Chattanooga Valley Baptist Church

In this week’s Advent message, we turn to the quiet but powerful story of Simeon, a man who spent his life waiting for God to keep a promise. When he finally holds the Christ Child in the temple, his waiting erupts into joy fulfilled—the deep gladness that comes when the King proves Himself faithful. Simeon shows us that joy isn’t about ideal circumstances but about trusting a God who keeps His word. Join us as we explore how his encounter with Jesus invites us into that same unshakeable joy.

While earthly kings issued decrees for power, heaven wrote a decree of love. Into straw and shadow came the King who would bring peace, not by force, but by sacrifice. The manger is God’s declaration that love moves first — love crosses the divide, love stoops low, love pays the cost. Here, wrapped in cloth, is the heart of God exposed: not distant affection, but embodied mercy. This is the Treaty of Bethlehem, inviting us to receive the peace that God came to give through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.Now, let’s join Pastor Brian as he takes a look at Article 2 in our Advent Miniseries, The Treaty of Bethlehem: The King’s Motive, from Luke 2, verses 1 through 7.

Luke chapter 2 presents the opening lines of God’s peace treaty with a world that has long lived in opposition to its creator. Into the stillness of the night, God sends His messengers to announce the terms of peace that could never be earned. Drafted by the offended King Himself, this treaty is an offer of peace toward a people in rebellion. In the manger, God places His first signature on that treaty, choosing the weakness of a newborn and the humility of Bethlehem as the pathway by which the hostility would come to an end. The birth of Jesus reveals a God who steps toward His enemies with compassion, establishing peace through grace rather than force, and unveiling the depth of His reconciling love.Now, let’s turn our attention to Pastor Brian for Article 1: The Peace Offer in our special 3-part December miniseries entitled “The Treaty of Bethlehem.”

Ezra 10 pulls us into one of the most painful moments in Israel’s restoration story. After decades of exile, God brought His people home so they could walk in holiness again — but sin crept right back in. And suddenly Ezra is forced to lead the people through hard, heartbreaking decisions. This chapter reminds us that sometimes desperate times really do call for desperate measures — not because God delights in severity, but because sin left untreated is far more destructive than the cure. Holiness matters, faithfulness matters, and renewal sometimes comes at a cost.Now, let’s turn our attention to Pastor Brian for the final sermon from the book of Ezra entitled “Desperate Measures” from Ezra, chapter ten.

Ezra 9 opens with devastating news: after all God had done to restore His people, many of them — including leaders — had fallen back into the same sins that led their ancestors into exile. The very people God had rescued were already compromising their holiness. And when Ezra hears it, he doesn’t shrug, blame, or distance himself. He breaks.His response is one of holy grief. He tears his garments, falls to his knees, and lifts a prayer that is as honest as it is humble. Ezra doesn’t defend the people or minimize their sin; he lays it bare before God, confessing not just their guilt, but our guilt. Ezra models the kind of heart God honors — a heart that feels the weight of sin because it treasures the holiness and mercy of God.Let’s turn our attention to Pastor Brian for this week’s sermon, entitled “Unequally Yoked” from Ezra, chapter 9, verses 1 through 15.