TWO SACRED CEREMONIES OF OUR CHURCH

INTRODUCTION

Today is the final message in our series on our Church Statement of Faith — 6 months on 16 statements. Commend our past church leaders for writing this fine document. We conclude with a statement about the ordinances of the church:

We believe THE ORDINANCES OF THE LOCAL CHURCH ARE BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER: that Baptism is by immersion of believers, thus portraying the death, burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ; that the Lord’s Supper is the partaking of the bread and cup by the believer as a continuing memorial of the broken body and shed blood of Christ. Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41; 8:38-39; Matthew 26:26-30; 1 Corinthians 11:23-34.

Sacred Worship

For the Christian, worship is our highest priority, where we declare God’s worth, give Him our praise, respect, obedience. John 4:23-24

Several ceremonies of worship, but two great ceremonies are the two ordinances of the church. These two sacred ceremonies, rites, rituals, sacraments, ordinances have been directly instituted by command of Christ and are directly related to the gospel of Christ. “depict in a symbolic manner the central story of Jesus and our union with Him.” (Biblical Foundations of Baptist Churches, p. 260)

The two are baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Communion). Both these worship ceremonies are to stimulate our senses to spiritual realities. They are symbols - illustrations, typologies in physical world to show spiritual truth.

So easy to look at these ceremonies as obligations or duties, requirements or traditions - instead as personal acts of worship which you are invited to participate with the company of other believers. As worship - God is honored, and you and I are humbled. Christ is praised and you and I receive blessing. The Holy Spirit is available to work, and He can work in you and me.

Comparisons:

Baptism	Communion
Matthew 28:18-20 Acts 2:41 Acts 16:30-34 Romans 6:1-11 Colossians 2:12 Water Speaks of Union with Christ Once, after salvation Speaks of Forgiveness Testimony of Salvation Confession of faith Identification Christ/community Public Commitment Declaration of love and loyalty	Matthew 26:26-30 Mark 14:22-25 Luke 22:14-18 Acts 2:42 1 Corinthians 11:23-34 Bread and wine Speaks of Communion with Christ For as often as you eat and drink this... Speaks of Fellowship Testimony of Faithfulness Confession of sins “examine yourself” Intimate fellowship Christ/community Public Recommitment Rededication of love and loyalty

Baptism pictures death, burial and resurrection. Romans 6:4,5: “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection.”

1. Baptists believe - the NT order shows baptism follows believing, repentance, conversion. Matt. 28:19, Acts 2:38, 2:41; 8:12



2. Baptists believe - baptism does not save, faith does, but baptism is a public profession of faith illustrating outwardly what happened inwardly.
ILLUS: Mission fields - baptism is the definitive sign, at personal cost - family, job, even life. Clear step of identification, act of commitment, no turning back.

Many different views of baptism: I personally believe children need to clearly show evidence of their salvation and understand the personal meaning of baptism, to the Jews age 12 was the age of accountability. And I believe that membership should not be automatic with baptism. Two different events: baptism focuses on salvation has Biblical basis, and membership is a man made tradition - more of a corporate ownership with obligations of commitment to a specific church.



3. We believe immersion clearly pictures these truths. Baptism means “dip or immerse, submerge, sink.” With the baptism of Jesus, and Ethiopian Eunuch there appears to be lots of water.
ILLUS: Rev. Grady Nut “put them under till they bubble.”

Video clip of kid jumping into baptistry

Communion reminds us of the death of Christ for our sins, but adds to that picture a reminder of His return: I Cor. 11:26 “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” He is the Savior of mankind and He is the coming King of Kings.

ILLUS: Some of you been part of a church that had communion every week, Most of my life I was a used to communion once a month. What I liked best was formal communion in the morning every other month, and informal communion in the evenings on alternating months. Use unleavened bread, Jewish bread and grape juice - I was an adult before I realized it was Ok to drink a glass of grape juice on my own. For bread a few times had the wafers - learned not to chew but they “melt in your mouth not in your hands” like M & M’s. College communion with saltines and black cherry soda pop. Funny man Mark Lowery calls communion the Lord’s Snack. The focus is not on the food, but Savior.

Both ceremonies communicate Spiritual realities. Elements are for our 5 physical senses to remind us of the divine and eternal spiritual truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Both are kept between His resurrection and His return. These are acts of worship, occasions to praise God.

They are both for believers, meaningless to unbelievers. They both represent the same truths of Christ: “Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world...” John 1:29 Each symbol points to the other, and both point to Christ. Do you focus on Christ in these occasions?

They are both occasions for the Spirit’s working - To bless you with greater awareness of your faith and fellowship with Christ. Both are to be looked forward to by the participants. As a pastor most honored opportunities in leading worship. Both are joyful. We have baptisms about once a year here - in over 10 years, I baptized over 70. Communion 5 times a year. The Holy Spirit is available to work in you. Do you allow Him to work in you?

They are Symbols, they are not means of grace - nothing magical happens, nothing mystical is conferred automatically in the elements.

In baptism your sins are not literally washed down the drain by the water, or in communion your sins are not vanquished by a bit of an unleavened cracker or a sip of juice. There is no power in my words to change the elements into the actual blood and body of Jesus Christ. The elements are and remain un-leaven bread and grape juice.

The unleavened bread - represents the body of Christ, pure, with no yeast of sin so He be the sacrifice for sins in our place. “This is my body, which is for you, do this in remembrance of Me.”

The grape juice - the fruit of the vine representing Christ’s blood: “The cup of the new covenant in My blood; do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

The Ordinances are occasions for worship. Not duties, but privileges, times of joy and celebration.

When we have a baptism service together it is a family celebration of a new birth in to the family, rejoicing in a new life in Christ in our church family. When we have a communion service it is a family meal we share with other believers that we are the body of Christ, united by the shed blood of Jesus together.

CONCLUSION

We will have a baptism later this summer. A joyous occasion like a birth in the family, family is growing - Christ is at work among us.

Next Sunday we will have communion - with Ted and Cindy Warsavage, unity in the diverse body of Christ. A joyous occasion like a family meal that bonds us as one in Christ, the family is thankful - Christ is at work among us.

QUOTE: The ordinances “depict in a symbolic manner the central story of Jesus and our union with Him.”

Let us go back to the central story - the Gospel of Jesus Christ - you can be saved, you can have abundant life and eternal life.

Questions: Are these two ceremonies meaningful to you? How?

Invitation to Salvation

Do you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior?