CHURCH MATTERS: Ordinance Matters (Matthew 28:18-20; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34)

if you have been to FCC for any amount of time

something different happened today

we did not observe communion before the sermon

we will observe communion after the sermon since it is about the ordinances

Ordinance Matters

define ordinances

orders given by Christ to His Church

baptism & Lord’s Supper

not sacraments that one does to be made right with God

only Jesus can make you right with God

symbols to show spiritual realities

invisible becomes visible

at baptism—invisible salvation becomes visible

at communion—invisible church becomes visible

purpose

to look at ordinances holistically (OT and NT)

not one passage but many

to urge you to move closer to Jesus in obedience

to show the significance the ordinances play in a local church

The ordinances have roots in the Old Testament

circumcision (Gen 17:9-11)

sign of the covenant

how someone was marked off as people of God

roots for baptism

Passover (Exodus 12:1-13 43-49)

former slide

how the people were marked off and defined

meal marked birth of a nation

only Israelites (not foreigners) could eat Passover

foreigners could participate IF males were circumcised

Passover meal defined the people

Israel celebrated it

no one else could

Lord’s Supper / Communion

while the Passover was celebrated with families

Jesus was turning friends into family at the Last Supper

Jesus’s family are those who receive His sacrifice

easy to know who was Hebrew/Israelite/Jew

not so easy when anyone can claim to be a follower of Christ

Jesus gives His ordinances to local churches

the ordinances are church ordinances

Baptism (Matt 28:18-20)

Matt 28:18-20 pew # 993

Great Commission = MAKE DISCIPLES

go (evangelize)

presenting gospel

pleading for response

baptizing those who respond in repentance and faith

when someone makes a credible confession,

the church responds by baptizing him or her

one of the first acts of obedience

not to be forgiven or cleansed

but because they were forgiven and cleansed of their sin

the moment they repented of their sin & trusted Jesus to save them

teaching all that Jesus commanded

disciple to maturity

Acts 2:41

added to church

baptized into membership

baptism is 2-fold act

church’s act of affirming and portraying believer’s union with Christ

by immersing in water

believer’s act of publicly committing to Christ and His people

thus uniting believer to church

and marking off from the world

therefore,

if you have been baptized here,

you are a member of this church

children—membership directory

baptism makes individual’s faith visible

just like Communion / Lord’s Supper makes church visible

Communion / Lord’s Supper is where the church shows up

Communion / Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

Communion = Lord’s Supper (synonyms)

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 pew # 1,139

when someone has committed to follow Jesus

participating in the Lord’s Supper is a response to the Jesus’ command

church didn’t invent communion

Jesus did and commands every Christian to regularly participate

church’s act of communing with Christ and each other

commemorating (remembering) His death

makes the church one body (many become one)

and marks it off from the world

the ordinances make a church a church

in the act of the Lord’s Supper

the Lord’s Supper makes many one

from invisible church to visible church

ordinances are part of what distinguishes a church from a small group

church membership and the ordinances are tightly linked

Communion is a family meal

come together (1 Cor 11:17-34)

meal together

not private meal but church’s celebration

gathered

not small groups or at camp

ordinance given to church as a church

when you come together (17, 18, 20, 33, 34)

wait for one another

church revealing activity

even though we say you don’t need to be a member of FCC to participate

it doesn’t mean we think you don’t need to be a member somewhere

Christians are to be members of a local church

according to NT

should be no churchless Christians

all Christians need to belong to a church

“A Christian who doesn’t belong to a local church is like a brick that jumped out of the wall, a hand that cut itself off from the body, a self-made orphan.” Bobby Jamieson

to commit to Christ

is to commit to His people (represented in a local church)

the way to be part of the universal church is by being part of the local church

when someone is publicly disciplined

not even to eat with such a one (1 Cor 5:11)

ex-communion-ion

when removed from membership,

first thing removed from is Lord’s Supper

if not a member of a local church, obedience plea

next FCC membership class (April 7) or don’t have to wait

connection card

if not sure whether a member,

please reach out to church office, Mark, or me

may have noticed some changes in communion

elders

baptism

seriousness

2nd service only

after much prayer and discussion among the elders for months

changing how observe Lord’s Supper

both services same for unity

used to come forward for intinction

intinction—break bread from loaf then dip bread in juice

stopped for Covid

no intent to do it again

but kept coming forward without intinction

now passing plate

give more intentional time for reflection and repentance

less distractions of coming forward

kind of turned into “greet your neighbor” instead of “reflect on Christ”

coming forward can bring about undue pressure

if reason should not participate

hard to remain seated

it taken seriously

there may be reasons you do not participate every week

but feel pressured so not singled out by remaining seated

offering in offering boxes in back

as well as prayer requests

Who should participate in Communion / the Lord’s Supper?

primarily a celebration of the finished work of Jesus

inclusive yet exclusive

flies in face of values of our culture

be, do, and live however you want & be included

not how God has defined His people

roots back in OT

inclusive—Jesus died for all

exclusive—but His death is only applied to those who respond in repentance and faith

1. Believer in Jesus Christ

1 Cor 15:3-4 must mean something to you

or the elements are just wafer and grape juice

only means something to someone that has been saved

not missing out with wafer and juice

but that’s not the point

it is what it represents

not transubstantiation (changed to body and blood)

not consubstantiation (coexist body and blood with bread and cup)

not sacrament towards salvation (clear in our “What We Believe”)

former slide

communion with Jesus and His church

bread has symbolic meaning

body of Jesus given for us

juice has symbolic meaning

blood of Jesus poured out for us

proclaiming Lord’s death (1 Cor 11:26)

thus, for the bread and cup to mean anything

you must have a relationship with Jesus

God has no grandchildren

everyone must respond to Jesus

if not responded to Jesus in repentance and faith

please let the cup pass

evangelistic plea

each week is a reminder of what Jesus did for you

Jesus died for your sin, so you could be forgiven and relationship w/God restored

while you should not participate now

we want you to know Jesus

so consider your relationship with Jesus during communion

what is holding you back from accepting HIs gift of salvation?

connection card

2. Baptized after conversion

baptism makes individual’s faith visible

it is how you publicly profess your faith in Jesus

no secret disciples of Jesus

1st century—meet me at the Jordan River

21st century—follow your conversion with baptism

baptism is not optional command for believers

after conversion

anything before is not baptism as found in NT

believed then baptized (consider Acts)

baptism unites one with many

no orphans

baptism unites you to God’s people

to join yourself to Jesus is to join yourself to His people

an act of the church

anyone can say they are a Christian

baptism is where a local church affirms that someone is a Christian

baptism is where a representative of the church

baptizes the individual on behalf of the church

because the individual has given a credible confession of Jesus as Lord

so we only baptize believers

baptized before Communion?

let us consider both ordinances

baptism—initiating sign before renewing sign

baptism is a one time act

Lord’s Supper is a repeated act

baptism binds one to many

Communion binds many to one

baptism—inaugurating ceremony into church (doorway)

Lord’s Supper—ongoing ceremony (regular family meal)

both proclaim to the nations who the people of Christ are

thus, we stand with almost all Christians throughout history

you should be baptized before your participate in communion

if you or your child have trusted Jesus but not obeyed by following in baptism

please let the plate pass today

move forward in obedience

see this is as grace and an opportunity

connection card

3. After self-examination

1 Cor 11:27-32

consider your life and your relationship with Jesus

consider your love for Him by your obedience to Him

spiritual spring cleaning

if unable to take because indwelling sin, surrender plea

Ordinance Matters

elevate your view of the church, baptism, Lord’s Supper

move towards the center of God’s will

prepare to participate

want to respond—connection card