I BELIEVE IN THE TWO ORDINACES

I Believe: The Two Ordinances of the Church
Acts 2:41–42
“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.”

Over the past few weeks, we have been in a series called “I Believe.” We have been talking about what the church believes—specifically what West End Baptist Church believes—but more importantly, what the Bible teaches us to believe.
One of the things we work hard to do as a church is separate preference from doctrine.
People in this room have different preferences. Some like chairs; some like the old pews. There are a thousand different variables when it comes to preferences. But there are certain things the Bible gives us that are not simply matters of preference. They are what Scripture calls sound doctrine.
The Bible even refers to these truths as “the apostles’ doctrine”—the doctrine given to those men who saw the resurrected Lord.
Over the past few weeks, we have talked about the Scriptures. We have talked about God and proclaimed that we believe in the God of the Bible—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Creator of heaven and earth.
We have talked about who Jesus is and the sacrifice He made for us. We believe that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, born of a virgin, who lived a sinless life and died a substitutionary death in our place.
Last week, we talked about the priesthood of the believer and how, because of the shed blood of Christ, the veil was torn from top to bottom, opening the way for us to come boldly before the throne of grace.
All of these doctrines help us know God, come to God, and communicate with God.
The Scriptures are tangible. I hope you have a copy of the Word of God today. But they are also spiritual.
God the Father is real, but He is spiritual. Jesus Christ came in the flesh, but now we trust Him by faith. The veil in the temple was physically torn, but we enter into God's presence spiritually.
So today I want to ask a question:
Is there something we can see, something we can touch, something we can participate in that shows the world what has happened inside of us?
The world may not be able to see God. They may not understand faith. They may say, “That's all well and good, but I wasn't there 2,000 years ago.”
So is there something visible that demonstrates what Christ has done in us?
Yes.
Today I want to talk about two things Christ gave the church that we can actually see and touch.
These are not only truths from the Word of God, but physical, visible practices that demonstrate those truths.
Today I want to preach on:
I Believe in the Two Ordinances of the Church
The Bible gives us two ordinances—or practices—that Christ Himself ordained:
Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
We call them the two ordinances of the local church.
We do not call them sacraments.
A sacrament is generally understood as an act that is necessary to complete the work of salvation. In other words, you do this, and then you do that, and eventually you complete your salvation.
But as a church that preaches the finished work of Christ on the cross, we do not believe that baptism or the Lord's Supper adds anything to the work of grace Christ accomplished at Calvary.
We cannot eat enough bread.
We cannot drink enough juice.
We cannot take enough classes.
We cannot get in that baptistry enough times to earn salvation.
Salvation is by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We don't participate in these ordinances to become saved. We participate in them because Christ has already done a work in our lives.
They are a response to the gospel we have already received.
And one of the wonderful things about these ordinances is that they are visible and tangible.
Let's look at them.

1. Baptism Pictures the Gospel
Romans 6:3–4 says:
“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.”
Let me briefly describe what baptism looks like at West End Baptist Church.
Normally, at the end of a service, we'll go to the back and prepare for baptism. Sometimes it's funny back there. Somebody forgot a towel. Somebody forgot a change of clothes. Somebody comes out and still has their socks on!
But we have a great time getting ready.
We'll practice in the back. I'll tell the person, “You're going to hold my hand. I'm going to hold your hand. You're going to hold your own nose. I'm going to lay you back, and we're going to bring you back up.”
We'll often give them a baptism shirt that says something like “Raised to Life” or “I Have Decided.”
Then we go into the baptistry, and we normally say:
“Baptizing you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”
Then we baptize them and bring them back up.
That's what the baptism service looks like.
But there's much more to baptism than simply getting into a pool and getting wet.
When a person is baptized, they are placed under the water, demonstrating the death and burial of Christ.
When they come back up, they demonstrate that Christ was raised to life again.
But baptism is also a testimony about the believer.
It is saying:
I deserved to die because of my sin. In Christ, I have died spiritually. But Christ didn't stay dead, and I didn't stay dead. I have been made alive. I am a new person, and now I walk in newness of life.
Baptism isn't just a picture of death.
It's a picture of resurrection and new life.
It's not a funeral service. It's a testimony of someone who has been changed and born into the family of God.
When we are baptized, we publicly proclaim:
Christ died. Christ was buried. Christ rose again. And because He lives, I now live also.
What a wonderful picture!

2. Baptism Is for Those Who Have Believed
Acts 2:41 says:
“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”
Notice the order.
They received the Word—and then they were baptized.
In Acts 8, Philip was sharing the gospel with the Ethiopian eunuch. When they came to some water, the eunuch asked:
“See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?”
Philip gave him the right order:
“If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.”
He didn't say, “Get baptized and then we'll talk about what you believe.”
He said, if you believe, then you may be baptized.
That is why we call it believer's baptism.
Baptism is not for infants. An infant cannot personally place his or her faith in Christ. We do believe in dedicating children and challenging parents to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, but baptism is for someone who has personally trusted Christ.
Baptism is also not something we should do simply because we're looking for something new.
Some people want a new beginning. They want to change their life. They may think, “I'll go down to the church and get baptized.”
But baptism isn't about washing away old dirt or old sins.
Baptism is a response to believing the gospel.
It is for the person who has personally placed their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.
So the question is:
What hinders you?
If you've trusted Christ for salvation, I want to encourage you—be baptized. Identify with Christ through the baptistry waters.
But if you have never trusted Christ, the invitation is even greater:
Trust Christ.
And that brings us to the second ordinance.

3. The Lord's Supper Helps Us Remember
The second ordinance of the church is the Lord's Supper.
When we have communion, we have a table prepared with unleavened bread and grape juice. The bread represents the body of Christ, and the juice represents His blood.
We take the bread and then the cup as we remember what Christ did for us.
First Corinthians 11:23–24 says:
“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.”
The Lord's Supper helps us remember.
Jesus took whole bread and broke it.
It was whole.
He broke it.
Now it was broken bread.
That is a picture of Jesus Christ, the perfect man, giving Himself for you and me.
He said:
“This do in remembrance of me.”
Then verse 25 says:
“This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.”
We take the bread and remember His body.
We take the cup and remember His blood.
We remember that Jesus Christ was nailed to a cross. We remember that He gave His life for us. We remember that His blood was shed for our sins.
Some of the doctrines we've discussed are spiritual.
But coming to the Lord's table is very physical.
We physically hold the bread.
We physically hold the cup.
Not to be saved—but because we are saved.
The Lord's Supper allows us to physically remember how our salvation was purchased.

4. The Lord's Supper Helps Us Proclaim
First Corinthians 11:26 says:
“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.”
Notice where the Lord's Supper is placed.
It is between His death and His coming again.
Jesus gave us the Lord's Supper to remember His first coming and His sacrifice, while also looking forward to His return.
He died.
He rose again.
And He is coming again.
What a day that will be!
That's one reason I encourage you not to miss our communion services unless you absolutely have to.
The Lord's Supper gives us an opportunity to physically participate in the gospel.
We handle the bread.
We take the cup.
We hear the words of Christ.
We remember His death.
And we look forward to His return.
When a hundred or a hundred and fifty people gather around the Lord's table, we are proclaiming the gospel together.
I'm telling her.
She's telling him.
He's telling her.
Christ died for our sins.
Christ rose again.
Christ is coming again.
We get to proclaim the gospel in a physical way through the Lord's Supper.

5. The Lord's Supper Is for Believers
Just as baptism is for believers, the Lord's Supper is also reserved for those who have trusted Christ.
First Corinthians 11:27–29 gives a serious warning:
“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.”
That's why I am careful when we have communion to make sure people understand what we're doing.
I don't want to simply pass the elements out to everybody without explaining what they mean.
We want to understand and discern the Lord's body.
We want to understand that Jesus was crucified for our sins.
Jesus died in our place.
Jesus took our place on the cross of Calvary.
His blood was shed for us.
He gave His life for you and me.
We never want to treat that sacrifice casually.

Sometimes the church can be accused of being exclusive.
Someone may say, “I went down to that church and all they talked about was being born again, trusting Christ, and believing the gospel. They're just trying to keep everybody out.”
No.
We want everybody to come.
The Bible says:
“For whosoever will, let him come.”
And John 3:16 says:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
We want every person to come.
But we must also be careful not to make everyone a saint who has never trusted Christ.
We need to work with people. We need to love people. We need to teach people. We need to pray for people.
But we also have to let the Holy Spirit do His work in their hearts.
We must be careful about becoming so welcoming that we fail to tell people the truth.
And the truth of the gospel is this:
A man must be born again.
A person must come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and realize that He is the Savior and the only means by which we can have a relationship with the Father.
Before a person can rightly go into that water or sit at that table, they must come to the cross.

I believe Christ knew that sometimes our faith would be weak.
Am I the only one?
Do people in this room sometimes struggle with their faith?
I believe Christ knew there would be times when we would need something tangible.
When you're on the mountaintop, it's easy to have big faith.
But when life gets hard, faith can become difficult.
Sometimes we need something we can hold.
Sometimes we need something we can see.
Sometimes we need to be reminded of the picture of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.
That's one reason baptism is so powerful.
Someone says, “Brother Craig, I want to be baptized.”
We prepare the water.
They come through.
We put them under the water.
They come back up.
And somehow, someway, we get to witness the gospel again.
The story gets told again.
Christ did indeed die.
Christ did indeed rise from the dead.
Christ is still changing people.
Sometimes we need something tangible.
That's also why communion is so meaningful.
Several times a year, we come back to the table.
We take the bread.
We remember that He died in our place.
We take the cup.
We remember that His blood was shed.
And we remember:
His death until He comes again.
What hope we find in the two ordinances Christ gave the church!
Come to the Cross
Christ gave us baptism.
Christ gave us the Lord's Supper.
And both allow us to physically participate in the gospel.
I can read the Scriptures, but that's spiritual.
I can believe in God, but that's spiritual.
I can believe in Christ, but that's spiritual.
I can go spiritually through the veil and pray for my friends and family.
But baptism and the Lord's Supper allow me to touch the things of God.
For a lifetime, we get to witness people being baptized.
Our children.
Our grandchildren.
Other people in our church.
And for a lifetime, we get to gather around the Lord's table and physically experience the gospel over and over again.
So today, maybe you need to use the altar and simply say:
“Thank You, Lord, for Your broken body.
Thank You, Lord, for Your shed blood.
Thank You, Lord, for making a way for us to physically hold the gospel.”
In a world where everybody wants proof, God has given us these visible reminders.
He has allowed us to hold and handle the things that remind us of the gospel.
But maybe you're here today and you've never trusted Christ.
The invitation isn't simply, “Come be baptized.”
The invitation isn't simply, “Come take communion.”
The invitation is: Come to Christ.
If you don't know Christ, why not meet Him?
Why not set the example for your family?
Why not be the one who says:
“I was one of those who trusted Christ.”
And then, as a believer, you can represent Him through baptism and faithfully remember Him through the Lord's Supper.
Christ died.
Christ rose again.
Christ is coming again.
And we get to believe it, proclaim it, remember it, and live it.