Pastor James will post his Sermon Study Questions every Tuesday with the previous Sunday’s sermon. Our hope is for these study questions to promote deeper personal study and further edify our church body.
Sermon Study Questions – December 7, 2025
Reading of Law: 1 John 2:15-16
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world — the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life — is not from the Father but is from the world.”
Prayer of Confession:
Our gracious God and Father, you are glorious beyond compare and worthy of all praise. And this world and all that it contains which you have made is beautiful and delightful and good. But Father, we in our fallenness have made the world and the things of the world our great love and the object of our greatest affections. Even the good things which you have created and blessed us with we have turned into ultimate things and in doing so we have sinned against you. We confess that we have catered to our flesh and often fed its sinful desires rather than submitting ourselves to you and your revealed will. Our deepest longings have been for the things that delight the eyes rather than for you, the Invisible God. We have been corrupted by pride and yearned for the praise of man rather than the praise of God, the One with whom we have to do. Father, in all of this we have sinned and we confess it as such and ask that you would in your great mercy forgive us. For you are a God who is rich in mercy and quick to forgive, and for this we thank you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Assurance of Forgiveness: 1 Cor.1:4-9
“I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge– 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you– 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you await for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Heidelberg Catechism: Lord’s Day 14
Q. 35. What is the meaning of “conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary?”
A. That the eternal Son of God, who is and continues true and eternal God, took upon Himself the very nature of man, of the flesh and blood of the virgin Mary, by the operation of the Holy Spirit; so that He might also be the true seed of David, like unto His brethren in all things, except for sin.
[1] Jn. 1:1; Rom. 1:3–4. [2] Rom. 9:5. [3] Gal. 4:4; Jn. 1:14. [4] Matt. 1:18–20; Lk. 1:35. [5] Ps. 132:11. [6] Phil. 2:7. [7] Heb. 4:15; *1 Jn. 5:20. 36.
Q.36. What benefit do you receive from the holy conception and birth of Christ?
A. That He is our Mediator, and with His innocence and perfect holiness covers, in the sight of God, my sin, wherein I was conceived.
[1] Heb. 2:16–17. [2] Ps. 32:1; *1 Jn. 1:9.
NT Reading: 2 Peter 3:1-14
This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodieswill be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. 11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.
Questions:
1. Read Isaiah 24
2. Isaiah 24 deals with the cosmic judgment that will come upon the earth at the end of the age. In describing this judgment, Isaiah likens it to the destruction of a city. This is reminiscent of St. Augustine’s great work, The City of God, which he wroteas he wrestled with the implications of the city of Rome being sacked by the Goths in the beginning of the 5th century. In that book Augustine identified two cities which represent two types of people throughout humanity – the city of man and the city of God. What is it that characterizes the inhabitants of the city of man, and what characterizes the inhabitants of the city of God?
3. What is the point of v.2 where Isaiah says, “And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the slave, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor.”
4. What is Isaiah telling us about the demolition of the earth in v.10 where he says “the wasted city is broken down”?
5. In v.5 we are told why this cosmic demolition will take place, saying “the earth lies defiled under its inhabitants.” What does this tell us about the impact of fallen humanity upon the world?
6. In v.5 Isaiah goes on to give us three ways in which the earth has been defiled, saying, “they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant.” What do each of these statements speak of?
7. In v.14-16 we find believers singing even as the world is falling apart. What are they singing about? What can you learn from the fact they are singing even as severe calamity unfolds? What is it you can sing for joy about today?
8. How are these two types of people – those from the city of man and those who are of city of God – contrasted in our text?
9. Practically speaking, what are you to do with this knowledge that cosmic judgment awaits this world? Read 2 Peter 3:10-12.
10. Pray!