Year of the Message
2008 New Testament Reading Plan (PDF)
The prophet Jeremiah talks about a "new covenant" that God will make with his people (Jeremiah 31:31). The writer of Hebrews quotes this text and then concludes, "By calling this covenant 'new,' he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear" (Hebrews 8:8, 13).
The book of Hebrews subsequently calls Jesus "the mediator of a new covenant" (Hebrews 12:24). Jesus himself at the Last Supper "took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you" (Luke 22:20).
So the Bible is divided into two great sections, the Old Covenant or Testament and the New Covenant or Testament.
We are participants in the new covenant as believers in the Lord Jesus. The old covenant has been fulfilled in Christ, and the new covenant, encompassing all peoples, nations, and languages, has been instituted through the death of Christ upon the cross.
Faith in the Christ is all that is necessary to enter into this new covenant. We are "saved," the Bible says, when we "confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead" (Romans 10:9).
Jesus is the mediator of this new covenant between God and people. He is God's highest and clearest revelation of himself to humans. Therefore, it is vitally important that we read and understand the four accounts of his life, his words and deeds, and his passion (suffering, death and resurrection).
The New Testament also includes a book called the Acts of the Apostles and numerous letters authored by the Apostle Paul and others. It concludes with an apocalyptic vision of the triumph of the church, the Book of Revelation. All of these help us understand the person and work of Christ Jesus.
Welcome to the New Covenant!
Three invitations are issued to every guest and member of First Baptist New Orleans.
1. Everyone is invited to continue reading through the Bible with us through the end of this year. A reading guide is available in the Year of the Message notebook ($5). The Bible translation called The Message is available for purchase in the foyer of the church at a discounted rate ($15). It is a contemporary translation that emphasizes easy reading.
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2. Sunday morning worship services this year feature messages beginning with Genesis and moving through Revelation. Messages will help explain the "big picture" of the Bible and how it relates to our daily lives.
3. Wednesdays nights feature Message: Rewind at 6 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall and will include comments on the previous seven days' readings of the Bible and questions about those texts.