HEBREWS 2021

JESUS BRINGS JOY: Advent 2020

  1. JESUS BRINGS JOY (pt 1): Luke 1:68-74
  2. JESUS BRINGS JOY (pt 2)

The Five Solas of The Gospel

THE PSALMS

THE PSALMS, AN ANATOMY OF THE SOUL
“I have been accustomed to call this book, I think not inappropriately, ‘An Anatomy of all the Parts of the Soul;’ for there is not an emotion of which any one can be conscious that is not here represented as in a mirror. Or rather, the Holy Spirit has here drawn to the life all the griefs, sorrows, fears, doubts, hopes, cares, perplexities, in short, all the distracting emotions with which the minds of men are wont to be agitated. The other parts of Scripture contain the commandments which God enjoined his servants to announce to us. But here the prophets themselves, seeing they are exhibited to us as speaking to God, and laying open all their inmost thoughts and affections, call, or rather draw, each of us to the examination of himself in particulars in order that none of the many infirmities to which we are subject, and of the many vices with which we abound, may remain concealed. It is certainly a rare and singular advantage, when all lurking places are discovered, and the heart is brought into the light, purged from that most baneful infection, hypocrisy. In short, as calling upon God is one of the principal means of securing our safety, and as a better and more unerring rule for guiding us in this exercise cannot be found elsewhere than in The Psalms, it follows, that in proportion to the proficiency which a man shall have attained in understanding them, will be his knowledge of the most important part of celestial doctrine. …”

THE PSALMS, POINTING US TO SALVATION IN CHRIST
“Moreover although The Psalms are replete with all the precepts which serve to frame our life to every part of holiness, piety, and righteousness, yet they will principally teach and train us to bear the cross; and the bearing of the cross is a genuine proof of our obedience, since by doing this, we renounce the guidance of our own affections and submit ourselves entirely to God, leaving him to govern us, and to dispose of our life according to his will, so that the afflictions which are the bitterest and most severe to our nature, become sweet to us, because they proceed from him. In one word, not only will we here find general commendations of the goodness of God, which may teach men to repose themselves in him alone, and to seek all their happiness solely in him; and which are intended to teach true believers with their whole hearts confidently to look to him for help in all their necessities; but we will also find that the free remission of sins, which alone reconciles God towards us and procures for us settled peace with him, is so set forth and magnified, as that here there is nothing wanting which relates to the knowledge of eternal salvation.”
– John Calvin, introduction to his commentary on The Psalms

JUDGES 2020

After the conquest of Canaan, depicted in the book of Joshua, the people of God spent around 350 years in a despicable cycle of joy and sorrow detailed in the book of Judges. Judges tells the sad story of the people doing what was right in their own eyes, which lead to constant misery and the need for a deliverer.

In simplest terms, the book of Judges reveals how the LORD’S people are half-hearted at best and full-blown idolatrous at worst. There is an endless cycle of unfaithfulness, discipline, regret, deliverance, and unfaithfulness again. As soon as a judge dies, the people forget the LORD. 

This brings us to an important point—the story of Judges should ultimately make us long for the true and better deliverer, Jesus. Jesus is the king who not only rules over his people with justice and equity but also with grace and mercy. He not only delivers us from our great enemies sin and death but also changes our hearts so that we no longer deeply desire to do what is right in our “own eyes.” By God’s grace, Jesus changes us to desire to do what is right in his eyes. He does not simply deliver us for a time but buys for us an eternal redemption by his cross and resurrection. He is the king who—at great cost to himself—delivers us from all danger and rules over us in all joy. He is the eternal king we need and long for.

  1. HALF-HEARTED: Judges 1:1–2:5
  2. IDOLATROUS: Judges 2:6–3:6
  3. OTHNIEL AND EHUD: Judges 3:7-31
  4. DEBORAH AND BARAK: Judges 4:1–5:31
  5. GIDEON (pt.1): Judges 6
  6. GIDEON (pt.2): Judges 7
  7. GIDEON (pt.3): Judges 8
  8. ABIMELECH: Judges 9
  9. JEPHTHAH: Judges 10-12
  10. SAMSON (pt.1): Judges 13
  11. SAMSON (pt.2): Judges 14
  12. SAMSON (pt.3): Judges 15
  13. SAMSON (pt.4): Judges 16:1-22
  14. SAMSON (pt.5): Judges 16:23-31
  15. SHAMELESS: Judges 17:1–18:21
  16. WORTHLESS: Judges 19:1-30
  17. HOPELESS: Judges 20:1-48
  18. KINGLESS: Judges 21:1-25

1 TIMOTHY

“After being released from his first Roman imprisonment (cf. Acts 28:30), Paul revisited several of the cities in which he had ministered, including Ephesus. Leaving Timothy behind there to deal with problems that had arisen in the Ephesian church, such as false doctrine (1:3–7; 4:1–3; 6:3–5), disorder in worship (2:1–15), the need for qualified leaders (3:1–14), and materialism (6:6–19), Paul went on to Macedonia, from where he wrote Timothy this letter to help him carry out his task in the church (cf. 3:14,15).”
– John MacArthur

THE SON OF MAN WILL BE GLORIFIED BY DYING: John 12:20-26

OUTLINE
I. Jesus is the true treasure of the nations. 
II. Jesus is the Son of Man who will be glorified as He saves the nations. 
III. Jesus, the glorious Son of Man, will save the nations by dying.
IV. Jesus, the glorious Son of Man, will save the nations through their dying.

This sermon was preached by Brett Baggett at the worship gathering of Ekklesia Eufaula on Sunday, March 8th.

RESCUE THE WEEK AND THE NEEDY: Psalm 82

PSALM 82
1 God has taken his place in the divine council;
in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:
2 “How long will you judge unjustly
and show partiality to the wicked? Selah
3 Give justice to the weak and the fatherless;
maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.
4 Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
5 They have neither knowledge nor understanding,
they walk about in darkness;
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
6 I said, “You are gods,
sons of the Most High, all of you;
7 nevertheless, like men you shall die,
and fall like any prince.”
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth;
for you shall inherit all the nations!

1 PETER

“The design of Peter in this Epistle is to exhort the faithful to a denial of the world and a contempt of it, so that being freed from carnal affections and all earthly hindrances, they might with their whole soul aspire after the celestial kingdom of Christ, that being elevated by hope, supported by patience, and fortified by courage and perseverance, they might overcome all kinds of temptations, and pursue this course and practice throughout life.”
– John Calvin, introduction to 1 Peter

Advent 2019

ISAIAH 9:6
For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Series Layout

4. PRINCE OF PEACE: Isaiah 9:6 (December 22nd)

Ekklesia Muskogee is a reformed baptist church that gathers for worship in Muskogee, Oklahoma. We confess the 1689 second London baptist confession of faith. We affirm the five solas of the Reformation as well as the doctrines of grace (otherwise known as the five points of Calvinism), and each of our pastors would not be ashamed to be called a Calvinist. We are a church led by elders, of which there is a plurality (also called pastors and overseers in the Scriptures). Our mission is to make disciples, love cities, and plant churches.