for His people. Scriptures covered are John 19:30; Isaiah 53; Psalm 22:14–15; Psalm 22:1; Luke 16; Psalm 22:6–8; Matthew 27:39–44; Romans 5:6–8; Luke 12:49–50; John 17:4–5; Psalm 63:1-4; 1 Corinthians 10:4; John 4, etc.

This sermon is a reiteration of Christ’s work on the cross, His resurrection, and our salvation because of Him. It is a reminder of the perfect and complete Sacrifice that fulfills the demand for just compensation on behalf of believers once and for all, FOREVER, with no need for any further payment. “There is therefore, now, no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Jerry also provides an important distinction and defense regarding the foreknowledge of God spoken of in Romans 8:28–29. It is not about God, looking through the tunnels of time as so many think, but rather about having a relationship with God. This is a really great sermon. Don’t miss it! Some scriptures covered are John 19:30; 2 Corinthians 1:20; Matthew 17; Luke 2; Luke 18; Psalm 32; Romans 4:24–25; Romans 3:23; Romans 8:7–8; Ephesians 2: 1–3 and 8–10; Romans 8:28–29; James 2:10, Etc.

This sermon of Jerry’s is a good defense of election for the purpose of conveying the truth of God’s Word and giving God 100% of the glory. It is important to remember that, by nature, we are children of wrath, so no one ever receives injustice under election. Some of the Scriptures covered are 2 Peter 3:16; Amos 3: 1-2; Hebrews 12:5–8; Ephesians 2; Genesis 18:25; Romans 5; Ephesians 1:11–12; James 1:13–15; Acts 2:22–23; 1 Timothy 5:21; Matthew 45:21; Romans 9:6–13; Romans 9:9–11 Joshua 11:18–20; 1 Peter 3:29; Proverbs 16:4; Matthew 7:21–23; Amos 3; Romans 8:28; John 6:37–44; Deuteronomy 7:6–8; Galatians 3:16; etc.

Although this is an Easter sermon, and Jerry discusses some of the proofs pointing to who Jesus is (such as the earthquake and resurrection of saints as a foretaste on the day of Jesus’ earthly death), he also visits the topic of limited atonement, which is sometimes difficult for people who don’t believe in reformed theology to understand. He quotes Romans 6:23 and explains that because the wages of sin is death, we all deserve death. Those who go to heaven receive grace. Those who go to hell receive justice. No one receives injustice. There are no victims. Jerry also discusses how God‘s people were saved before the coming of the Messiah because they looked forward to His coming and so, as with us, they were saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Scripture covered in this sermon includes: Matthew 27: 50–53, 1 Corinthians 15:54, 1 Timothy 2:5 and 6, Matthew 28:2, 1 Corinthians 15:55, Colossians 2:13–15, Romans 9:22–24, Daniel 4:35, Genesis 18:25, Revelations 7:9, Genesis 15 and 17, Romans 6:23, Hebrews 11, John 8:56, Romans 3:20, James 2:10, etc.