Acts 2:36-41
I.
Introduction
A. Primary Beliefs
B. Distinctive Beliefs. These are the beliefs that determine how you live, and how far you trust God
II.
Review
A. Biblical Authority (1Cor 1:10)
B. Autonomy of the Local Church
C. Priesthood of the Believer
D. The Three Ordinances of the Church
1. We looked at Baptism a few weeks back
2. Now we are going to look at the Lord’s Supper
III.
Background
A. Baptists have always taken the Lord’s Supper seriously
B. What is an Ordinance?
1. A commandment of the Lord Jesus Christ to the Church, and for the Church to do
2. It is something that a local church does as a church
C. The Three Ordinances
1. Baptism – Immersion
2. The Lord’s Supper
3. Love One Another
IV.
Lesson – The Lord’s Supper – Sacrament, or Symbol
A. Simple Instructions (1Cor 11:20,23-25)
1. Found in four places in Scripture
a. Matthew 26:17-30
b. Mark 14:12-26
c. Luke 22:7-20
d. 1Corinthians 11:20-34
2. The most basic of instructions
a. Gather together for preaching
b. At some point, focus on the Lord’s last supper
c. Examine yourselves
d. Thank the Lord for His body being broken for you
e. Partake of that bread
f. Thank the Lord for His precious blood that was given on the cross for you
g. Drink of the cup
h. Sing a hymn in praise for His death in your place
B. Plain Ingredients (Mt 26:17)
1. From the Passover meal
2. Unleavened bread
3. Unleavened wine
C. Sombre Observance (1Cor 11:20-26)
1. Not a time of celebration – ought to break our hearts
2. Remembering Christ’s death – not the resurrection part
3. Take time to focus on the horrible consequences of our sins, and how WE should all die, and that God didn’t HAVE to save us
D. Serious Consequences (2Cor 11:27-32)
1. To participate in the Lord’s Supper unworthily is dangerous
2. Unworthily means
a. Being unsaved – acting like you are a Christian when you are not
b. Living in sin, and not wanting to get right
c. Not caring any way
E. Serial Comparison between other Churches
1. What difference does it make? Shouldn’t we worry about more important things?
2. It makes all the difference simply because of three reasons:
a. The typology that is presented
1) The pictures of Christ
2) You don’t mess with types (see Moses)
b. The Gospel that is preached in the presentation
1) The PERFECT life of Jesus has to be shown (unleavened)
2) The DEATH of Jesus has to be clearly presented
3) The REASON for the death
c. The fact that if God wants it that way, then THAT ought to be the way that ALL Christians do it!
3. Let’s look at a few churches, and how they match up with the Bible:
I.
Conclusion
A. The Lord Jesus gave specific instructions for how believers were to remember His death on the cross in FOUR different places in Scripture
B. The true test of Christianity is:
1. Whether a church will simply obey Christ’s words as found in the Bible
2. Or decide to do it yourself, which is how MOST churches do it today
C. If we go by the Bible’s pattern, over 100,000 Roman Catholic priests would be out of a job, as would most other ministers of other churches for acting like they are following the Bible, when they are not!