Truth Matters (Page 3)

In his 2003 book, City On A Hill, Leland Ryken described the condition of our culture as a “new barbarianism” characterized by relativism and narcissism. These two ideas are inseparable. A society rejects the very idea of truth (relativism) with disastrous results. Then, in a world void of absolute truth, every person does “what is right in his own eyes” (narcissism, cf. Judges 21:25). As churches uncritically embrace the culture, the new barbarianism seeps in and begins to metastasize.

This sermon series speaks to this situation. “Truth Matters” has a double meaning. It can refer to a series of truth-topics, such as the 32 articles of The Baptist Confession of Faith (these are the subjects of our new sermon series). Or, it can declare that truth is significant. Indeed, we believe that nothing matters more than truth.

Romans 1:16-17, The Truth on Which We Stand or Fall

How can sinners such as we ever have a right relationship with a holy God? That is the central concern of the Gospel. There is only one true answer to that question—and we have to get it right. This is the concern of the eleventh article of the Baptist Confession of Faith, “Justification.” The sermon…

John 6:35-40, God’s Gracious Initiative

The subject of the service for this Lord’s Day is “The Effectual Call” (article 10 in the Baptist Confess of Faith). It refers to the initiative God takes to bring his people to salvation. He does this—not because of anything in our character or because of what we do. He calls us on the basis…

Ephesians 2:1-10, “The Bondage of the Will”

The subject for the Lord’s Day sermon this week comes from The Baptist Confession of Faith, Article Nine: “Free Will.” The Bible teaches that all people make free choices, but that does not mean that the human will is free in an absolute sense. The human will is subject to various constraints. We will see…

John 17:1-5, Christ, All Glorious

On the night before Jesus died, he prayed a prayer that puts God’s plan of redemption on display. The opening verses of the prayer (John 17:1-5) reveal the driving motive that lay behind all that Jesus came to do: the glory of God. Contrary to our tendency to evaluate the value of all things according…

1 Timothy 2:1-7, The One Mediator

The eighth chapter of the Baptist Confession addresses the subject of “Christ the Mediator.” It presents a broad description of Jesus Christ’s person and work. The heart of the chapter is Jesus’ “perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself, which he through the eternal Spirit once offered up unto God,” [through which he] “fully satisfied the…

2 Timothy 1:8-12, God’s Gracious Purpose

April 16, 2023
Steven Thomas
Grace
2 Timothy

This Lord’s Day we continue our series, Truth Matters, based on the topics presented in The Baptist Confession of Faith. The seventh chapter focuses on God’s gracious plan. We see this grace, in part, in the divine covenants that unfold throughout Scripture. The apostle Paul declares that this gracious plan is revealed in the Gospel…

Genesis 3:1-24, How Sad Our State By Nature Is

Our continuation series, Truth Matters, follows the topics found in The Baptist Confession of Faith (Brandon Crawford). Chapter 6 sets the topic for this Lord’s Day: “The Fall of Man.” We will explore what the Bible says about the origin of sin and its continuing effects.

Acts 2:22-24, Not By Chance: The Comfort of Divine Providence

March 13, 2023
Steven Thomas
Providence
Acts

The fifth article in the Baptist Confession of Faith is, “Divine Providence.” In this service, we will use the death of Jesus as described by Peter in Acts 2:22-24 as a case study in divine providence. We will see that Christians who unreservedly embrace this doctrine, find peace and comfort.

Genesis 1:26-31, Made in God’s Image

March 5, 2023
Steven Thomas
Creation
Genesis

The fourth chapter of The Baptist Confession of Faith explores the topic, “Creation.” This brief statement sets forth a series of simple biblical truths that were universally held by Christians throughout the centuries and form the foundation of a biblical worldview. Without these truths, Christianity cannot exist, and any free society will collapse.

Isaiah 46:8-11, The Eternal God and His Decree

February 26, 2023
Steven Thomas
Providence
Isaiah

The third chapter of The Baptist Confession of Faith focuses on God’s Decree. The sermon text is Isaiah 46:8-11 which displays the fact that in eternity past, God decreed all things that come to pass.