Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:2,”For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” This is one of the main reasons why each and every week the gospel is articulated in the sermon. This is not just an invitation tacked on the end or something completely foreign to the text, but rather the Scriptures continually direct us to Christ and the gospel. From this principle of proclaiming the gospel week in and week out the following benefits are realized:

1. There are always going to be people in the congregation who are not truly converted to Jesus Christ or have a false assurance that they are. The gospel is the only solution.

2. Visitors frequent our assembly and they may only have this one week to hear the gospel. In fact, no one knows what tomorrow will bring.

3. Christians need to hear the gospel as a reminder and to rejoice in God and in their salvation. No matter how mature in the faith you may be, Christians love to hear the gospel!

4. We need to be equipped to share the gospel so hearing it said every week an in different ways from different text each week helps us.

5. People who attend our services need to have a confidence that they can invite someone to church and that person will hear the gospel. No need to wait for a special outreach, just come and hear the gospel this Sunday.

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Expository preaching has become a buzzword in church circles. Unfortunately, while being often used, it’s intended meaning proves elusive. Many churches claim to value expository preaching, but what does that actually mean?

• Some equate expository preaching with preaching through biblical books (e.g., Matthew or Romans) verse by verse from start to end.
• Some equate expository preaching to detailing the meaning of a particular text. Verb tenses, grammatical and lexical studies and other technical linguistic and historical tools are used to explain the full meaning of a text.
• Some equate expository preaching as just saying what the Bible says (you can see why many can claim to value expository preaching!).

Here is how we understand it. Expository preaching is preaching that takes the main point of a passage and makes that the main point of the sermon and applies it to life today. It is not only a matter of saying what the text says, it is making the thrust of the sermon the same as that of the text. Exposing (where we get expository from) the meaning and intent of a text.

Why is this important? Expository or expositional preaching is important because it is God’s Word that convicts, converts, builds up, and sanctifies God’s people. Preaching that makes the main point of the text the main point of the sermon makes God’s agenda rule the church, not the preacher’s.

This post relies on the good material found at http://www.9marks.org/what-are-the-9marks/preaching

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The new covenant inaugurated by Jesus is significant when discussing why we are baptists. This new and better covenant is spoken of in the Old Testament and is said to be inaugurated in the book of Hebrews (see ch. 8).

Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.Jeremiah 31:31-34

Why is this significant? The new covenant is different from the old covenant in that it is not a national covenant or a mixed covenant of true believers and unbelievers like the old covenant was. Everyone in the new covenant “knows the Lord,” they have a new heart, they are new creatures (2 Cor 5:17).

What does this have to do with baptist beliefs? First, because of the nature of the new covenant, the church—the new covenant people of God—is made up of believers, not a mix of believers and non-believers. This is called a saved or regenerate church membership. Second, the sign of the new covenant—baptism—is only for those who are part of the new covenant. This means that baptism is only for believers and not for infants (and the New Testament examples of baptism support this understanding).

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To be reformed is to identify yourself with the principles of the Protestant Reformation that took place under individuals like Martin Luther and John Calvin. These men and others like them challenged the Catholic church in their day over a number of essential theological issues. This event in history started the Protestant movement to which groups like the Presbyterians and Baptists trace back their roots. By using the label “reformed,” we are identifying ourselves to the principles of the Reformation.

There were five Latin slogans that captured the essence of the biblical teaching recovered during the Reformation. They are: Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone); Sola Fide (Faith Alone); Solus Christus (Christ Alone); Sola Gratia (Grace Alone); Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone).

It’s important to note that to be reformed is not to say that we follow a system outside of Scripture. Another slogan during the Reformation was ad fontes (to the source!). This meant the Reformers were interested in returning to biblical Christianity and biblical Christianity alone. All traditions and practices must be measured and weighed by the sure authority of the Scriptures. To be reformed is to subscribe to the same doctrines that Paul, the other apostles, and Jesus himself ascribed to.

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