A Ceremonial Reminder

Introduction

Tonight we are going to take a little time to engage in ceremony.

We are appointing three men to add to the number of deacons here at Pepper Road.

With that in mind, I want to talk a little bit about the value of going through a little bit of ceremony on an occasion such as this.

Ceremony in Scripture

We go through the Old Testament and find ceremony at every turn and it all points to something to be remembered.

The passover points back to their deliverance from Egypt.

The sacrifices each point to an element of their relationship to God (forgiveness, thanksgiving, fellowship).

We come to the New Testament and find less ceremony but it is not devoid of it.

The Lord’s Supper

Can we go overboard in the ceremony?

Can we give too little attention to the ceremony?

Baptism

Again, it can turn into something that becomes exalted until you couldn’t baptize someone in the middle of the night because we don’t have all of the trappings of a grand affair.

And yet, it could be something too easily entered into and therefore not convey the weight of what is happening.

Consider that God has said I still want SOMETHING physical even though so much of the physical has been nailed to the cross.

Appointing Leaders (Lev. 8:30; 1 Kings 1:39; Acts 6:5-6; 9:17; 13:2-3; 1 Tim. 4:14).

The Value

We need to recognize the value in taking time to turn careful attention to important moments (Acts 13:3).

Ceremony provides a point of memory to think back on in times of possible forgetfulness (1 Tim. 4:14).

So tonight, is a night for these three men and for us to give attention to and that they will need to remember.

Conclusion

We will come back to all of that in a few moments but before we do, we are closing out this lesson.

We would be happy to delay one ceremony for another.

Would you become a Christian today? It is not a complicated ceremony but it one none the less.