Sermons on Sovereign Grace
Isaiah 29:17–24
The Deaf Shall Hear the Book | Isaiah 29:17–24 Isaiah 29 presents one of Scripture’s clearest pictures of the sovereign grace of God in salvation. After describing the spiritual blindness and deafness of God’s people, Isaiah looks ahead to the coming of the Messiah, who would open blind eyes and deaf ears so that sinners might truly hear the Word of God and believe. In this sermon, we examine how Isaiah’s prophecy finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, whose ministry…
Genesis 33:1–20
Salvation is not earned—it is all of grace. In this sermon, we look at how Christ redefines greatness in His Kingdom and how the story of Jacob meeting Esau displays the astonishing reversal of God’s grace. Jesus taught that the first shall be last, and the last shall be first. True greatness is not found in ruling over others but in serving, just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give His…
Genesis 32:1-21
Sermon Outline: Genesis 32:1-21 — Unworthy of the Blessings Received by Grace Prop: God often brings us to our end to soften our hearts to the gospel. Introduction: Jacob’s story is a powerful conversion narrative revealing God’s sovereign grace. Before doing good or bad, God’s election stands: “the older will serve the younger.” Jacob seems unworthy through all his deception, raising the key question: When will Jacob truly worship God? Jacob’s exile and return mirror Israel’s exile and restoration in…
Genesis 31:1-55
In this sermon, we explore the gripping narrative of Jacob’s return from exile and God’s merciful preservation of His undeserving elect. Despite Jacob’s ongoing deceit and struggle, God’s faithfulness remains steadfast, protecting and guiding him back to the promised land. Key themes include: The tension of Jacob still not fully owning God as his own, even after God’s promise (Genesis 31:42, 53) God’s providential removal of Laban’s household as a refuge, pushing Jacob toward grace and dependence on Him The…
Genesis 30:25-43
How is it that God often blesses us even through means that are unwise, sinful, or seemingly foolish? In this message, we explore Jacob’s strange and morally murky path to prosperity while serving Laban. This passage shows us that God works through sinful means to accomplish His holy ends. Jacob’s peculiar breeding practices, Laban’s deception, and the ongoing competition between the two men create a chaotic backdrop—but behind it all stands the sovereign grace of God. Jacob’s wealth does not…
Genesis 25:27-34
In Genesis 25:27-34 Esau famously sells his birthright to Jacob, who shows himself to be one who connives for the sake of personal gain. Neither character is worthy of God’s grace, but in the end Jacob will receive it. How does this work? Why does Jacob receive grace? It is not because he is worthy, since then grace would not be grace.
Genesis 25:19-26
In Genesis 25:19-26 the Jacob narrative begins. At the beginning of each story about a patriarch in Genesis we see some form of revelation from God that governs our understanding of the whole. What is the basic message of the Jacob narrative? Salvation is by grace alone according to God’s inscrutable predestination.
Isaiah 63:15-64:12
In Isaiah 63:15-64:12 Isaiah continues to call out to God in response to the glorious messianic prophecies of 59:15-63:6. Isaiah sees the vast difference between what was promised and the current state of the people of God and this causes him to cry out to God to restore His people. He acknowledges his and the people’s sins, recognizes God’s sovereignty and the people’s covenant relationship with Him, and on the basis of these things pleads with God to restore His…
1 Samuel 10:1-16
In 1 Samuel 10:1-16 Saul is privately anointed king of Israel and is given signs of confirmation which culminate in the Spirit coming upon him and turning him into “another man”. Saul receives the benefits of the work of the Spirit, and yet his reign is disastrous and he likely was not a believer. How then are we to understand the work of the Spirit in this context? We are to understand that the Spirit can give gifts to equip…
Matthew 13:10-17, 34-35
In Matthew 13:10-17 Christ explains why he speaks to the people in parables. The reason he speaks in parables is both to reveal and conceal truth about the kingdom of God. This shows that the knowledge of the kingdom of God is sovereignly given by Christ. He gives it to his disciples by grace and withholds it from others in justice according to the eternal decree. God’s grace is sovereign and therefore unbelief is part of his plan to the…
Matthew 12:33-37
In Matthew 12:33-37 Jesus concludes his response to the Pharisees and their accusation against him that he casts out demons by Beelzebub. Christ says that the words a person speaks reveals the contents of their heart. Thus, this blasphemy from the Pharisees reveals the blasphemous character of their hearts. Not only this, but Christ declares that on the last day the true nature of the heart will be revealed by the words a person has spoken.
Matthew 11:25-27
In Matthew 11:25-27, after seeing unbelief and describing the judgment that will come to those who don’t believe, Christ responds. It can be difficult to see many turn away from the gospel in unbelief. What does Jesus do when he sees this? He gives thanks to God. Christ shows that even unbelief demonstrates the greatness of God’s sovereign grace. God uses unbelief to show that ultimately he is the only one who can open the heart to believe the gospel.…
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