When the Powerful becomes Forgettable

Build Connection

Have you ever forgotten something important only to be reminded in a unpleasant way?

So I was moving a refrigerator and as I was doing that, I jammed my middle finger. Not hard but just right and it swelled up and was sore.

I forgot how important your middle finger is in doing so many things.

Create Tension

Just how we take for granted the fingers we use most of the day, everyday.

There are two things the church was commanded to do that we sometimes take for granted.

When we forget the significance of water baptism and communion we take them for granted.

It when the powerful becomes forgettable.

Provide Solution

We have been doing a series entitled, “Anchored” and we have been looking at our core beliefs as a church. And today we are going to be looking at

The Ordinances of the Church.

So what are they?

An ordinance is simply an authoritative regulation, decree, law, or practice. They are unique to locations in most cases.

Ottumwa, Iowa: Men are banned from winking at women they do not know.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa: Reading palm prints within city limits is illegal.

Mount Vernon, Iowa: You need written city council permission to throw a stone or brick into the street.

Alabama: Wearing a fake mustache that causes laughter in church is against the law.

Marshalltown, Iowa: Horses are not allowed to eat fire hydrants. 

Carrizoville, Arizona: Hunting camels is officially prohibited.

Massachusetts: A gorilla is not permitted to ride in the backseat of a car.

Georgia: it is illigal to fish from a giraffe.

Shenandoah has ordinances also…

There is an ordinance pertaining to storage containers on residential property

There is an ordinance on the use of the area between your sidewalk and the road or the easement.

There is an ordinance on how loud music can be relating to how late it is.

You probably have ordinances at your home;

regarding to cleanliness

regarding to noise

regarding to kids

Ordinances of the church are given to the church to help the individual not given to the individual to help the church.

We as a church and most evangelical churches believe and practice two “ordinances” of the Church, namely, Holy Communion—also called “The Lord’s Supper”—and Water Baptism. The term “ordinance” is taken from the fact that

Both Communion and Water Baptism were ordered (directed, instructed, appointed) by Christ himself for His Church.

It is also correct to use this term to indicate that Holy Communion and Water Baptism are “ordained” of God, that is, they have been established by His authoritative decree.

Protestants have used the term “ordinance” since the Reformation of the 16th Century. This is distinct from the term “sacrament” (from an early Latin term meaning, either, an oath of allegiance or something consecrated or devoted for a sacred purpose). While today’s Roman Catholic Church teaches that through reception of the sacraments (of which they hold to seven in all) varying levels of grace are conferred to the participants, the value of the ordinances of Communion and Water Baptism to Protestants are as demonstrated statements of faith in Christ. To be clear, neither terms  “ordinance” or “sacrament” are foundin the Bible in reference to Communion or Water Baptism.

I want to quickly answer some questions about these two ordinances.

The Ordinance of Water Baptism!

WHO SHOULD BE WATER BAPTIZED?

All born-again believers only. In fact, those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior are commanded to be baptized. See Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; 8:12; and, Acts 18:8.

Important to note the word Believers!

This would exclude infants who do not have the mental capabilities to make a decision to believe in the name of Jesus.

WHAT IS THE MEANING AND SIGNIFICANCE OF WATER BAPTISM?

Baptism is an outward symbolic act of an inward spiritual work of God.

1 Peter 3:20–21

“20 those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. 21 And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

A public declaration or witness to the Lordship of Christ.

Acts 9:18

“18 Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized.”

Identification with Jesus in his accomplishments for us, including his death, burial, and resurrection.

Romans 6:1–5

“1 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? 3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. 5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was.”

WHAT IS NOT TRUE OF CHRISTIAN WATER BAPTISM?

It is not just a ritual that many non-christians preform for various reasons. Pagans, Jews, even John’s baptism was different.

It is not a sacrament in it’s strictest sense. do not view water baptism as a “sacrament” in the strictest sense, which implies to some that the very act of water baptism confers saving grace to an individual. The Bible, rather, teaches that saving grace in the believer precedes the act of baptism (as seen, for example in Acts 8:12; 10:47-48; and, Acts 19:1-5).

WHY SHOULD EVERY BELIEVER BE BAPTIZED?

Obedience

Jesus in Matthew 28

Baptism is also taught in other letters of the New Testament, for example, in Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12; and, 1 Peter 3:21.

Following Christ’s example Matthew 3:13-17

Normal practice of all believers in the book of Acts.

Acts 2:41-42; 8:16; 10:47; 18:8; 19:5; and, Acts 22:16.

HOW SHOULD WE BE BAPTIZED?

We should be baptized in water, which symbolizes the cleansing work of God from our inward spiritual uncleanness.

We should be baptized by immersion—completely going under the water—since:

This best fits the meaning of the word “baptism,” that is, “to immerse” or “to dipunder.”

This best fits with our full identity with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.

This is the implication in various passages of Scripture, such as John 3:23; Mark 1:10;and, Acts 8:38-39.

As Jesus commanded, we should be baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Sonand of the Holy Spirit”

WHEN SHOULD A BELIEVER BE BAPTIZED?

Every believer should seek to be baptized at the earliest opportunity available to them as they continually and faithfully evidence a clear testimony of faith in Jesus.

This was the pattern in the early Church (see Acts 8:36).

There is still a need today to immediately and fully identify with Christ as His followers, fully renouncing the old life of sin.

How can we keep the powerful from becoming the forgettable in water baptism?

Romans 12:1–2

“1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

When we become a living sacrifice we are fulfilling what we declared in Water Baptism.

The Ordinance of Holy Communion

WHAT IS THE NATURE OF PARTAKING OF THE LORD’S SUPPER?

WHAT IS ACCOMPLISHED AS WE PARTAKE OF HOLY COMMUNION?

WHO SHOULD PARTAKE OF HOLY COMMUNION AND HOW OFTEN SHOULD THEY PARTAKE?

Encourage Change

Observe Communion