INTRODUCTION
—  TwoChurchOrdinances
—  Baptism
—  Lord’sSupper
—  FunctionalandDynamicelementsofahealthychurch.
—  Matthew28:18,“AndJesuscameandsaidtothem,Allauthorityin
heavenandonearthhasbeengiventome”.
—  Weobservetheseordinancesnotoutoftraditionbutoutoftruth
BAPTISM
—  Outwardexpressionofaninwardreality.
—  Baptismisatonceanactofinitiation,immersion,identification,
obedienceandsubmission.
—  Itdoesnotsecurewhatitsymbolises.
BAPTISM
WHENSHOULDAPERSONBEBAPTISED?
—  Whenapersonrepentsandbelieves
—  Acts2:41“Thosewhowerebelievedwerebaptisedthatday”.
—  PhilipandtheEthiopianEunuchillustratesthisperfectly.Acts8:36,
“Andastheyweregoingalongtheroadtheycametosomewater,
andtheEunuchsaid,Seehereiswater!Whatpreventsmefrom
beingbaptised”
INITIATION
—  Baptismisaneventthatisconnectedwithentryintothe
Christiancommunity.
—  Eph4:4-6,“Thereisonebodyandonespirit–justasyou
werecalledtotheonehopethatbelongstoyourcall–one
Lord,onefaith,onebaptism,oneGodandFatherofall,
whoisoverallandthroughallandinall”
—  1Cor12:132,“ForinoneSpiritwewereallbaptisedintoone
body”.
—  Romans1:16,“ForIamnotashamedofthegospelforitis
thepowerofChristuntosalvationtoeveryonewho
believes,totheJewfirstandalsototheGreek”.
IMMERSION
—  John3:23,“JohnalsowasbaptisingatAenonnearSalimbecausewaterwas
plentifulthere,andpeoplewerecomingandbeingbaptised”.
—  Mt3:16,“AndwhenJesuswasbaptised,immediatelyhewentupfromthewater”.
—  Greekword‘Baptizo’–meanstoimmerse,toplunge,todip,tooverwhelminwater.
—  IntheninthBookoftheOdysseyitisusedconcerningablacksmithplungingapieceof
hotironinwater.
—  Usedregardingships,whichsankbeneaththewater.
—  Usedregardingpeoplewhohavedrowned.
IDENTIFICATION
—  Romans6:1-11
—  IntheGreektherootword‘Bapto’meanstodipordipin
todye.
—  Inancientdays,theclothwouldhavebeendippedor
immersedintoavatofdye.
—  Atthepointwhenthebelieverisplunged,dipped,
immersedintothewater,itsignifiesachangeofidentity.
—  Whenabelievergoesunderthewater,itsignifiesthat
theiroldlifeasasinnerisdeadandburied.
IDENTIFICATION
—  2Cor5:17says,“Therefore,ifanyoneisinChrist,heisanew
creation.Theoldhaspassedaway;beholdthenewhascome”.
—  Notonlydoesbaptismsymboliseatransformedlife,butalsoit
guaranteeseternallife.
—  Romans6:5says“Forifwehavebeenunitedwithhiminadeath
likehis,weshallcertainlybeunitedwithhiminaresurrection
likehis”
OBEDIENCEANDSUBMISSION
—  WhileBaptismisnotessentialtoyoursalvationitisessentialtoyour
obediencetoChrist.
—  “Wemayneverbemartyrsbutwecandietoself,tosin,tothe
world,toourplansandambitions.Thatisthesignificanceof
baptism,wediedwithChristandrosetonewlife”
—  Baptismisthemarkofamissionalchurchthatbelievesinamissional
God.
THELORD’SSUPPER
—  ThePassover–OT
—  Exodus12:12,“ForIwillpassthroughthelandofEgyptthat
nightandIwillstrikeallthefirstborninthelandofEgypt”.
—  ThefirstbornoftheIsraelitesweresavedbecauseMoses
instructedthemtokillalambforthePassoverandsprinkle
bloodonthedoorpostsofthehouses(Exodus12:7).
THELORD’SSUPPER-NT
—  Mark14:22-25;
“Andastheywereeating,hetookbread,andafterblessingit
brokeitandgaveittothem,andsaid,Take,thisismybody.And
hetookacup,andwhenhehadgiventhankshegavetothem,
andtheyalldrankofit.Andhesaidtothem,Thisismybloodof
thecovenant,whichispouredoutformany.Truly,Isaytoyou,I
willnotdrinkagainofthefruitofthevineuntilthatdaywhenI
drinkitnewintheKingdomofGod”.
OPENTABLE
—  WhocanpartakeintheLord’sTable?
—  ClosedTable–MembersOnly
—  OpenTable–Opentoalltruebelievers
—  JohnBunyansumsitupwell;
“ThechurchofChristhathnotwarranttokeepouttheircommunionthe
Christianthatisdiscoveredtobeavisiblesaintbytheword,the
ChristianthatwalkethaccordingtohislightwithGod”.
OPENTABLE
—  Ephesians4:4-6,“Thereisonebody,andoneSpirit–
justasyouwerecalledtotheonehopethatbelongsto
yourcall–oneLord,onefaith,oneBaptism,oneGod
andFatherofall,whoisoverallandthroughalland
inall”.
TAKINGCOMMUNIONINUNWORTHYMANNER
Whatdowedowiththosewhopartakebutarenottruebelievers?
TheCorinthiansabusedthislovefeast.Wereadin1Cor11
—  V18–“Ihearthereourdivisionsamongyou”.Disunitywithintheranks.
—  V21–“Onegoeshungry”.
—  V21–“Anothergetsdrunk”.
—  PaulquestionstheirmotivesinV22,“OrdoyoudespisethechurchofGod
andhumiliatethosewhohavenothing”.
TAKINGCOMMUNIONINANUNWORTHY
MANNER
—  1Cor11:19,“fortheremustbefactionsamongyou
inorderthatthosewhoaregenuineamongyou
mayberecognised”.
—  Theonewhoisgenuinewillshine.
HOWDOWERESPONDTOPREVENTABUSEOF
THETABLE
—  Firstly,likePaulwecanissueawarninglikehedidwiththeCorinthians.1Cor11:27,
“Whoever,therefore,eatsthebreadanddrinksthecupoftheLordinanunworthy
mannerwillbeguiltyconcerningthebodyandbloodoftheLord”.
—  Secondly,leaveitwithGodtojudgeanddiscipline.V29says,“Thatiswhymanyof
youareweakandill,andsomehavedied”.
—  Thirdly,encourageeachpersontotakeresponsibilityofhisorherownheart.V28says,
“Letapersonexaminehimself,then,andsoeatofthebreadanddrinkofthecup”.
WHATDOWEDOWHENWETAKECOMMUNION
—  TheLord’sTableisthehighestformofcorporateworshipwithintheChurch.Weareparticipating
andfellowshippingwitheachotherinChrist.
—  AproclamationoftheLord’sdeathuntilhecomes–1Cor11:26.
—  WerejoiceintheabidingpresenceoftheLordandhiseternalvictory.
—  Westillourheartsandmeditateuponhisgreatloveforus.
—  ItisaTableofRemembrancelestweforgetwhatourLordandSaviourhasdoneforus.Thebody
remindsusofChrist’sbodythatwasbrokenforus.Thecupremindsusofthebloodthatwasshed
forus.
—  Itisatimeofre-focusingandrenewingourcommitmenttoChrist.
THESUFFERINGSERVANT
—  Werememberasufferingservant.Hegivesusapatterntofollow.
—  1Peter2:21,“Fortothisyouhavebeencalled,becauseChristalsosuffered
foryou,leavingyou,sothatyoumightfollowinhisfootsteps”.
—  Thetableremindsusthatnotonlydoweshareinhissufferings,wesharein
hisvictory.2Cor4:17,“Forthislightmomentaryafflictionispreparingfor
usaneternalweightofglorybeyondallcomparison”.
—  “OurinfirmitiesbecometheblackvelvetonwhichthediamondofGod’s
loveglittersallthemorebrightly”.
THESACRIFICIALSERVANT
—  Isaiah53:7,“likealambledtotheslaughter”.
—  V10,“whenhissoulmakesanofferingforguilt”
—  Hissacrificemeant(Phil2:8)meantthat,“hehumbled
himselfbybecomingobedienttothepointofdeath”.
—  Romans12:1,“Iappealtoyoutherefore,brothers,by
themerciesofGod,topresentyourbodiesasaliving
sacrifice,holyandacceptabletoGod,whichisyour
spiritualworship”.
THESUPREMESAVIOUR
—  Eph1:11,“Inhimwehaveobtainedaninheritance”.
—  Romans8:17,“ifchildren,thenheirsofGod–andfellow
heirswithChrist,providedwesufferwithhiminorder
thatwemayalsobeglorifiedwithhim”.