Embracing the Sacred: Understanding Baptism and the Lord's Supper

Devotional

Day 1: The Sacredness of Christ's Ordinances

The ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper are not mere rituals but are perfect gifts from Christ, designed to be observed with both a right head and heart. Baptism symbolizes our union with Christ in His death and resurrection, marking the transformation from our old life to a new life in Him. The Lord's Supper is a memorial meal that celebrates the atoning death of Christ, a time to remember His sacrifice, partake in His grace, and celebrate our redemption. Observing these ordinances rightly requires both biblical understanding and heartfelt reverence. [05:16]

"For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." (1 Corinthians 11:26, ESV)

Reflection: How can you prepare your heart and mind to approach the ordinances with the reverence and understanding they deserve?

Day 2: Baptism: A Public Testimony of Transformation

Baptism is a profound declaration of faith, symbolizing our union with Christ in His death and resurrection. It marks the transformation from our old life to a new life in Him, serving as a public testimony of the inward change brought about by the Holy Spirit. This one-time ordinance is a powerful expression of our commitment to follow Christ and live according to His teachings. As we reflect on baptism, we are reminded of the new identity we have in Christ and the call to live out this transformation daily. [19:56]

"Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." (Romans 6:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you publicly declare your faith and the transformation Christ has brought into your life today?

Day 3: The Lord's Supper: A Celebration of Redemption

The Lord's Supper is a perpetual ordinance, a sacred meal that celebrates the atoning death of Christ. It is a time to remember His sacrifice, partake in His grace, and celebrate our redemption. As we partake in the Lord's Supper, our hearts should be elevated in gratitude and love, recognizing the profound significance of Christ's sacrifice for our salvation. This ordinance calls us to reflect on the depth of Christ's love and the grace that has been extended to us through His atoning work. [30:43]

"And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.'" (Luke 22:19, ESV)

Reflection: How can you cultivate a heart of gratitude and love as you remember Christ's sacrifice during the Lord's Supper?

Day 4: The Heart's Posture in Observing Ordinances

Observing the ordinances with a wrong heart, such as trusting in the act itself for salvation or focusing on trivial details, dishonors their sacredness. A right heart is marked by reverence, humility, and a deep love for Christ. It is essential to approach these holy practices with a heart free from casualness or critical attitudes, recognizing them as perfect gifts from our Savior. By aligning our hearts with the true purpose of these ordinances, we honor Christ and deepen our relationship with Him. [36:03]

"Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water." (Hebrews 10:22, ESV)

Reflection: What steps can you take to ensure your heart is in the right posture when participating in the ordinances?

Day 5: Elevating Our View of Holy Practices

We are called to elevate our view and appreciation of the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper, recognizing them as perfect gifts from our Savior. This involves casting off any carnal judgments and embracing these practices with renewed awe and devotion. By doing so, we honor the sacredness of these ordinances and deepen our connection with Christ. As we prepare to participate in these holy practices, let us do so with a heart full of love and gratitude, committed to honoring Christ in all we do. [40:14]

"Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe." (Hebrews 12:28, ESV)

Reflection: How can you elevate your view and appreciation of the ordinances in your daily walk with Christ?

Sermon Summary

In today's gathering, we focused on the profound significance of the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper, emphasizing the need for both a right understanding and a right heart in their observance. These ordinances, given by Christ Himself, are perfect and holy, serving as vital expressions of our faith and union with Him. Baptism, a one-time ordinance, symbolizes our union with Christ in His death and resurrection, marking the transformation from our old life to a new life in Him. It is a public declaration of faith, a testimony of the inward change brought about by the Holy Spirit. The Lord's Supper, on the other hand, is a perpetual ordinance, a memorial meal that celebrates the atoning death of Christ. It is a time to remember His sacrifice, partake in His grace, and celebrate our redemption.

We must approach these ordinances with reverence, humility, and a heart full of love and gratitude. A right head, grounded in biblical understanding, must be accompanied by a right heart, free from casualness or critical attitudes. Observing these ordinances with a wrong heart, such as trusting in the act itself for salvation or focusing on trivial details, dishonors their sacredness. Instead, we are called to elevate our view and appreciation of these holy practices, recognizing them as perfect gifts from our Savior.

As we prepare for tonight's baptism and the upcoming Lord's Supper, let us cast off any carnal judgments and embrace these ordinances with a renewed sense of awe and devotion. May our participation be marked by a deep love for Christ and a commitment to honor Him in all we do.

Key Takeaways

1. The Perfection of the Ordinances: Baptism and the Lord's Supper are perfect gifts from Christ, designed to be observed with a right head and heart. They are not mere rituals but profound expressions of our faith and union with Him. Observing them rightly requires both biblical understanding and heartfelt reverence. [05:16]
2. Baptism as a Declaration of New Life: Baptism symbolizes our union with Christ in His death and resurrection, marking the transformation from our old life to a new life in Him. It is a public declaration of faith, a testimony of the inward change brought about by the Holy Spirit. [19:56]
3. The Lord's Supper as a Celebration of Redemption: The Lord's Supper is a memorial meal that celebrates the atoning death of Christ. It is a time to remember His sacrifice, partake in His grace, and celebrate our redemption. Our hearts should be elevated in gratitude and love as we partake. [30:43]
4. The Importance of a Right Heart: Observing the ordinances with a wrong heart, such as trusting in the act itself for salvation or focusing on trivial details, dishonors their sacredness. A right heart is marked by reverence, humility, and a deep love for Christ. [36:03]
5. Elevating Our View of the Ordinances: We are called to elevate our view and appreciation of these holy practices, recognizing them as perfect gifts from our Savior. This involves casting off any carnal judgments and embracing the ordinances with renewed awe and devotion. [40:14]
** [40:14]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:22] - Opening Prayer
[01:51] - Observing the Ordinances
[03:25] - The Perfection of Baptism and the Lord's Supper
[04:17] - Right Head and Right Heart
[06:21] - Elevating Our View
[06:39] - Scriptural Foundations
[11:09] - Heart and Head Knowledge
[13:22] - Meaning of Baptism
[17:36] - Spiritual Reality of Baptism
[22:37] - Baptism as Personal Testimony
[27:52] - The Lord's Supper: A Perpetual Ordinance
[30:43] - Meaning of the Lord's Supper
[35:10] - Observing with Reverence
[39:57] - Call to Elevate Our View

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:

Matthew 28:18-20
Acts 2:37-39
Romans 6:1-11

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Observation Questions:

What does Matthew 28:18-20 reveal about the authority of Jesus and the command given to His disciples regarding baptism? How does this relate to the sermon’s emphasis on baptism as a perfect ordinance? [06:59]
In Acts 2:37-39, what was the response of the people after hearing Peter's message, and how does this passage connect to the sermon’s discussion on the significance of baptism? [08:10]
According to Romans 6:1-11, what is the symbolic meaning of baptism, and how does it reflect the transformation described in the sermon? [09:11]
How does the sermon describe the importance of having both a right head and a right heart when observing the ordinances? [04:17]

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Interpretation Questions:

How does the command to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in Matthew 28:18-20 emphasize the unity and authority of the Trinity in the practice of baptism? [06:59]
In Acts 2:37-39, what does Peter’s instruction to "repent and be baptized" suggest about the relationship between repentance, baptism, and receiving the Holy Spirit? [08:10]
Romans 6:1-11 speaks about being "dead to sin" and "alive to God." How does this passage deepen our understanding of the spiritual reality that baptism symbolizes, as discussed in the sermon? [09:11]
The sermon emphasizes the need for a right heart in observing the ordinances. What are some potential consequences of approaching these practices with a wrong heart, according to the sermon? [36:03]

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Application Questions:

Reflect on your own experience with baptism. How did it serve as a public declaration of your faith, and how can you continue to live out the transformation it symbolizes? [19:56]
The sermon calls for an elevated view of the ordinances. What practical steps can you take to approach the Lord's Supper with renewed reverence and gratitude? [40:14]
Consider the importance of having a right heart when participating in the Lord's Supper. How can you prepare your heart before partaking in this ordinance to ensure it is filled with love and humility? [36:03]
The sermon warns against focusing on trivial details during the observance of the ordinances. How can you shift your focus from these details to the deeper spiritual significance of these practices? [33:31]
Think about a time when you may have approached the ordinances with a casual or critical attitude. What changes can you make to ensure your future participation is marked by reverence and devotion? [38:20]
How can you encourage others in your small group or church community to elevate their view and appreciation of baptism and the Lord's Supper? [40:14]
Identify one aspect of your life where you need to embrace the newness of life that baptism symbolizes. What specific action can you take this week to live out this transformation? [19:56]

Sermon Clips

The perfect things that are in the earth right now are the Bible, the gathering together of the worship of God because that's a perfect thing to do. We don't do it perfectly, but the Bible and public worship are perfect because they're fully biblical. But another thing that's perfect in the earth are the two ordinances of the church. Baptism is perfect, and the Lord's Supper is perfect. [00:02:45]

It doesn't matter how much I think I may know about the ordinances of Jesus Christ and the church. I could have views that are spot on as far as what the Bible teaches, but if I bring a wrong heart attitude, if I bring a heart that's lazy about observing the ordinance, that's flippant, well, you know, I didn't like how they did it, then I'm way off course from the heart of Jesus Christ. [00:04:30]

Our hearts ought to be in them always. So brethren, today my desire is that we would elevate, take to another level, our view of the ordinances and our heart being right always in observing them. So with that being said, let's read two or three passages in the New Testament just as proof texts to just get these two ordinances afresh in our minds. [00:06:15]

Having a right head, that is a right view of baptism in the Lord's Supper, but also a right heart about these gospel observance. A right head is what we come to believe about baptism and what we come to believe about the Lord's Supper. Our head knowledge, our belief, our theology, has got to be rooted and grounded only in the word of God. [00:10:54]

Baptism as we know is a one-time ordinance, unlike the Lord's Supper. It's a one-time, should be. Now there are people in our day that have been baptized two times, three times, for various reasons, erroneous reasons, and we know that. But biblically, baptism is a one-time ordinance. See that in Acts chapter 2, Romans 6 speaks about having been baptized. [00:17:02]

The meaning of baptism is the fact that a person has come to the place where the Holy Spirit has given them a new heart. He's taken out the heart of stone, the dead heart that loves sin, where sin dwells, and through the resurrection of the Spirit, through regeneration and to life out of death, they're given a new heart. [00:18:07]

Baptism is a personal testimony. It is an enacted sermon. Tonight, when those of you who will be baptized, when you're baptized, you are preaching a sermon to the world that you're a new creature. It is a personal testimony, and it is a means of grace because when you obey the commands of Christ, he brings blessing. [00:22:42]

The Lord's Supper is a testimony meal. When we partake of it, we are by nature giving testimony that in the partaking of it, we are partaking of Christ. And indeed, when we partake of it, we should by faith, by the Holy Spirit, partake of the grace of God that was purchased by the gospel that's given to us by the Holy Spirit in our hearts. [00:29:20]

When we partake of the Lord's Supper, it is not a dead ritual. We partake of Christ himself by the Spirit when we partake of the Lord's Supper. And it is not only a memorial meal and a testimony meal, it is a celebration meal. We are to celebrate Christ because we're observing a perfect ordinance given by a risen perfect Savior who's alive. [00:29:53]

A wrong heart is a heart that has a casual attitude that gets used to the ordinance. It could be a shallow light-hearted attitude. It could be a critical eye about the details, whether it's wine or juice, whether it's unleavened bread or saltine crackers. Well, if it's store-bought, I'm not going to partake. [00:36:41]

Eliminate all carnal judgments and trivial details about these ordinances forever in your mind, and have a high and holy and lovely view. The Lord's Supper and baptism should be the highest, holiest, most joyful, most graceful time ever in the worship of God by all of us. Why? Because they are perfect ordinances that are altogether glorious. [00:41:58]

Let's elevate our views higher than ever. Let's develop and have a higher, more glorious view of these ordinances than we've ever had before. Elevate your view, elevate your gratitude, elevate your humility when you partake of them. Elevate your respect and your reverence and your love for them. Cast off any carnal judgments. [00:40:08]

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Embracing the Sacred: Understanding Baptism and the Lord's Supper

Devotional

Day 1: The Sacredness of Christ's Ordinances

Day 2: Baptism: A Public Testimony of Transformation

Day 3: The Lord's Supper: A Celebration of Redemption

Day 4: The Heart's Posture in Observing Ordinances

Day 5: Elevating Our View of Holy Practices

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Embracing the Sacred: Understanding Baptism and the Lord's Supper

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