Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Last week we began talking about the necessary marks of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Remember we said that just because you have a building and a group of people gathering in that building and they are doing a lot of religious things that does not make it a church of Jesus Christ

We even looked at

Revelation 2.

Just a reminder and a quick review

We said that there are two marks that are necessary for there to be a church

Right preaching of the Word of God, last week we talked about the centrality of this.

Without this there cannot be a church.

And what must be central in this which is central is the gospel of Jesus Christ

We also said a necessary mark is the right administration of the sacraments or the ordinances (baptism and the Lord’s Supper)

We also said that there are two marks that are necessary for a church to be healthy

Godly leadership

Biblical understanding of conversion and church membership

Today we will be talking about a right administration of the ordinances.

Let me say this, when the reformers talked about the right administration of the sacraments; my understanding of what was being said is that we understand the sacraments to be means of grace, they are practices of the church to remind us of the gospel, to picture the gospel for us, to point us to Christ and what He has done for us.

The sacraments are not salvific.

practicing the ordinances does not save us.

In other words we need to understand that baptism does not save us

Taking the Lord’s Supper does not save us

This are to point us to the Lord Jesus Christ who alone saves us.

Let us take some time this morning to consider both of these ordinances

Baptism

I. Mode and meaning of Baptism

In NT baptism was carried out in one way: immersion

3 arguments for this

1.

Baptidzo means to plunge, dip, immerse something in water

2. Immerse and not sprinkled is appropriate and probably required in serveral NT passages.

"in" not beside or by or near, they got down in the river to be baptized.

most natural reading would be as John was lifting His upper body out of the water not when He was stepping out onto the bank

adds John baptized there because there was plenty of water, he would not need much water to sprinkle

if sprinkling why not use a bit of the drinking water the eunuch would of had?

Why wait until you find a body of water?

Again language suggest they got into the water.

Why would you do that if you are going to sprinkle someone?

3. Symbolism of union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection seems to require baptism by immersion.

3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

4 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.

( ESV)

11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,

12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.

( ESV)

Truth of being buried with Christ and raised with Him is symbolized by immersion, sprinkling seems to miss the point.

Immersion, the person goes down into the water and comes up which is a picture of going down into the grave and being raised again.

Symbolism is even richer if you think that in OT water was a means of God's judgement, the flood, Egyptians in the exodus, and Jonah.

Jonah was thrown into the place of judgement and death because of disobedience and his miracelous resuce became a sign of Jesus' resurrection.

Wayne Grudem: "Those who go down into the waters of baptism really are going down into the waters of judgement and death, death that they deserve from God for their sins.

When they come back up out of the waters of baptism it shows that they have come safely through God's judgement only because of the merits of Jesus Christ, with whom they are united in His death and resurrection."

This is what Peter is saying

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,

19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison,

20 because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.

21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

( ESV)

Just as Noah passed through the waters of God's judgement in the ark we have made it safely through the water of God's judgement in Christ.

Baptism is also a symbol of washing away our sins

5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, ( ESV)

16 And now why do you wait?

Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.' ( ESV)

Again immersion and not sprinkling is a clearer picture of this.

If we grasped the symbolism going on in baptism it would be a more precious thing for us, those of dying and being raised with Christ, passing safely through the waters of God's judgement, and our sins being washed away.

Baptisms are a time of rejoicing in the church.

II.

Subjects of Baptism, who should be baptized?

Pattern of the NT is that only those who give a believable profession of faith should be baptized.

this is often called "believers baptism" since it holds that only those who have themselves believed in Christ should be baptized.

Baptism is a symbol of beginning the Christian life and should be given to those who have in fact begun the Christian life.

41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

( ESV)

12 But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

( ESV)

44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.

45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles.

46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God.

Then Peter declared,

47 "Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"

48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

Then they asked him to remain for some days.

( ESV)

The NT authors wrote as if all who were baptized had personally trusted Christ and experienced salvation.

25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,

26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.

27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

( ESV)

Clearly Paul is talking of those who have faith in Christ.

11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,

12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.

( ESV)

Raised with Christ through faith, infants are not old enough, they do not have the ability to understand and exercise faith in Christ for themselves.

The Lord’s Supper

I. Background in the history of redemption

Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper

26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body."

27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you,

28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."

( ESV)

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,

24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you.