The Church Her Organization & Ordinances
Hal Molloy · Apr 6, 2003
Major Bible Themes (2002-03), No. 40
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/48262254282721

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

Good morning, everyone. This morning we're going to be looking at the church with respect to her organization and ordinances. And as you know, we're going through Dr. Louis Berry Chafer's book on major Bible themes, and this happens to be chapter 39.

Now, as we think of the church and her organization and ordinances, there's Two questions that we're going to try to answer this morning, and that is, the first question is this, is the church an organization or is it an organism? That's the one big question. The second big question is, what are the ordinances of the church? And oftentimes when we're presented with ordinances of churches or a church, We think of infant baptism, we think of one's first communion, as is done in many churches, confirmation, foot washing. Are these the ordinances of the churches? So let's tackle the first question. Is the church an organization or an organism? I've got on the chart here several different organizations of typical churches. The first one, of course, which I'm very familiar with because I was in the Episcopal Church, is on the Episcopal Church.

In the Episcopal Church, as you see the organization here, at the top of the organization you have the Presiding Bishop. Then under him you have diocese, and each diocese has a bishop over that diocese. Within the diocese you have local parishes, and in the local parishes you have a priest or a minister as head of that local parish. And it's depending upon whether it's a high Episcopal church then it's priests, and if it's a lower Episcopal church, they call them reverends or ministers.

The next major organization is the Roman Catholic Church, as you see on the chart. And as we all know, the head of that organization is the Pope. Under the Pope, you have cardinals. Each cardinal is responsible for a number of archbishops and each archbishop is responsible for local parishes like in the Episcopal Church and as you all know that the local parishes are headed up by parish priests so there you have the organization of the Roman Catholic Church Now as you get into a representative form of government which is shown in the chart here, for example the Presbyterian Church, at the head of that organization is the General Assembly.

Under the General Assembly you have Synods and under each Synod you have what is called the Presbytery. And there are, as you see, many presbyteries. Each presbytery has a number of local churches associated with it. And in the local church you have a pastor.

So that's what the representative form of government looks like. Then the fourth form of government that we have on the chart is the congregational form of government. In a congregational form of government you have at the top of the organization, if you will, a convention. You have a general convention. Then underneath that convention you have local churches. That's a more simplistic, if you will, form of government. And this congregational form of government is typical within the Baptist Church, the Church of Christ. So the big question is this. Here we've shown various church organizations.

Is the church an organization or is it an organism? Of course the The answer to that question is you have to go to Scripture. The question is this, what does Scripture say concerning the organization of the church? Is it an organization or is it an organism?

I want you to take a look at Romans chapter 12 and verse 5. Let me read it to you. Romans chapter 12 verse 5. It says this, so we being many are one body in Christ and everyone members of one another. Now I want you to observe something from Romans chapter 12 and verse 5.

It says we, we all, every single believer in the Lord Jesus Christ are one body in Christ so scripture views the church as a body and that one body is in Christ now what I'd like to do is also have you take a look at Ephesians chapter 2 verse 16 in verse 16 it says this and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross having slain the enmity thereby." And this is a summary passage here in Ephesians chapter 2 talking about the Lord Jesus Christ and his work on the cross that he might reconcile both and the both here is talking about the Jews and the Gentiles that he might reconcile both of them unto God in notice what it says in one body by the cross and notice that Ephesians chapter 2 verse 16 use the church as a body one body in Christ as we go on to other passages scripture like in first Corinthians 12 27 there it says now you are the body of Christ and members in particular isn't that interesting again you are the body of Christ and members in particular and it's talking about every believer that we are members of the body of Christ and members in particular."

Does that sound like an organization or does that sound like an organism? I venture to say that that sounds very much like, and it is, an organism as opposed to an organization. So depicted on the chart here you have what the church is, how scripture views the church as an organism as opposed to organization. And you have just one big, as I've drawn it here, one big oval. In the center of that oval you have Jesus Christ as head. He is the chief shepherd. And Jesus Christ is the head. He is the head of the body.

And we are members, as we've seen from these various passages, we are members in particular. We are members of the body. So it views us as members. Now, the members of the body may meet in, if you will, local churches. But the stress is not on the local church, but the stress is on the members.

So you have the members as as members of the body of Christ but they meet and they fellowship as a local church and then within each of the local churches God has appointed elders elders or under shepherds under shepherds to the chief shepherd who is the Lord Jesus Christ so you can view this or you can view the church, or each local church, as a microcosm of the body of Christ. And it is beautiful the way scripture lays all of this out. And we know that Jesus Christ is the head of the church.

If we go to Ephesians 5.23, the passage says, for the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church and he is the Savior of the body. And notice what it says, that Christ is the head of the church. There's a beautiful illustration that is given in scripture concerning the church as an organism.

And it makes an analogy between the human body and Christ's body, the church. So I want you to turn to first Corinthians chapter 12 first Corinthians chapter 12 in this passage of scripture starting at verse 12 and I'll read down a ways so we get the flavor and the idea of this analogy between the human body and the body of Christ So starting at verse 12, it says, For as the body is one and has many members, and all members of that one body being many are one body, so also is Christ. Now in the first part of the verse it's talking about the human body having many members, but there's one body. There's many members, but one body. And then it says, the analogy is so also just the way the human body has many members of the one body so also is Christ in verse 13 it tells us how as members of the body of Christ we got into that body says for by one spirit were we all baptized into one body whether we be bond or free and have been made to drink into one spirit. Talking about the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit. Now notice, we were baptized into the one body. The Holy Spirit of God, the moment that you believed in the person and in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit baptized you or immersed you the word for baptized there, baptizo is that he immersed you into the one body into the body of Christ the moment you put your trust and faith in Jesus Christ and then in verse 14 it goes through the analogy It says, for the body is not one member, but many.

If the foot shall say, because I am not the hand, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, because I am not the eye, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, then where is the hearing? If the whole body were hearing, then where is the smelling? But now God has said, the members of every one of them in the body, as it is pleased him. And if they were all one member, where is the body? But now there are many members, but yet one body.

And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Much more, these members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary, and those members of the body which we think to be less vulnerable, upon those we bestow more abundant honor, and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need, but God has tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked." Interesting comparison. As you go down through this passage of scripture, I want you to make some observations. Hopefully you made some observations as we've gone through it.

Notice that there are many members, but they function as one body, whether in the human body or whether in the body of Christ. We were born with a body and its members. Spiritually, we were born by the Holy Spirit into Christ's body as a member. And the members of the physical body differ. They have different functions. The eye and the ear and the foot, they all function differently. And the members As members of Christ's body, the same thing is true. That we function differently because we are gifted differently. And each member of the body is given a spiritual gift. You as a member of the body of Christ has a spiritual gift or gifts. And you function in that body with those spiritual gifts.

And notice, as we went through that passage, that in the human body, the members of the human body are content with the function that they have. your eye doesn't tell you or say to you that it's unhappy because it's not the ear or your ear doesn't tell you that it's unhappy with you or with its function because it's not the mouth and it's not speaking the words. Every single member from the little toenail, from the tiniest cell in our body are content with their function. You know what?

So should we be. We should be content with our function in the body of Christ. And as we've read through the passage, another observation is clear. That there's total dependence between the members. Each member is dependent upon each other. Our body is dependent upon our eyes. Our body is dependent upon our ears, and our smelling, and our tasting, and our feeling. Every part of our body is dependent upon other parts of the body. so that we can function as one body. So there's that dependence. And the same thing is true in the body of Christ. We need each other. We're dependent upon each other. I'm dependent upon you. I'm dependent upon you. I'm dependent upon your spiritual gift. You're dependent upon me in terms of my spiritual gift.

And we edify each other, we build each other up, and the purpose of the body of Christ is to do just that, is to be edifying each other, to be building each other up. Notice as we've gone through this passage also, when it was talking about the members of the body, One part of the body doesn't exalt itself over another because of their function. And the same thing is true with us in the body of Christ. We don't exalt ourselves over each other.

I don't exalt myself over you and say, I'm a teacher. And therefore, I have this elevation, this higher ranking over you because you are not a teacher. My gift as a teacher is just as important as your gift, whatever it is. Your gift may be of help. Your gift may just be being a mom or a dad. That gift is just as important as my gift. The other wonderful part about this is, as I indicated before, that God in His grace has gifted every single member of the body. You are gifted. You are given a spiritual gift, at least one.

And I want you to see that by just turning back to 1 Corinthians chapter 12, you're in there now, but look over at verse 7. And it says this, but the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit. Notice that? The manifestation of the Spirit is given to Does it say some men or most? No, to every single man, every single person.

And look over at verse 28 through 30 in terms of this manifestation of the Spirit or the gifts of the Spirit. In verse 28 in chapter 12, it says, And God has set some in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles and gift of healings, helps, governments, diversity of tongues. And notice the question in verse 29. Notice the question that Paul asks.

He says, Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? The answer is no. And it's an expected answer of no. So notice that there are diversities of gifts to the body. Now, as I read through those gifts, I need to say one thing. As you go down through the gifts, starting in verse 28, notice that the first gift is apostles.

The question is, do we have apostles today? Are there apostles in the church today? The answer is no. We don't have apostles today. And do we have prophets today? Are there prophets? We're not going to do this, but if we were to go back to Ephesians chapter 4 and say verse 11, He gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors that In that passage, the thing is this, that apostles and prophets are foundational gifts.

They were for the foundation of the church. But the church now has its foundation. The church now has the Word of God. We have the entire canon of Scripture. And those gifts are not needed anymore. The other gifts in Ephesians chapter 4 which talks about evangelists and pastors, those are functional gifts. Those are operational gifts that are needed for the church today. So all of these gifts and many of these gifts have ceased. We don't have the gift of miracles. We don't have the gift of healings. We don't have the gift of tongues. That is where people can speak the gospel in different languages. we don't have those gifts because we don't need those gifts anymore because we have the entire Word of God.

God gifting believers has a purpose and the purpose in God gifting the believers and I guess by the way we're going to have to turn over to Ephesians chapter 4 because I want you to take a look at this In Ephesians chapter 4, so turn over to Ephesians chapter 4 and let's talk about the purpose.

Why has God gifted each member of the body of Christ? Take a look at verse 16. It says, from whom, and the whom there is talking about the Lord Jesus Christ from the Lord Jesus Christ the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth and that's each joint is you and me according to the effectual working in the measure of every part so talking about every part of the body of Christ every member in the body of Christ making increase of the body Notice that our function is to make increase of the body onto the edifying itself in life. So, as we look at the function, your function of the body, in the body, in terms of functioning with your gift, is to edify. We're to edify each other edification of the body and love, there is God's wonderful goal for each of the members of the body of Christ. Now before we leave this in terms of the church as an organism would just like to say this, that we need to encourage, as a body, the exercise of spiritual gifts. Within our local fellowship, within this microcosm of the body of Christ, we need to encourage each other to exercise his or her spiritual gifts because the dynamic of the fellowship of the church is not in the elders, it's not in me, it's not in Vern Peterman, it's not in Mike Doyle, but the dynamic of this fellowship is the Holy Spirit. He is the dynamic of the fellowship. Okay, we're going to move on to the next question. The next question is, what are the ordinances of the church?

Is it infant baptism? Is it first communion? Is it confirmation? Is it foot washing? Are those the ordinances of the church? Interesting. As you go through all of the New Testament, of course, focuses on the church. There are only two ordinances that are recognized in the New Testament. The first ordinance is Word of Baptism and the second ordinance is the Lord's Supper.

Now, what I'd like to do is have you turn to Acts chapter 16 verse 33 and while you're turning there if we go back to the day of Pentecost where Peter is speaking to the crowds who were in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost and after he spoke to them about the Lord Jesus Christ it says in Acts 2.41 then they that gladly received his word were baptized and the same day were added unto them about three thousand souls and notice that in the passage it says they were baptized and I think in that In that passage, not only were they baptized spiritually, but they were also baptized physically, and that is, they were baptized in water.

In the passage I just asked you to turn to, Acts 16, 30-33, This is a story about the Philippine jailer and where Paul and Silas were thrown into prison and there was an earthquake and their chains were loosed and they were loosed out of their chains. The Philippine jailer comes running down and he sees that they were Paul and Silas were no longer in their chains.

He takes out his sword. He was just going to plunge it through him. And Paul and Silas look up and see what he was going to do. He was going to commit suicide because the Philippian jailers knew that the death that he was going to suffer in the hands of the Romans was going to be worse than suicide. But Paul and Silas call out, Do thyself no harm.

We're still here. and then and they spoke unto him the word of the Lord and to all that were in his house and he took them in the same hour of the night and washed their stripes that is the Philippian jailer washed Paul in Silas's stripes and was baptized he and all his straightway so so you have here that after they believed They were baptized.

What is baptism? The other ordinance is the Lord's Supper. Now before we go there, here are some of the common questions that are asked about baptism and also the Lord's Supper. Let me do this. Before we go and ask some of these common questions about these ordinances, I'd like to just make some points on water baptism. Because the question often comes up is, what is it? Why water baptism? And not only that, the other question is, when?

Do you baptize an infant? Do you baptize a child as he gets older, teenage, teenager? When is the point that you baptize a person? When does a person get baptized? The most important question is, why? Why does a person get baptized? So what is it? what does water baptism signify?

I want you to turn to Romans chapter 6 and verse 3 and 4 because here is the foundation if you will of water baptism and in Romans chapter 6 and verse 3 it says this know you not that as many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death therefore we're buried with him by baptism into death that as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the father even so also we should walk in newness of life so now here's the question starting about baptism verses 3 and 4.

Is this water baptism? You know, as you go through this whole chapter, previous chapter, Romans chapter 5, Romans chapter 6, Romans chapter 7, Romans chapter 8, you won't find a drop of water. Water is not even implied in this passage of scripture. So if this is not water baptism, what baptism is this? And the answer is this.

It's talking about spirit baptism. It's talking about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Remember we were over in 1 Corinthians chapter 12? and verse 13 where it says, therefore by one spirit we were baptized into Christ. We're talking about spiritual baptism. He baptizes us into the body of Christ.

Now this is a wonderful passage here in Romans chapter 6 because it's talking about our baptism or our immersion. Another translation for this word baptism or baptizo is immersion. that we were immersed. And the question is this, what were we immersed into? Is it talking about being immersed into water? Or is it talking about being immersed into something else?

And look at what the passage says. Go back to verse three. Know ye not that as many of us that were baptized, that were immersed into And look what it says. Not water, but Jesus Christ. That we were baptized into Jesus Christ. We were immersed into the person of Christ. Notice also, it says that we were baptized or immersed into something else. The verse goes on.

That we were baptized into His death. So we were immersed into His death. What does that say? that we were identified, we were identified in his death. And as we go on, as you go on into chapter 6 in Romans, it's clear that we were identified, we were immersed into his very death.

So when Jesus Christ was put on the cross, you were put on the cross. look at verse four therefore we were buried with him by baptism when Jesus Christ was buried you were co-buried with him this is talking about this is talking about spiritual baptism this is talking about your identification with Christ that you were you were immersed into his death when he died you died you died to that old man you died to self when he was buried you were buried your old man was buried and we were identified in his resurrection and it says in verse four that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life beautiful passage of scripture.

And it says that we also should walk in newness of life. Now it appears as you read this passage of scripture that newness is defining what life is. That this life has newness about it. But not so. The word newness is a noun. It's a noun and it says that we should walk in newness. total newness. And of life is the thing that's describing the newness. And the of life is the source of that newness. So the newness that we're walking in, the source of that newness is life.

The very life of the Lord Jesus Christ. His life. So herein lies, in these few passages, is talking about our spiritual identification with Christ. So now, what a baptism is nothing more than the outward expression of this inward spiritual truth. This spiritual truth that occurred in your life the moment that you trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ. You were crucified with him on that cross, you were buried with him, and you were raised again unto newness of the life.

And your old man was crucified and you were raised a new creation in Christ. and as 2 Corinthians 5.17 says, Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is what? A new creation. So you are a new creation, and it's the new creation that was resurrected.

So, when does water baptism occur? It can't occur prior to you becoming a believer, prior to you understanding your identification with Christ. Because all what baptism is, is an outward expression of you saying that this is what happened to you spiritually. It's that expression. spiritual truth is that you were identified with Christ and you were immersed into Christ's death and then if we take water baptism immersion into the water proclaims that you died with Christ spiritually so physically you go into the water and it's saying that to who's ever observing that you spiritually died with Christ. Burial, you're held under the water, and it signifies that you were baptized into His burial, that you were identified with His burial. resurrection as you come up out of the water. Raising up out of the water proclaims that you were resurrected with Christ and you're seated with Him right now in the heavenlies with Him. So, isn't it obvious, isn't it clear that water baptism must occur after a person, number one, is a believer and understands these truths, these foundational truths, as to who he or she is in Christ. And that they're identified with Christ, in Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. And Word of Baptism is simply, it's nothing more, it's just simply that physical expression of that inward spiritual truth that occurred in your life, in my life, the moment we trusted Christ.

Okay, let's... A few points I've noted on the chart in front of you with respect to water baptism. And the first set of points is what it isn't. Oftentimes people think that there's some value, there's some merit in being baptized. The point is this.

Water baptism does not impart any spiritual blessing or grace upon the recipient. Water baptism does not regenerate a person. you must be regenerated before you're baptized, scripturally. Only faith in Christ regenerates a person. There's no scriptural basis for infant baptism.

You will not find it in scripture. Interesting, I saw a book once, and it was about, oh, I'd say an inch and a half thick, and the title The title of the book was what the scripture has to say about infant baptism. And as you opened up the book, these hundred pages, whatever it was, every page was blank. There wasn't one thing written on a page in that book. And I thought that really hit the point home to say that there is no scriptural basis for infant baptism.

Another point is this. Water baptism is not a requirement for salvation. water baptism is a result of salvation as a result of you being saved and your understanding your identification with Christ then it's appropriate to be baptized in water okay let's take a look at the the next ordinance of the church and that's the Lord's Supper I want you to turn to first Corinthians chapter 11 verse 23 and we're going to go through read through 23 through 29 what I'd like to do is read through the passage and in the time remaining just hit some highlights about about the Lord's Supper in terms of what the Lord's Supper is So we have an understanding of what the Lord's Supper is.

1 Corinthians 11, starting at verse 23, Paul writes, 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 broke it and said, Take, eat, this is my body, which is for you, this do in remembrance of me."

After the same manner also, he took the cup, and when he had supped, sang, This cup is the New Testament in my blood, this do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do show, or you proclaim, the Lord's death. till he come. Wherefore, whoever shall eat this bread and drink of this cup 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 drinks unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. notice and observe that up in verse 24 and verse 25 there's one word that is repeated and he says or one phrase that's repeated says this do how in remembrance of me. Verse 25, same thing, in remembrance of me.

So we can sum up the Lord's Supper in saying that the Lord's Supper is a remembrance. It's a remembrance of Him. And the word remembrance there literally means to be mindful again. Just to be mindful. again, of what the Lord's death means. What it means to you, what it means to me. And this word remembrance, it's an affectionate calling of mind.

It's an affectionate calling of mind of the person and work of Christ for you personally, for me personally, that He died for your sins and my sins as our substitute, and not only did He die for our sins, which is the fruit, if you will, or it's the fruit of the sin nature, But he also died unto the source of those sins, and the source of those sins is our very nature. So, when we're mindful, and when we come to the Lord's Supper, and we're to be mindful again, we're to call back to mind, in terms of what the Lord has done for us, to think of Not only did he die for our sins, plural, but he died for that nature, the source of those sins. And the fact that his death had value. And it had tremendous value. It was efficacious. And the Lord accepted his death. the Lord was propitiated, the Lord was satisfied with the death of Christ. There is no other sacrifice that the Lord, that God was satisfied with apart from the sacrifice of Christ for your sins and for my sins.

And the interesting thing is this, without the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ then as scripture says in first corinthians chapter fifteen verse fourteen through seventy we're not going to turn there it says this that if christ hadn't been raised from the dead then we're still in our sins then his death if you will had no value it was not efficacious but the But the fact that he was resurrected from the dead shows us that we're not in our sins. It proves to us that we're not in our sins.

And, of course, the question is, well, why the resurrection? And what has that got to do with forgiveness of sins? And so my question would be this. If you would believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, and he paid the penalty for every single one of your sins, would you be forgiven if there were no resurrection? But that he came and he died on the cross, and he said that he came for you to die for your sins, but he wasn't resurrected. Would you be forgiven of your sins? Would your sins be forgiven? Answer? No. How come? Why not?

Well, it all goes back, as we've studied before, to the eternal covenant. The covenant that God made with the Lord Jesus Christ back in eternity past, found in Hebrews 13.20. We will not turn there.

But you remember, that in that covenant, the covenant is something that is put or placed between two parties. It's an agreement that is put or placed between two parties. And the two parties in the eternal covenant is God and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

God the Father said to the Son, if you would shed your blood for the sins of the world Then I'll raise you up again. So that was the two aspects of the agreement. God the Father would raise Christ up if Christ shed his blood for the sins of the world. And think about this.

There have been a lot of men that have appeared in history that have come along and said that they are the Savior of the world. That they will die for the sins of the world. Now, my question is, where are all these people? Where are all these guys? Aren't they still in the grave? There has not been one of them that has been resurrected.

The proof, God's proof to the world that that the person that would come along and say that they would die for the sins of the world and that God would be satisfied with that sacrifice, the proof of his satisfaction is that he would raise that person from the dead. And guess what?

He raised the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. And as we'll be studying the resurrections later, we'll find out there hasn't been one person that has ever been resurrected from the dead except the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, people have been raised from the dead or restored back to life only to die again. But there's only one person that has been resurrected through the resurrection. that has been given a new body, a glorious body, just like we're going to have the very same body.

So the point is this, that as we get back to the Lord's table and we get back to remembering Him and remembering His death, His resurrection is part of it because without His resurrection we would still be in our sins. Our faith would be in vain as Paul says. The other neat thing to remember with respect to the Lord's Supper is that prior to your trust and faith in Christ you and I were slaves to our old man. We were slaves to the sin nature as a result of our identification with Christ. We're no longer slaves to the sin nature but we're slaves, we're doulases to righteousness and we're a slave to the very life of the Lord Jesus Christ and so as we come to the Lord's table Lord's Supper the bread now represents his body which was given for you now as you read in the King James it says which was broken for you the word is not in the text I leave out broken because his body was not broken the thieves on either side of him their body was broken but they never broke the legs of the Lord Jesus Christ so his body was given for you.

So the bread represents his body. The cup represents his blood, his death for you and for me. And so as we partake of the Lord's table. It's this wonderful remembrance, the wonderful remembrance that this blood is the new covenant. It's the thing that binds you together with Christ. As we partake of the cup and the bread, It's the binder that the appropriation of the cup of the eternal covenant was for you. that the forgiveness of sins, that the death of the old man has been appropriated to you and to me. So the cup binds you positionally to Christ's death.

You grow conditionally in conformity to his death, that is, death to self. And also the cup binds you to Christ's resurrection, his life and his fellowship. in Christ's blood or his death is made efficacious by, as we indicated before, by his resurrection.

So just to try and summarize this in the few minutes we have, talking about the Lord's Supper with respect to what it isn't. It's not a memorial. It's not something done in memory of Christ. A memorial is for dead people. Christ is alive in his glorified body. The Lord's Supper is not a partaking of the literal body and blood of Christ, which the Roman Catholic Church believes, or they teach the doctrine of transubstantiation. They believe that the bread and the wine is converted into Christ's very body and blood.

You cannot back that up scripturally. You cannot see that in scripture. Bottom line, the Lord's Supper is not a requirement for salvation. The Lord's Supper does not impart some spiritual blessing or grace. God has blessed you Already blessed you with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies Partaking of the Lord's Supper Does not add some additional blessing partaking of the Lord's Supper Is a remembrance.

It's a remembrance of him Let's close in the word of prayer a father and our God I how we just do thank you for this time together, this morning, and your word, and looking at the wonderful truths that you have showed us in scripture in terms of the church, the fact that we are an organism, that we are members individually of the body of Christ. And we thank you, Father, for your purpose in it, that you have gifted each and every one of us with the spiritual gift and for a purpose of edifying each other in love. Father, our prayer is that this may be true in each and every one of our lives so that you would be honored and glorified. And we just give you thanks in Christ's precious name. Amen.