Preaching on baptism?

[Kevin]

I have a question for you presbyterian pastors on the board.

How often do you preach on the subject of baptism?

I have been in PCA, ARP, & PCC churches for years now & sermons on baptism are rare.

One former (pca) pastor told me it was to controversial because of all the baptists we had as members.

Back in the day when I was still a baptist we heard sermons on "our distinctives" often probably every year or two.

Any thoughts?

 

[bradofshaw]

I think its a shame that there seem to be very few sermons geared towards not only explaining difficult doctrinal issues like baptism, but also giving the application of such rich doctrines to our spiritual walk. I've heard very few in my life, and less since joining the PCA (heard them a little more often in OPC circles).

 

[Larry Hughes]

Kevin,

I cannot speak for other pastors, but ours does so quite frequently.

Ldh

 

[jaybird0827]

Our pastor teaches on baptism whenever we have an occasion to celebrate the sacrament of baptism. We are a small congregation and baptisms do not occur all that often. In addition to that it can be part of topics that he addresses during the Christian education hour or in the context of other preaching (e.g. series on Paul's letter to the Ephesians).

-- Jay

 

[Contra_Mundum]

Frankly, I don't think the issue of frequency is that critical.

Baptism is a doctrine and practice that every new member, or every communicant class, is taught. Baptism might be preached on when baptisms occur (or perhaps not). Baptism should be preached when in the course of preaching, the subject arises. The benefit of systematic, expository preaching dictates that the whole counsel of God shall be preached, including baptism. Thus, the frequency of preaching on baptism will be correlative to its relative frequency (and presumed importance) in Scripture.

Paul actually downplays the relative importance of the doctrine of baptism in 1 Cor. 1. By this, I am not intending to slight the Baptists who see this as a distinctive. But the fact that it is seen by them as their distinctive should then help us to appreciate the fact that Baptists might preach on the subject with greater frequency than, say, Presbyterians. I would argue, on the other hand, that (whether Baptist or Presbyterian) anytime we preach thematically, we need to beware that our "hobby-horses" aren't getting more exercise than they deserve, at the expense of the whole counsel of God. And honestly, I'd expect a Reformed Baptist to agree with me on this point.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Originally posted by jaybird0827
Our pastor teaches on baptism whenever we have an occasion to celebrate the sacrament of baptism. We are a small congregation and baptisms do not occur all that often. In addition to that it can be part of topics that he addresses during the Christian education hour or in the context of other preaching (e.g. series on Paul's letter to the Ephesians).

-- Jay

Here are some sermons on baptism by Pastor Tim Worrell and some by Jay's former and my current pastor, Steven Dilday.

Originally posted by Contra_Mundum
Frankly, I don't think the issue of frequency is that critical.

Baptism is a doctrine and practice that every new member, or every communicant class, is taught. Baptism might be preached on when baptisms occur (or perhaps not). Baptism should be preached when in the course of preaching, the subject arises. The benefit of systematic, expository preaching dictates that the whole counsel of God shall be preached, including baptism. Thus, the frequency of preaching on baptism will be correlative to its relative frequency (and presumed importance) in Scripture.

Paul actually downplays the relative importance of the doctrine of baptism in 1 Cor. 1. By this, I am not intending to slight the Baptists who see this as a distinctive. But the fact that it is seen by them as their distinctive should then help us to appreciate the fact that Baptists might preach on the subject with greater frequency than, say, Presbyterians. I would argue, on the other hand, that (whether Baptist or Presbyterian) anytime we preach thematically, we need to beware that our "hobby-horses" aren't getting more exercise than they deserve, at the expense of the whole counsel of God. And honestly, I'd expect a Reformed Baptist to agree with me on this point.

 

[brymaes]

And honestly, I'd expect a Reformed Baptist to agree with me on this point.

This one does!

 

[Kevin]

Thanks guys,

I was just wondering because every presbyterian church I have been in it is a rare topic. Also our churches seem filled with Baptists who dont often change their minds.

I was wondering do we avoid the topic because of who is in the audience?

Meybe that is not such a bad idea, do we really want to make the Sabbath a day for doctrinal controversy?

 

[Pilgrim]

Originally posted by Kevin
Thanks guys,

I was just wondering because every presbyterian church I have been in it is a rare topic. Also our churches seem filled with Baptists who dont often change their minds.

I was wondering do we avoid the topic because of who is in the audience?

Meybe that is not such a bad idea, do we really want to make the Sabbath a day for doctrinal controversy?

It is covered fairly often where I worship because the pastor is in the habit of preaching through the Reformed confessions and catechisms on Sunday evenings. I'm not aware of any convinced Baptists in our congregation and I do know that the church has become much more Reformed in outlook and practice with our current pastor. But we are not a large church, and being OPC, are more self consciously reformed than probably the average PCA church.

In our area there is also a "big tent" EPC church that has baptists on the session. It wouldn't surprise me if a third or more at that church are baptistic, but many of them are also charismatic to one degree or another and wouldn't have much tolerance for our type of service which has a mix of hymns and psalms. There are others in that church who left liberalizing SBC churches in the 1980's and have attended there ever since, with some never having joined because they still consider themselves to be Baptists.