What are the ordinances or sacraments which the church should regularly practice as a part of worship? Generally speaking, an ordinance is any type of rule or regulation set up by an authority.¹ The church has two ordinances which were set by Christ: baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Lk 22:19-20, Matt 28:19). In some denominations, ordinances are called sacraments because they are sacred and a means by which God gives grace to church members. Since sacraments are at times considered a means of grace for achieving salvation, such as in Catholicism, others prefer the term ordinance, because they were ordained by Christ and are a symbolic reminder of foundational doctrines.² In the following sections, we will consider both baptism and the Lord’s Supper, including various views on them.

Introduction

What is baptism? Acts 2:41 says, “So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added.” The people in Jerusalem heard the preaching of Peter and 3,000 repented and accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. Immediately, they were baptized and added to the number of the church. Baptism in the early church was the first step of obedience after salvation. They accepted Christ and immediately were baptized. This is an ordinance, a command, we are called to follow as believers in Christ. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus said this to his disciples:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Charles Ryrie said this about baptism:

Theologically, baptism may be defined as an act of association or identification with someone, some group, some message, or some event. Baptism into the Greek mystery religions associated the initiates with that religion. Jewish proselyte baptism associated the proselyte with Judaism. John the Baptist’s baptism associated His followers with His message of righteousness (he had no group for them to join). (Incidentally, John was apparently the first person ever to baptize other people—usually baptisms were self-administered.) For James and John to be baptized with Christ’s baptism meant to be associated with His suffering (Mark 10:38–39). To be baptized with the Spirit associates one with the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13) and with the new life in Christ (Rom. 6:1–10). To be baptized into Moses involved identification with his leadership in bringing the Israelites out of Egypt (1 Cor. 10:2). … Christian baptism means identification with the message of the Gospel, the person of the Savior, and the group of believers.³

Infant Baptism and Believer’s Baptism

Now it should be noted that throughout history there have been two primary camps on baptism. There is “believer’s baptism” or “credobaptism.” “Credo” comes from the Latin word for creed or belief. Those in this camp believe that only those who repent and make a conscious decision to follow Christ can be baptized. However, the second view is “infant baptism” or “pedobaptism.” “Pedo” comes from the Greek word for children. Those who hold this view would baptize adults who recently accepted Christ, but they would also baptize the infants of believers.

Infant Baptism

What supports are used for infant baptism? Two primary supports are used:

1. Pedobaptists argue that infant baptism demonstrates God’s covenant with not only believers but their children.

It is argued that Abraham’s children and Israel’s children were circumcised before having their own faith (Gen 17:10-12). Since circumcision was a sign of the covenant with God in the Old Testament and baptism is a sign of the covenant in the New, children of believers should be baptized. In Colossians 2:11-12, circumcision and baptism seem to correspond with one another.

In him you also were circumcised—not, however, with a circumcision performed by human hands, but by the removal of the fleshly body, that is, through the circumcision done by Christ. Having been buried with him in baptism, you also have been raised with him through your faith in the power of God who raised him from the dead.

Likewise, Peter said this in Acts 2:38-39,

Repent, and each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.

Charles Ryrie’s summary of this common argument is helpful:

The argument rests on the covenant theology concept of a single covenant of grace that involved an initiatory rite into that covenant, the rite being circumcision in the Old Testament and baptism in the New. These rites indicate membership in the covenant, not necessarily personal faith.⁴

2. Pedobaptists point to the “household” passages in Acts of whole families getting baptized.

For example, in Acts 16, Lydia’s household was baptized, and the jailer’s family was baptized as well. Consider the passages:

A woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, a God-fearing woman, listened to us. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying. After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me to be a believer in the Lord, come and stay in my house.” And she persuaded us.

Acts 16:14-15

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him, along with all those who were in his house. At that hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and all his family were baptized right away.

Acts 16:31-33

They would argue that there were probably infants in the house, who were baptized.

Believer’s Baptism

What are the arguments for practicing believer’s baptism and not infant baptism?

1. Credobaptists point to the fact that baptism is always commanded after belief (or repentance)—not before.

Acts 2:38 says, “Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” Matthew 28:19 says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

2. Credobaptists point out that only believers are baptized in the New Testament.

There is never a command in Scripture to baptize infants or an example of it. In the “household” texts that pedobaptists sometimes refer to, an infant is never mentioned. For example, Acts 16:33 says, “At that hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and all his family were baptized right away.” It is best to assume that not only did the jailer accept Christ, but so did his family. In Acts 16:31, Paul and Silas told the jailer that he and his family should believe in Christ: “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.” Since the family was baptized, apparently, they also believed.

Reflection

1. What stood out most in the reading and why?
2. What are supports for infant baptism?
3. What are supports for believer’s baptism?
4. Which form of baptism (infant or believer’s) do you think is most biblical and why?
5. How and when were you baptized?
6. How should churches handle believers who desire membership but have different views on baptism or were baptized in a different tradition (infant or believer’s baptism)?
7. What other questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Copyright © 2020 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.

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For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread, and after 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, he also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, every time you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For every time you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Christ gave the Lord’s Supper as an ordinance or sacrament for believers to continually practice. The fact that Christ said, “Do this in remembrance of me,” means that celebrating the supper is not optional (1 Cor 11:24). Unlike baptism which should only happen once in a believer’s life, the Lord’s Supper should be routinely practiced by believers as a perpetual memorial of Christ’s death (1 Cor 11:26). To not practice it or to neglect it is sin.¹ The supper was commonly taken as part of a meal or love feast in the early church (Jude 12, 1 Cor 11:20-21). We’ll consider the significance of the Lord’s Supper, the views of it, and the requirements for taking it.

Significance

What is the significance of the Lord’s Supper?

1. It is an act of fellowship and intimacy with God.

In the same way that eating with someone is an act of fellowship and intimacy, so is taking the Lord’s Supper. In the Old Testament, there were various instances and opportunities to eat in the presence of God. For example, after God made a covenant with Israel in Exodus, Moses and seventy elders went up Mount Sinai, beheld God, and ate before him. Exodus 24:9-11 says:

Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up, and they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear like the sky itself. But he did not lay a hand on the leaders of the Israelites, so they saw God, and they ate and they drank.

In addition, there were ceremonies instituted in Israel, as part of God’s law, where the offeror would eat in the presence of God at the tabernacle and later the temple, such as with the giving of the tithe and the fellowship offering. Deuteronomy 14:23 and 26 says this about the tithe:

In the presence of the Lord your God you must eat from the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the place he chooses to locate his name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always… Then you may spend the money however you wish for cattle, sheep, wine, beer, or whatever you desire. You and your household may eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and enjoy it.

Leviticus 19:5-6 says this about the fellowship offerings:

When you sacrifice a peace offering sacrifice to the Lord, you must sacrifice it so that it is accepted for you. It must be eaten on the day of your sacrifice and on the following day, but what is left over until the third day must be burned up.

Similarly, in the New Covenant, though we don’t offer sacrifices or eat our tithes before the Lord, God has given us the Lord’s Supper as a fellowship meal that we eat in his presence. In Luke 22:19, the Supper was something Christ ate with his disciples, and as we eat it, the Lord is, no doubt, present with us as Scripture promises (cf. 1 Cor 3:16). In Matthew 18:20, Christ said this: “For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them.”

2. It is an act of unity and fellowship among believers.

In 1 Corinthians 10:17, Paul says, “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all share the one bread.” The bread represents Christ’s body which was broken for believers, but the bread also represents the unity of believers, since believers are Christ’s body (Col 1:18). Therefore, the Lord’s Supper is a fellowship meal amongst believers.

3. It is a proclamation of the New Covenant and our participation in its benefits.

Luke 22:20 says, “And in the same way he took the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” The word covenant means “to cut.” Typically, when people made covenants with one another in ancient times, they would kill an animal to declare the solemnness of their agreement and their need to fulfill the requirements of it. Similarly, Christ made a covenant with us through his blood. He covenanted to forgive our sins, fill us with his Spirit, write his laws on our hearts, and empower us to obey them (cf. Ez 31:31-34, 36:26-27). Our covenant was initiated and cut through the body of Christ on the cross, fulfilled by him, and now we are in a covenant relationship with him.

4. It is a remembering of Christ’s death.

First Corinthians 11:26 says, “For every time you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” Taking of the elements is like a memorial, where we frequently remember Christ’s death for our sins. This is important, because we’re so prone to forget the great cost of our salvation and its benefits.

5. It is an act of faith declaring that God has forgiven us and that we will not bear his wrath for our sins.

When Christ ate the Last Supper with his disciples before his death, it was also a celebration of the Jewish Passover meal; however, Christ imbued it with rich new meaning. At Israel’s original Passover, they were slaves in Egypt and were instructed to put the blood of a lamb over their doorposts, so their first born would not be killed by God when he passed over Egypt. The New Testament teaches that the original Passover lambs always foreshadowed Christ. In 1 Corinthians 5:7, Paul said, “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” Therefore, in the Lord’s Supper, we are declaring by faith that we will not bear God’s wrath, because our Lamb already died for us and his blood protects us.

6. It is a looking forward to Christ’s second coming.

Again 1 Corinthians 11:26 says, “For every time you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” In the Lord’s Supper, believers not only look back at Christ’s death but look forward to his return. This is important because we are so prone to become consumed with life as it is and not be zealous for the coming of Christ. When we take the supper, we declare with other believers, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:20).

7. It looks forward to the time we will eat with God and other believers in heaven.

Wayne Grudem said it this way:

Yet even the Lord’s Supper looks forward to a more wonderful fellowship meal in God’s presence in the future, when the fellowship of Eden will be restored and there will be even greater joy, because those who eat in God’s presence will be forgiven sinners now confirmed in righteousness, never able to sin again. That future time of great rejoicing and eating in the presence of God is hinted at by Jesus when he says, “I tell you I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Matt. 26:29). We are told more explicitly in Revelation about the marriage supper of the Lamb: “And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb’” (Rev. 19:9). This will be a time of great rejoicing in the presence of the Lord, as well as a time of reverence and awe before him.²

8. It is an act of intimacy with Christ.

In 1 Corinthians 10:16, Paul said, “Is not the cup of blessing that we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread that we break a sharing in the body of Christ?” The way in which we participate in Christ’s blood and body has created much controversy amongst believers. The points of contention are, “In what ways do believers participate in Christ’s body while taking the Lord’s Supper?” and “What does Christ mean by ‘this is my body’ in Luke 22:19?” We’ll consider these:

Views

There are four main views about what it means to participate in the body of Christ in the Lord’s Supper:

1. The Catholics believe in transubstantiation, or the actual presence view.³

The word “transubstantiation” derives from Latin—“trans” means “change” and “substantiation” means “substance”; therefore, in the supper, there is a “change of substance.” The term is used to show how the bread and wine are physically changed into the body and blood of Christ when the priest declares, “This is my body” during the celebration of mass.⁴ Also, Roman Catholics believe that every time the Lord’s Supper is celebrated, in some way, Christ’s sacrifice literally happens again—Christ dies for the sins of the world.

The problem with this view is it fails to recognize the symbolic nature of Christ’s words, “This is my body” (Lk 22:19). When the disciples were eating the supper, they would not have viewed the bread as actually becoming Christ’s body, since Christ was standing in front of them. And the breaking of the bread was symbolic, as well. Christ did not die in front of them; the breaking of the bread foreshadowed his death. Likewise, when Christ said, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” in Luke 22:20, it meant that the cup and the juice being poured out symbolized the initiation of the New Covenant through Christ’s shed blood. It wasn’t literally the New Covenant. The Catholic view fails to recognize the symbolic nature of the elements.

In addition, the Catholic view fails to recognize the finality of Christ’s sacrifice. There is no need for it to happen over and over again, every time the supper is taken. In Hebrews 10:1-3, the author states that the Old Testament sacrifices were offered yearly because they could not make the worshipers perfect; therefore, every year the sacrifices were a reminder of sin. However, he contrasts those sacrifices with Christ’s sacrifice which only needed to happen once. Hebrews 10:12 says, “But when this priest had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, he sat down at the right hand of God.” Christ sat down because his work, as far as paying for the sins of the world, was finished for all time.

2. The Lutherans believe in consubstantiation, or the real presence view.⁵

Even though Luther rejected the Catholic view of the elements becoming the body of Christ, he believed Christ was still physically present in the Lord’s Supper. He believed that the presence of Christ existed in the elements (the bread and juice), without becoming them. Luther illustrated this by the analogy of an iron in fire; the iron becomes red-hot, but both the iron and the fire individually remain the same.⁶ Also, he used the illustration of water in a sponge. Water saturates the sponge, but individually, they remain the same.

Like the Catholic view, the Lutheran view fails to recognize the symbolic language of “This is my body” (Lk 22:19). If we pressed the symbolism, we could use the same hermeneutic with “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:20).

3. Reformers commonly believe in the spiritual presence view of Christ in the Lord’s Supper.

Calvin rejected the physical presence views of the Catholics and the Lutherans. He believed the supper was indeed symbolic but more than symbolic. When people eat of the elements, “they do contain his spiritual body and blood.”⁷ Calvin said it this way:

Yes, Christ’s human body is locally present in heaven, but—Calvin said—it doesn’t have to descend in order for believers to truly partake of it. Why? Because the Holy Spirit makes true fellowship possible here and now. The Holy Spirit is Christ’s Spirit. He lifts us to the heavenlies to feed on Christ. Those who eat the bread and drink the wine in faith are also, by the power of the Holy Spirit, actually being nourished by the body and blood of Christ.⁸

4. The other prominent view is the memorial or symbolic view.

Since Christ said, “Do this in remembrance of me” (Lk 22:19b), Zwingli, another protestant reformer, believed that the supper was primarily symbolic—meant to be a memorial of Christ’s death. Those who hold this view do not deny that Christ is spiritually present when participating in the supper, but Christ is spiritually present only in the sense that he is always present with believers and that he is especially present when believers gather in his name. In Matthew 28:20, Christ said, “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” And, in Matthew 18:20, he said, “For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them.” Christ does not become the elements or enter the elements (physically or spiritually), but he is present spiritually as we worship and serve him. This is the most common understanding of the Lord’s Supper in the protestant church today.

Requirements

There are two requirements for taking the Lord’s Supper—though some would argue for more.

1. Salvation:

Since the Lord’s Supper includes participation in the New Covenant, we must have experienced it. We must be born again. Again, Luke 22:20 says, “And in the same way he took the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.’” Some advocate for an open table where nonbelievers can participate. However, in 1 Corinthians 11:28-31, which we will consider in the next point, Paul warns about the need for self-examination, lest we eat and drink judgment upon ourselves. An unbeliever who participates in the elements without repenting of sin would only endanger himself, even as an unrepentant Christian would.

2. Self-examination:

Since Christ died to deliver us from the power and penalty of sin, we must confess known sins as we partake in it, instead of holding onto them. In 1 Corinthians 11, believers were disciplined for taking the supper unworthily—meaning they were practicing unrepentant sin.

First Corinthians 11:28-31 says,

A person should examine himself first, and in this way let him eat the bread and drink of the cup. For the one who eats and drinks without careful regard for the body eats and drinks judgment against himself. That is why many of you are weak and sick, and quite a few are dead. But if we examined ourselves, we would not be judged.

Those who were living in unrepentant sin while taking the supper brought judgment on themselves. In the context, the unrepentant sins were living selfishly, practicing drunkenness, and causing division. While participating in the Lord’s Supper, the poor Corinthian believers were being neglected and left out, while the rich were eating and getting drunk (1 Cor 11:20-22). Because of this, God disciplined the believers. Some had become depressed, others sick, and some had even died because they had disrespected the Lord’s Supper. To live in unrepentant sin and to take the supper, which symbolizes Christ’s death for our sins, is to dishonor Christ and bring judgment on ourselves.

3. Some believe one must be baptized before participating in the Lord’s Supper.

There is no clear Scripture which teaches this; however, to be unbaptized for some might represent rebellion toward God’s clearly revealed will. In 1 Corinthians 11:28-29, Paul taught that believers should examine themselves before taking part in the supper—meaning repenting of sin. As mentioned, if we participate in the supper while continuing in sin, it might lead to God disciplining us. Therefore, in that sense, it might be wise for a believer who is unwilling to be baptized to not participate in the supper. However, if they are unbaptized because there has not yet been an opportunity at their church, then that doesn’t seem to be a good reason to not obey Christ’s command to remember his sacrifice by participating in the supper (1 Cor 11:24-25).

4. Some believe one must not be under church discipline to take the Lord’s Supper.

Those who hold this view take it from Paul’s writing on church discipline in 1 Corinthians 5:11-13. He says:

But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who calls himself a Christian who is sexually immoral, or greedy, or an idolater, or verbally abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person. For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Are you not to judge those inside? But God will judge those outside. Remove the evil person from among you.”

In verse 11, when it says “do not even eat” with a believer walking in rebellion, many believe this refers to the Lord’s Supper. The church was to expel this unrepentant sinner, and therefore, they would be barred from the Lord’s Supper. However, “do not even eat” is ambiguous. It probably refers to not fellowshipping with an unrepentant believer altogether, as to help him see the seriousness of his sin. In Matthew 18:15-17, Christ gives the process of church discipline, and the last step, after repeated attempts to help the person repent of some sin, the unrepentant believer should be treated like a tax collector or sinner—meaning to separate from him, in order to help him repent (Matt 18:17). Therefore, when Paul says to not eat with an unrepentant believer, he is not referring to the Lord’s Supper specifically but to not fellowshipping with the person in general, which would include not eating the Lord’s Supper with them.

Reflection

1. What stood out most in the reading and why?
2. What does the Lord’s Supper signify for the believer?
3. What are the four views of the Lord’s Supper? Which do you believe is most biblical?
4. What are the requirements for taking the Lord’s Supper?
5. How have you experienced special grace while taking the Lord’s Supper?
6. Should believers practice the Lord’s Supper only at church or can it be practiced in small groups and with families (cf. Acts 2:42-47)?
7. What other questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Copyright © 2020 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.

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What is the mission of the church? According to Scripture, the church has three primary missions.

The Church’s Mission Is to Worship God

The chief mission God has given the church is to praise and worship him. In 1 Peter 2:9, Peter said this to the church, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” In a world that is dark and ignores or denies God (Rom 1:21), the church is called to corporately praise his name and pray for others to do so. In the Lord’s Prayer, Christ taught believers to pray, “Hallowed be your name” (Matt 6:9 NIV). It is a petition for God to be worshiped throughout the earth.

God calling the church out of the world to worship him is very similar to God calling Israel to worship him, when most nations worshiped pagan deities. Through Moses, God said this to Pharaoh who had enslaved the Israelites, “Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the wilderness” (Ex 7:16 NIV).

In fact, in heaven, the angels and believers from all periods of history eternally worship God. Revelation 5:11-13 describes this:

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels in a circle around the throne, as well as the living creatures and the elders. Their number was ten thousand times ten thousand—thousands times thousands—all of whom were singing in a loud voice: “Worthy is the lamb who was killed to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and praise!” Then I heard every creature—in heaven, on earth, under the earth, in the sea, and all that is in them—singing: “To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be praise, honor, glory, and ruling power forever and ever!”

When churches gather to worship throughout the week, it foreshadows what will happen throughout eternity. The church worships as it sings psalms and hymns to the Lord (Eph 5:19), reads, proclaims, and obeys God’s Word (1 Tim 4:13, Jam 1:22), participates in the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Matt 28:19, 1 Cor 11:24-26), gives of its best to the Lord (2 Cor 9:7), and serves one another (Gal 6:10, Jam 1:27).

Characteristics of True Worship

In John 4:23-24, Christ gave general requirements for worship when speaking to the woman at the well, which should be observed both individually and corporately, as the church gathers for worship. He said:

But a time is coming—and now is here—when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such people to be his worshipers. God is spirit, and the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.

Worship that God accepts must be in spirit and in truth. There is some argument over whether “spirit” refers to the Holy Spirit or the human spirit. They are both true. Christian worship should be inspired and empowered by God’s Spirit. In Ephesians 5:18-20, Paul described one of the fruits of being filled and empowered by God’s Spirit as worship. He said,

And do not get drunk with wine, which is debauchery, but be filled by the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for each other in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

When the Spirit is really ruling in our lives, it leads us to worship—both corporately (speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs) and individually (making music in your hearts to the Lord).

With that said, when Christ says true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, “spirit” probably refers to the human spirit.¹ Typically, when referring to the Holy Spirit, an “article” is used to distinguish it from the human spirit or demonic spirits. John 4:23-24 lacks that article; therefore, Christ is distinguishing true worship from false worship by focusing on our hearts. Likewise, in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, Paul described various types of worship which were displeasing to God because they lacked love—the right heart. He said:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but I do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I give over my body in order to boast, but do not have love, I receive no benefit.

Also, the author of Hebrews said this: “Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Heb 11:6). If, as believers, we worship God apart from faith by doubting or not trusting God, it is not acceptable to him.

Furthermore, if we worship God while holding onto unrepentant sin, it hinders our worship as well. In Psalm 66:18, the Psalmist said, ^“If I had harbored sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” First Timothy 2:8 says, “So I want the men to pray in every place, lifting up holy hands without anger or dispute.” Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

Christ lamented this lack of a right spirit—a right heart—in the Pharisees’ worship. In Matthew 15:8-9, he said, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me, and they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” True worship approaches God with a right heart—a heart of love, faith, and purity.

In addition, Christ taught that true worship must be in “truth” (John 4:23-24). This means that we can’t worship God in any way we choose, even if we have right hearts. In the Old Testament, God gave meticulous details to Israel about how to approach him in worship. It included requirements for the types of offerings, clothing for the priests, specific dates, etc. Though we are in the New Covenant, God still gives requirements for worship according to his Word. For example, in public worship, Scripture calls us to read the Bible (1 Tim 4:13), preach the Bible (2 Tim 4:2), sing the Bible (Eph 5:19, Col 3:16), to pray according to the Bible (1 Tim 2:1-3), and to practice the sacraments, which symbolize the truths of God’s Word (Matt 28:19, 1 Cor 11:23-26). Everything in public worship must align with Scripture—with God’s truth.

For the reformers in the Great Reformation, they called this the regulative principle. In Catholic worship, which the reformers protested against, there were many elements not supported by Scripture—such as worshipping Mary, praying to saints, the belief in purgatory, and penance. These acts of worship failed the regulative principle—they did not agree with God’s Word. Likewise, the public worship of the church must teach God’s Word, align with it, and not contradict it. This applies to the singing of songs. Are they biblical? Do they teach truth? This applies to the preaching. Is the Word of God being proclaimed or the preacher’s life, politics, or sports? This applies to church traditions and customs. They must all align with the truth of God’s revealed Word.

In the same way God delivered Israel out of Egypt to worship him in the wilderness, God has called the church out of the world to worship him. We are to worship him not only in corporate gatherings, but in everything we do. In 1 Corinthians 10:31, Paul said, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” Acceptable worship to God must be in spirit—aiming to love him with all of our hearts, approaching him in faith and in purity—and worship must be in truth—according to Scripture.

The Church’s Mission Is to Equip Believers

Another one of the primary missions God has given the church is to equip believers to grow and do God’s work. Ephesians 4:11-14 describes God’s plan for this:

It was he who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God—a mature person, attaining to the measure of Christ’s full stature. So we are no longer to be children, tossed back and forth by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of people who craftily carry out their deceitful schemes.

God specifically gave gifted leaders, including pastors and teachers, to teach believers doctrine, to train them to serve, to help bring unity in the church, to protect them, and to help believers look more like Christ. Paul describes immature believers as spiritual children (4:11). As with little children who are prone to danger because of a lack of knowledge, wisdom, and experience, spiritual children are prone to the deception of false teaching (4:14), discord (1 Cor 3:1-3), idolatry (1 Cor 3:4), and even spiritual pride (1 Tim 3:6), which all lead to further sin (1 Tim 1:19) and, for some, even falling away from God (Heb 6:4-6). Therefore, one of the primary missions of the church is to spiritually equip believers to know Christ, be like him, and serve like him. This is done through the means of grace God gives the church—the preaching of God’s Word, reading it, singing it, and praying it, practicing the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, fellowshipping with the saints, serving, and practicing church discipline, among other things. In Colossians 1:28-29, Paul succinctly summarizes this mission:

We proclaim him by instructing and teaching all people with all wisdom so that we may present every person mature in Christ. Toward this goal I also labor, struggling according to his power that powerfully works in me.

Maturing and equipping believers must be the church’s goal today as well.

Church Discipline

As mentioned, church discipline is one of the ways believers are equipped for the work of ministry. The goal of church discipline is to restore a sinning brother, warn other believers who might be compromising in sin or tempted to compromise (1 Tim 5:20), and therefore maintain the purity and witness of the church before God and the world (Eph 5:27, cf. 1 Tim 3:7). In Matthew 18:15-20, Christ describes the process of church discipline:

“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault when the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have regained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others with you, so that at the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be established. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. If he refuses to listen to the church, treat him like a Gentile or a tax collector. “I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven. Again, I tell you the truth, if two of you on earth agree about whatever you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them.”

In Christ’s four-step church discipline process, (1) the sinning believer should first be approached one on one (Matt 18:15). This means people should not gossip about this person or spread rumors; he should be approached privately. This is especially important because there could be some misunderstanding, and even if the person is in sin, gossiping about him may unnecessarily close his heart to rebuke. If an unrepentant person repents when approached privately, then the discipline process ends. (2) If the sinning believer does not repent, then two or three people should confront him (Matt 18:16). The hope is that because of increased pressure, the erring person may recognize the seriousness of his sin and repent. In addition, the extra person (or persons) provides witnesses if there is no repentance. (3) If the sinning believer still will not repent, his situation should be brought before the church (Matt 18:17). Practically, this implies that this person’s situation is probably brought before the elders, and then the elders will carefully investigate before bringing it before the congregation. This sin is brought publicly before the congregation, in part, so that the congregation is warned and reminded of the seriousness of sin. In 1 Timothy 5:20, Paul said this about an unrepentant elder: “Those guilty of sin must be rebuked before all, as a warning to the rest.” But, the erring person’s sin is primarily brought before the church so that they can reach out to that erring member in hopes of repentance (1 Tim 1:20, 1 Cor 5:5). (4) If the sinning believer still does not repent, the church members should exclude him from church fellowship, including not eating or fellowshipping with him (Matt 18:17, 2 Thess 3:6, 11-15). In 1 Corinthians 5:11-13, Paul said this in the context of church discipline:

But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who calls himself a Christian who is sexually immoral, or greedy, or an idolater, or verbally abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person. For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Are you not to judge those inside? But God will judge those outside. Remove the evil person from among you.

Being excluded from the fellowship of the church is not a punishment but a continuing attempt to help this person repent by returning to God and his people (1 Tim 1:20, 1 Cor 5:5). This loving accountability aims to not only protect the individual from sin and its consequences but also the church. In 1 Corinthians 5:6, Paul said: “Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast affects the whole batch of dough?” In using yeast as a metaphor for sin and a batch of dough for the church, Paul was saying that sin left unchecked will spread throughout the church. Therefore, church discipline is a form of accountability from church members to preserve the holiness and the witness of the church (Heb 12:15, 1 Cor 6:6, Eph 5:27, 1 Tim 3:7).

Not all sins require church discipline, since no one in the church is perfect. It would be hard to discipline somebody for pride or unforgiveness, though those sins should certainly be addressed. However, overt, unrepentant sins such as sexual immorality, idolatry, false teaching, divisiveness, verbal abuse, drunkenness, theft, and the like, as mentioned by Paul in various places (1 Cor 5:11, Titus 1:10-11, 3:8-11), must be disciplined. Wayne Grudem’s comments on the sins disciplined by churches in the New Testament are helpful:

all sins that were explicitly disciplined in the New Testament were publicly known or outwardly evident sins, and many of them had continued over a period of time. The fact that the sins were publicly known meant that reproach was being brought on the church, Christ was being dishonored, and there was a real possibility that others would be encouraged to follow the wrongful patterns of life that were being publicly tolerated.²

After giving instructions on church discipline in Matthew 18, Christ says, “I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven” (v. 18). His words simply mean that when the church disciplines in accordance with Christ’s instructions, they have God’s authoritative approval. As John MacArthur aptly said: “Church discipline is therefore an earthly expression of heaven’s holiness.”³

Along with studying God’s Word, prayer, corporate worship, the Lord’s Supper, fellowship, and other means of grace, church discipline also equips the saints to do the work of ministry as it protects them from sin (and Satan), which can destroy the witness and fruitfulness of individual believers and the church as a whole.

The Church’s Mission Is to Minister to Unbelievers

There are two primary ways in which the church ministers to unbelievers and that is through evangelism and mercy ministries.⁴ In Matthew 28:19-20, Christ gave the great commission to his disciples when he said:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Believers should pray for the lost (1 Tim 2:1-3) and share the gospel with them (1 Cor 15:1-4, 2 Tim 4:5)—the message that all people are sinners under the wrath of a righteous God, that Christ died to pay the penalty of their sins and rose again from the dead, and that people must repent of their sins and believe in Christ as their Lord and Savior to be saved (Rom 3:23, 6:23, 10:9-10). With that said, the great commission is not simply to make converts, but disciples. This includes baptizing new believers, connecting them with a Bible-preaching church, and training them there.

However, though the church’s primary hope for unbelievers is that they become disciples of Christ, believers should demonstrate God’s love and care to them, even if they reject Christ. When Christ was on the earth, he not only shared the good news with the lost but fed the hungry, healed the sick, and healed the demonically oppressed, among other things. He cared for both their spiritual and physical needs. Believers should do the same, as they seek to reflect Christ. In Luke 6:35-36, Christ said:

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to ungrateful and evil people. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

We are to be merciful, like God, even to those who reject him. In James 1:27, James said, “Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” Widows and orphans were the poorest and most commonly taken advantage of people in society, and God expects believers to love and care for them—no doubt, as a bridge for them to ultimately accept Christ, if they haven’t already.

Sometimes the church argues over whether Christians should focus on mercy ministries and social justice at all, as though it might minimize the priority of spreading the gospel; however, it is very clear from Scripture that God wants believers to both share the gospel and care for the temporal needs of a hurting world, even as Christ did. Certainly, the gospel must be the priority, as we practically show God’s love to a broken and needy world. Wayne Grudem’s comments on this are helpful:

Such ministries of mercy to the world may also include participation in civic activities or attempting to influence governmental policies to make them more consistent with biblical moral principles. In areas where there is systematic injustice manifested in the treatment of the poor and/or ethnic or religious minorities, the church should also pray and—as it has opportunity—speak against such injustice. All of these are ways in which the church can supplement its evangelistic ministry to the world and indeed adorn the gospel that it professes. But such ministries of mercy to the world should never become a substitute for genuine evangelism or for the other areas of ministry to God and to believers mentioned above.⁵

The mission of the church is to worship God, equip believers, and minister to unbelievers by sharing the gospel with them and serving them.

Reflection

1. What stood out most and why?
2. What are the three missions of the church?
3. How does the church accomplish the mission of worshipping God?
4. How does the church accomplish the mission of equipping believers?
5. How does the church accomplish the mission of ministering to unbelievers?
6. Why has there at times been controversy over the church’s ministry of evangelizing unbelievers and showing mercy to them? Why are they commonly pitted against one another?
7. What other questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Copyright © 2020 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

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Leading a small group using the Bible Teacher’s Guide can be done in various ways. One format for leading a small group is the “study group” model, where each member prepares and shares in the teaching. This appendix will cover tips for facilitating a weekly study group.

1. Each week the members of the study group will read through a select chapter of the guide, answer the reflection questions (see Appendix 2), and come prepared to share in the group.
2. Prior to each meeting, a different member can be selected to lead the group and share Question 1 of the reflection questions, which is to give a short summary of the chapter read. This section of the gathering could last from five to fifteen minutes. This way, each member can develop their gift of teaching. It also will make them study harder during the week. Or, each week the same person could share the summary.
3. After the summary has been given, the leader for that week will facilitate discussions through the rest of the reflection questions and also ask select review questions from the chapter.
4. After discussion, the group will share prayer requests and pray for one another.

The strength of the study group is the fact that the members will be required to prepare their responses before the meeting, which will allow for easier discussion. In addition, each member will be given the opportunity to teach, which will further equip their ministry skills. The study group model has distinct advantages.

Copyright © 2020 Gregory Brown