Why Have You Forsaken Me?
Pastor Bruce Brown
Matthew 27:45-54
I. At the Cross Jesus Experiences Social Rejection (Vss. 27-31; 35-37; 39-43)
II. At the Cross Jesus Suffers Emotional Desertion (Psalm 22)
III. At the Cross Jesus Enters into Spiritual Abandonment (Psalm 27; 2 Cor. 5:21)
“The pain that Jesus endured went beyond the pain that any other human being has ever endured. It may be that others have experienced equal or greater physical pain. But no other human being has ever been sinless like Jesus was. No other human being has ever known the fellowship that Jesus had with His Father in heaven before He came to this earth. So, no one else has ever felt the shock that Jesus felt, in His innocence, when He was forsaken by God.” ~ Phil Ryken
Who Has Believed Our Message?
Pastor Bruce Brown
Isaiah 53:1-12
I. The Cross is Shocking Because of Who is Suffering (Vss. 1-3)
II. The Cross is Shocking Because of Why He Suffers (Vss. 4-6, 10)
III. The Cross is Shocking Because of How He Suffers (Vss. 7-9)
“Why did God bruise His Son and bring Him to grief? … It was not for His own sin that the Father bruised him. I was becuase he wanted to show us mercy. He wanted to forgive and heal and save and rejoice over us with loud singing. But he was righteous. That means His heart was filled with a love for the infinite worth of His own glory. And we were sinners, and that means that our hearts were filled with God-belittling affections. And so to save sinners and at the same time magnify the worth of His glory God lays our sin on Jesus and abandons Him to the shame and slaughter of the cross.” ~ John Piper
Is There Another Way?
Pastor Bruce Brown
Matthew 26:36-46
I. The Cross Was Necessary to Provide a Suffering Priest (Hebrews 2:17)
II. The Cross Was Necessary to Show God’s Righteousness (Romans.3:24-26)
III. The Cross Was Necessary to Reveal the Glory of the Father (John 17; Ro. 8:32)
‘“The Wonder of the love of Christ for His people is not that for their sake he faced death without fear, but that for their sake he faced it, terrified. Terrified by what he knew, and terrified by what he did not know, he took damnation lovingly.”’ ~ Donald Macleod
Growing in Grace
Pastor Bruce Brown
1 Samuel 26
I. Growth in Grace Brings Patience in Obedience (verses 1-12)
II. Growth in Grace Receives Signs of Reassurance (verses 12-16)
III. Growth in Grace Feels Anguish Away from Home (verses 17-24)
“David will not always be an example of faith. But at least in this text, he is convinced of God’s guidance, even if he does not have immediate confirmation… As we grown and mature in our faith, we also become more confident about God’s guidance, and we spend less time seeking constantly for evidence of his moving.” ~ Bill T. Arnold
Restraining Grace
Pastor Bruce Brown
1 Samuel 25:1-39
I. A Ruthless Response to Abuse (verses 1-13)
II. The Rescuing Grace of Wisdom(verses 14-35)
III. God’s Righteousness Displayed (verses 36-39)
“No man stands a moment longer than divine grace upholds him. The strongest are weak as water immediately the power of the Spirit is withdrawn; the most mature and experienced Christian acts foolishly the moment he be left to himself; none of us has any reserve strength or wisdom in himself to draw from: our source of sufficiency is all treasured up for us in Christ, as soon as communion with Him be broken, as soon as we cease looking alone to Him, we are helpless.” ~ A.W. Pink
What a Chance!
Pastor Bruce Brown
1 Samuel 24
I. A Test of Circumstances (verses 1-7)
II. Trust in the LORD’s Righteous Ways (verses 8-15)
III. Truth from an Unlikely Source (verses 16-22)
“Wait for the LORD and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.” ~ Psalm 37:34
“Are you tempted to justify worldly means because the outward results will come more easily? May God grant us the power, along with David, looking at the crucified and resurrected Jesus, never to lay our hands on the blessings God has promised in a manner contrary to the will of God in his Word. Let us, instead, commit to receive whatever blessings God has for us from God’s own hand or not all.”
~ Richard D. Phillips
Help in Every Trouble
Pastor Bruce Brown
1 Samuel 23
I. The LORD Provides Divine Guidance (verses 1-13)
II. The LORD Provides Devoted Encouragement (verses 14-18)
III. The LORD Provides Delivering Providence (verses 19-28)
“With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you, I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good. For he has delivered me from every trouble, and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.” ~ Psalm 54:6-7
“If it is God’s purpose to deliver you, He has thousands of unseen methods, to any one of which He may resort, when, to the eye of sense, there seems not the shadow of a hope.”
~ William Blaikie
When Evil Rises
Pastor Bruce Brown
1 Samuel 22:6-23
I. Evil Rises When Truth is Rejected (verses 6-16)
II. Holding On When Evil is Unleashed (verses 16-19)
III. A Refuge Remains (verses 20-23)
“David and Saul illustrate two types of people… David illustrates the person who responds to God’s call and begins the lifelong process of transformation. Saul is the contrast. He shows the natural and inevitable consequences of refusing God’s call. In this text, the two are going in opposite directions. The narrator has driven a wedge between Saul and David, and the distance is greater with each passing chapter.” ~ Bill Arnold
Desperate Times Call for Gracious Aid
Rev. Bruce Brown
1 Samuel 21:1-22:5
I. Provision for the Destitute (verses 1-9)
II. Praise for the Panicked (verses 10-15)
III. Prophecy for the Wandering (chapter 22:1-5)
“Do you find yourself under a heavy load of worry and cares? Do you sometimes think you will crumble under the pressure? Look, then, to God’s daily provision and remember that just as God did not cast off David in his folly and sin, God will remain faithful to His children.” ~ Richard D. Phillps
Jesus On Investing
Rev. Bruce Brown
Luke 16:1-15
I. Material Resources Require Creative Thought (verses 1-9)
II. Material Resources Provide an Index of Character (verses 10-12)
III. Material Resources Raise the Possibility of Idolatry (verses 13-15)
“The parable… is deeply instructive. It may well raise within us great searchings of heart. The diligence of worldly men about the things of time — should put to shame the coldness of professing Christians about the things of eternity. The zeal and tenacity of men of business in compassing sea and land to get earthly treasures — may well reprove the slackness and indolence of believers about treasures in Heaven. The words of our Lord are indeed weighty and solemn, “The children of this world are, in their generation, wiser than the children of light.” May these words sink into our hearts and bear fruit in our lives!”
~ J.C. Ryle
Loving God; Loving Neighbor
Luke 10:25-37
January 20th, 2019
I. A Calculated Question About Eternal Life (Vss. 25-29)
II. The Parable That Reveals God’s Desire (Vss. 30-35)
III. Of Love and Sacrifice (Vss. 36-37)
Pastor Bruce Brown
“Let us not forget… to prove our own selves. Do we love God with all our heart, and soul, and strength, and mind? Do we love our neighbor as ourselves? Where is the person that could say with perfect truth, “I do?” Where is the one that ought not to lay his hand on his mouth, when he hears the questions? Truly we are all guilty in this matter! The best of us, however holy we may be, come far short of perfection. Passages like this, should teach us our need of Christ’s blood and righteousness. To Him we must go — if we would ever stand with boldness at the bar of God.” ~ J.C. Ryle
A Congregation of the PCA
Established in 1789
5533 PPC Drive, Charlotte, NC 28269
All Are Welcome - Come Join Us for Worship!
Two Ways to Pray; One Way to Be Heard
Luke 18:9-14
January 13th, 2019
I. The Problem - Relating to God by What We Have Done (Vs. 9)
II. The Parable - Relating to God by What he Has Done (Vss. 10-13)
III. In Praise of Humility (Vs. 14)
Pastor Bruce Brown
“Let these things sink down into our heart. He who has learned to feel his sins has great reason to be thankful. We are never in the way of salvation until we know that we are lost, ruined, guilty, and helpless sinners. Happy indeed is he who is not ashamed to sit by the side of the tax collector! When our experience tallies with his — we may hope that we have found a place in the family of God.” ~ J.C. Ryle
A Congregation of the PCA
Established in 1789
5533 PPC Drive, Charlotte, NC 28269
All Are Welcome - Come Join Us for Worship!
Persevering Prayer
Luke 18:1-8
January 6th, 2019
I. The Purpose - We Give Up on Prayer (Vs. 1)
II. The Parable - Correcting Through Contrast (Vss. 2-5)
III. The Power for Our Prayer Life (Vss. 6-8)
Pastor Bruce Brown
“But many are still discouraged by God’s seeming silence. We desperately need to learn that in the silence our loving God is answering, whether we see his working or not, for he delights to answer His children’s prayers.” ~ R. Kent Hughes
A Congregation of the PCA
Established in 1789
5533 PPC Drive, Charlotte, NC 28269
All Are Welcome - Come Join Us for Worship!
Spirit-Empowered Prayer
Ephesians 3:14-21
December 30th, 2018
I. The Spirit’s Power (Vss. 14-16)
II. Christ’s Indwelling (Vss. 17-19)
III. The Glory of God (Vss. 20-21)
Mr. Steve McCullough
“14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rootedand established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” ~ Ephesians 3:14-21
A Congregation of the PCA
Established in 1789
5533 PPC Drive, Charlotte, NC 28269
All Are Welcome - Come Join Us for Worship!
Christmas Brings a Royal Priest
Psalm 110
December 23rd, 2018
I. The Powerful Reign of the King (Vss. 1-3)
II. The King is the Forever Priest (Vss. 4)
III. When the Priest – King Returns (Vss. 5-7)
“If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet the distance makes no difference. He is praying for me!” ~ Robert Murray McCheyne
“Glorious now behold Him arise: King and God and Sacrifice; Alleluia, Alleluia! Earth to heav’n replies. O star of wonder, star of night, Star with royal beauty bright, Westward leading, still proceeding, Guide us to thy perfect light.” We Three Kings, John H. Hopkins, Jr.
PROSPERITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH WORSHIP IS SUNDAY AT 10:00 AM, 5533 PPC DRIVE, CHARLOTTE, NC. 704-875-1182
EVERYONE IS INVITED TO THE SERVICE
Christmas Brings the Wedding of Weddings
Psalm 45
December 9th, 2018
I. In Praise of the King (verses 2-9)
II. The Glory of His Bride (verses 10-15)
III. A Promise for the Future (verses 16-17)
“Are we doing as the psalmist did? Do we praise Him who has purchased us to Himself ot be His bride? Are we working to see that the nations come to honor Him as well? Even more, are we waiting for His coming, as the bride of this psalm was? Jesus came a first time to join us to Himself in spiritual betrothal. He will come a secon time to take us to Himself forever. Are you ready for that coming? Are you looking forward to it?” ~ James Montgomery Boice
PROSPERITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH WORSHIP IS SUNDAY AT 10:00 AM, 5533 PPC DRIVE, CHARLOTTE, NC. 704-875-1182
EVERYONE IS INVITED TO THE SERVICE
Christmas Brings an Invincible Throne
Psalm 2
December 2nd, 2018
I. The World that Hates (verses 1-3)
II. The Throne that Overcomes (verses 4-9)
III. The Message that Calls (verses 10-12)
“The only safe place from the wrath of God is in God. Everywhere outside of His care is dangerous. He is the only hiding place from His own wrath. If you see Him as frightening and try to run away and hide, you will not find a place to hide. There is none. Outside of God’s care there is only wrath. But there is a refuge from the wrath of God, namely, God… Come to God. Take refuge in God. Hide in the shadow of His wings. This is where we live and serve with joyful trembling.”
~ John Piper
PROSPERITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH WORSHIP IS SUNDAY AT 10:00 AM, 5533 PPC DRIVE, CHARLOTTE, NC. 704-875-1182
EVERYONE IS INVITED TO THE SERVICE
Thankful that God is Forgiving
Psalm 130
November 25, 2018
I. God’s Forgiveness Brings Confession (verses 1-3)
II. God’s Forgiveness Leads to Fear (verse 4)
III. God’s Forgiveness Encourages Hope (verses 5-8)
“Ah, but there is good news. That good news, that gospel, is that there is forgiveness in God… You may not find forgiveness with other people. Your husband or your wife may not forgive you, if you have wronged him or her. Your children may not forgive you. Your coworkers may not forgive you. You may not even be able to forgive yourself. Yet, there is one who will and that one is God. Write down where you can see and reflect on it often: Our God is a forgiving God. He will not remember our transgressions agains us. He will remove them as far as the east is from the west - if we ask him for mercy.”
~ James Montgomery Boice
PROSPERITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH WORSHIP IS SUNDAY AT 10:00 AM, 5533 PPC DRIVE, CHARLOTTE, NC. 704-875-1182
EVERYONE IS INVITED TO THE SERVICE
Jesus' Closing Arguments
Rev. Bruce Brown
John 10:30-42
November 11, 2018
I. The Claim Jesus Makes (verses 30-31)
II. The Charge Jesus Refutes (verses 32-39)
III. The Call We are to Embrace (verses 40-42)
“Do not give me a Christ whittled down to man’s measure. Do not throw me a truncated Jesus. I want the Christ of the Gospels – the One who is both man and God, who died but who also rose again in triumph, who came once but who is also coming again, who is love but who is also filled with wrath against sin. In short, I want the true Jesus, preached by John and by all who are faithful…. God grant that it might be said of us after we have gone and men reflect on our testimony: “He did no miracle, but all that he said about Christ was true.”
~ James Montgomery Boice
Jesus' Closing Arguments
Rev. Bruce Brown
John 10:30-42
November 11, 2018
I. The Claim Jesus Makes (verses 30-31)
II. The Charge Jesus Refutes (verses 32-39)
III. The Call We are to Embrace (verses 40-42)
“Do not give me a Christ whittled down to man’s measure. Do not throw me a truncated Jesus. I want the Christ of the Gospels – the One who is both man and God, who died but who also rose again in triumph, who came once but who is also coming again, who is love but who is also filled with wrath against sin. In short, I want the true Jesus, preached by John and by all who are faithful…. God grant that it might be said of us after we have gone and men reflect on our testimony: “He did no miracle, but all that he said about Christ was true.”
~ James Montgomery Boice
PROSPERITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH WORSHIP IS SUNDAY AT 10:00 AM, 5533 PPC DRIVE, CHARLOTTE, NC. 704-875-1182