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This Lord’s Day we will remember the first advent of our Lord Jesus. He came into a world that is in desperate need. Our sermon text reveals that some watched for him with expectant faith and welcomed him with worship. But they were a small minority of people. Others ignored him—and some tried to kill the baby. Through it all, God was at work accomplishing his eternal plan and Jesus was central to it all.

This Lord’s Day, the sermon text will describe the nativity of Jesus from Joseph’s perspective. When he discovered Mary’s condition, he might have wondered whose child she carried. What he knew for certain was that he was not the father. It took and angelic intervention to prepare him for what would follow. The sermon will retell the story and teach us the angel’s answer to the question, “What child is this?”

This Lord’s Day we begin our focus on the Christmas season. We will mark the incarnation of Jesus Christ with a series of three sermons from Matthew, chapters one and two. We will move through the expectation of God’s promised Messiah (1:1-17), the details of God’s provision of his Messiah (1:18-25), and God’s protection of his Messiah (2:1-23).

This Lord’s Day we conclude our study of Brandon Crawford’s revision of the Baptist Confession of Faith. The topic is, “The Last Judgments.” The sermon text (2 Thessalonians 1:5-12) gives us a glimpse of what the Lord has in store for those who trust Him and those who do not.

The 31st chapter of the Baptist Confession of Faith focuses on “The State of Man After Death.” The sermon text for this service will explore a passage in which the Apostle Paul redirects our attention from this the “light momentary affliction” that marks our current, temporal existence, to the “eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” that awaits those who serve the Lord Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:17). As we await that day of glory in His presence, “we make it our aim to please him” in every way (2 Corinthians 5:9).

The 30th article of the Baptist Confession of Faith explains the Lord’s Table, or Communion. In the 16th century, a conflict arose among Protestant Reformers about what happens at the Table when the church gathers to partake of the elements (the bread and cup). Far from being an archaic controversy with little relevance to us in the 21st century, their concerns are still vitally important to the Christian faith today. We will look at the Scriptures through the lens of this old conflict.

The sermon addresses the Baptist Confession of Faith, Article 29: Baptism. We will draw our discussion of baptism from a passage appropriate to the missions emphasis this Lord’s Day.

Chapter 28 of the Baptist Confession of Faith presents a summary of the church’s two ordinances: baptism and the Lord’s Table. Two chapters devoted to the individual ordinances follow. Our sermon plan will follow this scheme, this Lord’s Day looking at two key passages to explain the general character of the ordinances. In the following two Sunday services, we will return to these passages to look at the individual ordinances, explaining each one in greater depth.

I. Christ Jesus, our Savior, is supreme over all.

A. He is head of the church. 18a

B. He is founder of a new creation. 18b

C. He is the object of God’s eternal pleasure. 19-20

II. Christ Jesus, our Savior, has reconciled us to God.

A. His death is the basis of our reconciliation. 21-22a

B. Our presence with him is the purpose of our reconciliation. 22b

C. Our perseverance is the evidence of our reconciliation. 23

The 27th article of the Baptist Confession of Faith focuses on “The Communion of the Saints.” In it, “communion” is not a reference to the Lord’s Table. It speaks of the spiritual union that exists between true believers. It is a union that exists between us because we are all united with Christ. The sermon and the other elements of the service will explore this essential doctrine of union with Christ.