United In Christ · Growing In Grace · Reaching Out In Love

Sunday Morning Sermon Summary

“Setting the Forms for a Stronger Building” (Selected Scriptures)
Sunday, March 22, 2009

     ►WE VALUE WHAT MATTERS: 

     ►Interdependence, ►Common Values and Vision, ►Nurture and Accountability, ►Shared  
         Experiences over time

     ►Fun, ►Fellowship, ►Family, and ►FORMALITIES matter!

     ►What we say we believe: “We believe that the ordinances of the church are      Baptism             by immersion, and the Lord’s Supper.”

     ►Ordinances = literally, “anything declared right”

►Psalm 19:9-11 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

‎Not just “rules” – rewards too

MH: God is pleased to convey his blessings to us in and by his ordinances

Blessings follow obedience (“Blessed to be a blessing”)

►Baptism by immersion ►The Lord’s Supper

ILLUSTRATION: “Baptist all my life, not a Christian now!”

► VIDEO

“Baptism, as taught in the New Testament, is ►the picture of death and burial to sin and resurrection to new life, ►a picture of what has already taken place in the heart, not the means by which spiritual change is wrought. It is a privilege and duty, not a necessity. It is a picture that is lost when something else is substituted in its place. The uniform practice in the New Testament is that ►baptism follows confession.

►Col 2:9-12 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been ►buried with him in baptism and ►raised with him through your faith in the power of God, ►who raised him from the dead.

1 Peter 3:20-22 God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes ►baptism that now saves you also — not the removal of dirt from the body but the ►a covenant relationship with God. It is ►an association with the resurrection of Jesus Christ…

Why We immerse (sprinkling for convenience

Why we don’t “baptize babies, why baptism is not for salvation.

►Lord’s Supper  - VIDEO

            ‎"It expresses ►symbolically a series of acts corresponding to the ►redeeming acts of Christ. ►His body in the Bread and ►a new “covenant” in His blood

            Genesis 15 – a blood covenant with Abraham

          Matthew 26:26-30 “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."  In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."  ►For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. (Glorify God)

►SO WHAT?

► The baptismal covenant, made and kept, will certainly save us! (Blessed in and by ordinances)

► His flesh is real food and His blood is real drink!

►John 6:53 I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

            Level of commitment represented by the symbol

►WHAT NOW?

► Repent AND be baptized! (Ashamed of me…)

► Examine yourself! (Love God, love people; “examine yourself to see if you are in the faith”; presence of broken relationships in the Body)

Legend:

Green: Mission and Vision
Blue: Illustrations and quotes
Red: Scripture

Note to the visitor:  These are Pastor Paul’s sermon notes from Sunday Morning.  They probably won’t make much sense if you weren’t in the service.  Feel free to contact Pastor Paul if you’d like more detailed information.
For past sermons, please visit the Sermon Archive. 

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