Trinity Fellowship

God has promised certain judgement on those who seek to please themselves, and deny the Lord's authority, but while the judgement is certain for those who reject the Lord, the salvation is just as certain for those who submit themselves to Jesus Christ.

Study in the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of Faith

We all live our days out under the sun. God has made a world in which there are repetitive, ordinary things to do. There are two ways to see this repetition – one is to see it as empty and meaningless. In this view there is nothing more than what exists under the sun. There is no meaning beyond what is in front of you. This is the way of nihilism and despair. Solomon flirted with this darkness when his heart was led astray. Thanks be to God, however, that His mercy visited Solomon and brought him to repentance. The Lord opened Solomon's eyes to see that the ordinary, recurring nature of life is not meant to show us emptiness, but to teach us the rhythm of God's constancy and faithfulness. He is stamping eternity on our hearts by teaching us to enjoy everyday blessings, like manna in the desert. If there is nothing beyond what lies under the sun, then life is indeed futile, empty, and meaningless. There would be nothing but vanity under the sun. This view is absurd, of course. This is God's world, so nothing can be meaningless. All things hold together in Christ. If you are in Christ, then look and see that there is joy under the Son. "Breath" by Samuel Beckett - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io_scJbhCOY

Study in the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of Faith

One of the defining marks of the Christian is that they possess the Holy Spirit; that is, they participate in the fellowship that the Spirit creates. Because there is only one Spirit, true participation in Him will send us in the direction of sharing the same mind and the same love as other believers. Being of one mind does not mean unthinking conformity, nor does it allow for unthinking non-conformity. Being of one mind is not a path to the lowest-common-denominator approach to the faith, nor is it sectarian and schismatic. Being of one mind is both generous and defined. As another year begins, we have occasion to reflect on what God has done, is doing, and will do at Trinity Fellowship. Already He has blessed us with a robust theological tradition, with warm and inviting fellowship, and with sincere hearts eager to pursue Christ; gifts which we must not take for granted. Under the kind mercy of God, it is up to each one of us to ensure that these blessings outlive us all, even to a thousand generations.

Beloved congregation, as you go from this place and step into a new year, take up the resolve of David as your own: "My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD." Let this not be empty words spoken only in worship, but a settled determination of the heart. As the days of this year unfold, whether they bring joy or trial, abundance or need, remember the God you have praised today. He is great, and greatly to be praised. He is faithful in all His ways and kind in all His works. Let your words, in your homemaking, in your workplaces, in your businesses and in your day to day conversations, bare witness to His goodness. Resolve that your praise will not depend on how this year goes, but on who God is. Teach His mighty acts to the next generation. Speak often of His faithfulness. Bless His holy name in public and in private, in prosperity and in hardship. And as you do, lift your eyes beyond yourselves. Pray and labor for the day when all flesh will bless His holy name. Until that day comes, may this year be marked by a people whose mouths speak the praise of the Lord, not for a moment, not for a season, but forever and ever. Go now in the confidence of this great God, and live this year to the praise of His glorious name.

In redemptive history, the future is frequently like the past. Those of us who are in God's Book of Remembrance must continue to listen to Moses and Elijah. God has given His law and His prophets, not as a means of our justification and salvation, but as a guide in living for His glory. Obedience to the Lord remains the pathway to blessing and joy. God's Word shows us how to live as we wait for the return of the King. But the Law and the Prophets don't just instruct, leaving us with a burden we can't bear. They continue to point us to Christ, the true Sun of Righteousness. He is not only our example, but our wisdom, our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1 Cor. 1:30). He took our curse, was crucified, died, and buried. He has turned the curse in reverse through His resurrection and Ascension. He is returning one day to consummate and perfect this work into eternity.

Study in the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of Faith

It is fitting that we mark history by the coming of the Saviour to earth. We do this as we count the years since His arrival, but also in advent celebrations which reach their crescendo on Christmas Day. Our celebration is never an excuse for indulging in the very sins that Christ came to free us from. But the celebration should also not be seen as a distraction in our battle against the sins, sorrows, and thorns that infest our world. Rather, we celebrate with vigour because our sins are forgiven. Our consciences are clean. We have inherited eternal life. Our celebration fills us with gladness as we lay siege of the darkness. Too often we justify laziness and self-indulgence by telling ourselves 'it's the holidays'. Christmas is not a permission slip for sin; it's a feast that invigorates us, one of the blessings that flow out as far as the curse is found.