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Calvary Missionary Baptist Church |
Baptism and The Lord's Supper The Two Church Ordinances Article of Faith #14 Tonight we are going to examine the two ordinances of any New Testament Church: Baptism and The Lord's Supper. These two ordinances have been debated with much fervor over the last 2000 years, but the scripture plainly teaches their intended purposes. Baptism is a believer's profession of faith in the crucified, buried, and risen savior and consent for that believer to walk in newness of life. The Lord's Supper is a solemn memorial of Christ's death observed by Christ's baptized disciples. Tonight we will look at these two ordinances and the intended scriptural conditions, purposes, and bounds of each. Baptism I. The Elements of Scriptural Baptism: a. Proper Administrator - A sound gospel church "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" - Matthew 28:19 b. Proper Candidate - An expressed believer in Jesus Christ "And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing." - Acts 8:36-39 c. Proper Mode - Immersion in water "After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized." - John 3:22-23 "Baptizo is not a word of divers significations…it must be rendered immerse" -JMP p.344 II. Symbol of Baptism Baptism symbolized the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and a believer's public profession of death to sin and rising again to newness of life in Christ. "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." - Romans 6:3-4 III. Baptism as a symbol of grace in regeneration, and not regeneration itself "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." - Acts 2:38 "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." - Acts 22:16 "Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:" - I Peter 3:20-21 The Lord's Supper I. The Purpose of the Lord's Supper: A memorial of Christ's death "For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come." - I Corinthians 11:23-26 II. Who May Partake of the Lord's Supper? Only Christ's baptized disciples, or in other words, a gospel church. "Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said. And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." - Matthew 26:20-29 "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." - Acts 2:41-42 III. We must precede the Lord's Supper with solemn self-examination that we take it as a worthy person (saved and baptized), in a worthy manner (knowledgably and reverently), and for a worthy purpose (to commemorate the Lord's death). "Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come." - I Corinthians 11:27-34 |