Staying Devoted to the Gospel by Staying Devoted to the Ordinances

This last weekend I preached on "Gospel Ordinances"—baptism and the Lord's Supper—and talked about how these two practices help the church stay tethered to the gospel. 

I’ve sat in a bunch of classrooms and academic environments hearing about the ordinances (baptism and Communion/the Lord’s Supper), but haven’t heard many sermons on them. But these practices ARE FOR THE CHURCH! It's important to preach on these things in the setting of gathered worship where they are regularly practiced. 

If you’re not a Christian or are brand new to church, this’ll be super helpful at helping you understand these practices that may seem weird / foreign to you.

If you’re someone who grew up in a different tradition than Brookside, watch the message—we'll open up the Bible and you’ll see where we’re coming from.

If you’ve been following Jesus for a long time, we need to watch that these things don’t become mechanical. Tomorrow we’ll breathe fresh life into the meaning behind them.

---

If you're interested, here's a brief outline of what I covered: 

I.  INTRODUCTION: The priority of the ordinances in the early church

    A. The Lord's Supper (also Communion/the Eucharist): Acts 2:42 ("the breaking of bread")

    B. Baptism: Acts 2:41

II.  CRASH COURSE ON THE ORDINANCES

   A. Baptism and the Lord's Supper are the two ordinances Jesus has given His church. (Matthew 28:19; Luke 22:14-23)

    B. Baptism and Communion are—by definition—tethered to the gospel. 

    C. Baptism and Communion are not necessary for salvation (see Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10). And they are still VITALLY important. 


III. BAPTISM: An outward expression of an inward reality.

    A. Wedding ring illustration

    B. Romans 6:3-4


IV.  COMMUNION / THE LORD'S SUPPER (1 Corinthians 11:23-29)

    A. Communion is a chance to look back (at Christ's death).

    B. Communion is a chance to look ahead (at Christ's return). 

    C. Communion is a chance to look around (at the beautiful diversity of Christ's body, the church).

    C. Communion is a chance to look within (in repentance and recommitment). 


V.  CONCLUSION

    A. Have you truly understood and believed the gospel? 

    B. Have you been baptized? (For followers of Jesus.)
​
    C. Is Communion mechanical or meaningful? 

Did you enjoy this post? You may also be interested in...

• ​Wading into Christian Baptism
• Nourished by the Lord's Supper
• What is the church? 
• Transformed by Grace (Ephesians 2:1-10)