Well, that will bore the church to tears,” I thought to myself when a fellow elder suggested preaching a sermon series through the Baptist Faith and Message (2000). It certainly did not sound exciting. Plus, taking one sermon per article, I was looking, at minimum, at an 18-week sermon series.
The content and length of such a long series seemed arduous. But after discussing both the logistics of the series and the possible benefits, I felt more confident in its helpfulness to our people.
Divided across 21 total sermons, we began by tackling the articles on the Scriptures, God, and man in successive weeks leading up to Easter. Then we designated the first Sunday of every other month as “We Believe” Sunday. On those days we baptize as the Lord provides, take the Lord’s Supper, and focus the sermon on one article of BF&M. Hindsight affords me the opportunity to reflect on the several ways it has been helpful to our church.
First, preaching through the BF&M both teaches and reinforces basic theological doctrines.
Many Christians were never formally and directly taught doctrine, but instead pieced it together over years of Sunday school classes, Bible studies, and sermons. Sometimes what they have pieced together is incomplete or incompatible with Baptist doctrines.
For instance, Lifeway Research showed considerable misunderstanding of the Trinity. In an article titled “Americans Believe in Heaven, Hell, and a Little Bit of Heresy,” Bob Smietana reported in 2014 that “more than 1-in-7 Americans (15%) say the Holy Spirit is less divine than God the Father and Jesus. A third (33%) believe God the Father is more divine than Jesus. [And] 1-in-5 (19%) say Jesus was the first creature made by God. All of those run counter to Christian doctrine as found in historic creeds of the Church.”
A commitment to preaching through the BF&M could help push back against the tide of theological illiteracy. I have had several post-sermon conversations with members whose interest was sparked by topics such as eschatology.
The plan to pause whatever series we may have been in to focus on a doctrinal sermon was also intentional. I hoped it would convey the idea that biblical doctrine matters. It is not just for new believers to learn and pastors to study. Such things matter to how we think and live in everyday life.
Our doctrinal beliefs as Baptists are not only essential to teach new disciples but also to remind and bring clarity to more seasoned ones as well. More than once a member has said something to me after a sermon on basic doctrine like, “I never knew that!” It’s not just for adults either. Our family minister has outline a multi-year teaching plan for our middle school and high school students that covers our doctrine in depth.
The preacher also stands to benefit.
Seminary and personal study may have given us a firm grasp on some theological concepts articulated in the BF&M such as salvation, baptism, or the Lord’s Supper. We may not be as sharp on other articles like “education” and “religious liberty” requiring more rigorous study to clearly articulate. So, a commitment to preach the entirety of our statement of faith forces the preacher to confront his own deficiencies in understanding.
Second, the BF&M series acquaints new Southern Baptists with our beliefs. Prior to moving to Illinois, I pastored in the Bible belt state of North Carolina. In that area, the majority of members in a Baptist church were lifelong Baptists. But here in the Midwest, our church is comprised of people from various denominational backgrounds. I preach weekly to former members of nondenominational churches, Churches of Christ, and the Catholic church among others.
Giving a brief overview of Baptist beliefs in a new member class is helpful, but a sermon series allowed me to cover them much more in depth.
Third, the series provides great opportunities for other preachers. The pace by which we planned our series afforded natural places for other gifted preachers in our congregation to exercise their spiritual giftedness. I invited some to preach certain articles because it leaned into their strengths and interests.
As our sermon series on the BF&M draws to a close this year, two years after it began, I remain committed to keeping sound doctrine—Southern Baptist doctrine—in front of my people.
Download a copy of the BF&M 2000 from SBC.net.
Order the BF&M 2000 booklet from Lifeway.com.
Josh Parsons is pastor of Western Oaks Baptist Church in Springfield.