WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:09.540 We have a pretty narrow picture of what discipline is, whether through a misunderstanding of that word or because of childhood hurts. 00:00:09.859 --> 00:00:13.099 ! The word discipline can be distasteful. 00:00:13.960 --> 00:00:21.140 ! The word discipline, however, has the same root as our word disciple and can be synonymous with the word train. 00:00:21.140 --> 00:00:25.359 It's not nearly as harsh as one might think. 00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:29.859 So when someone is disciplined, they are being trained. 00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:37.500 In a broad sense, discipline is everything the church does to help its members pursue holiness and fight sin. 00:00:38.219 --> 00:00:53.659 Preaching, teaching, prayer, counseling, our corporate gatherings together, accountability in relationship, godly oversight by elders are all forms of discipling or discipline. 00:00:54.359 --> 00:00:59.700 Some have called this formative discipline. It's a term that I particularly like. 00:01:00.600 --> 00:01:05.500 The narrower sense of the term church discipline has been called corrective discipline. 00:01:05.500 --> 00:01:11.879 This process that we see outlined for us here in Matthew chapter 18. 00:01:11.879 --> 00:01:19.759 So church discipline is taught in the scriptures. It's grossly neglected in our day. 00:01:19.760 --> 00:01:28.000 Very few churches that practice much discipling at all, much less this corrective discipline process. 00:01:28.000 --> 00:01:35.560 And it is extremely important for the holiness of God's people to the praise of his glory. 00:01:35.560 --> 00:01:45.600 So if you're new to the idea altogether, and I praise God that many of you are not, I just want to lay out for you what the aims of church discipline are. 00:01:45.600 --> 00:01:48.439 What are we trying to accomplish as we do this? 00:01:48.439 --> 00:01:50.100 Because it is not fun. 00:01:50.099 --> 00:01:54.679 I get looped into these processes most regularly when they're happening. 00:01:55.259 --> 00:01:57.319 And to be frank, I don't enjoy them. 00:01:57.919 --> 00:01:58.739 So why? 00:01:59.019 --> 00:02:04.759 Why do I make myself available for discomfort in the life of our church? 00:02:04.879 --> 00:02:10.359 Wouldn't it be easier just to brush it all under the rug and act like it's not going on? 00:02:10.360 --> 00:02:12.840 In some sense, yes. 00:02:12.900 --> 00:02:14.880 In an eternal sense, certainly not. 00:02:15.620 --> 00:02:17.060 So five aims of church discipline. 00:02:17.140 --> 00:02:18.420 Let me run through these quickly for you. 00:02:19.180 --> 00:02:23.080 Number one, church discipline is aimed at the good of the person disciplined. 00:02:23.840 --> 00:02:29.240 Discipline warns a person of the danger of sin and calls him or her to repentance. 00:02:29.440 --> 00:02:31.240 I've said this already, right? 00:02:31.240 --> 00:02:40.700 To let people go on in their sin, acting as if those who are changed in kind by Christ will not pursue holiness is a great danger for them. 00:02:41.379 --> 00:02:50.200 There are many people in our day that are deluded, thinking that they're Christians and they have a life that gives no evidence to that at all. 00:02:50.200 --> 00:02:54.020 And they're not part of churches that are helping them to realize this. 00:02:54.020 --> 00:03:02.820 What a great tragedy that you would leave me alone in my sin and I might find myself not in the faith. 00:03:03.680 --> 00:03:08.379 Please, please bring me correction for my good. 00:03:08.500 --> 00:03:11.520 We need to do this for the good of others as well. 00:03:12.300 --> 00:03:15.860 Secondly, church discipline is aimed at the good of other Christians. 00:03:15.860 --> 00:03:24.980 As the church speaks and acts against sin, the whole congregation sees the serious nature of sin and its consequences. 00:03:25.980 --> 00:03:31.440 We want to have positive witness to the glory of the gospel and obedience to it. 00:03:31.780 --> 00:03:36.320 It's good at times to show people the derailment of a life, right? 00:03:36.380 --> 00:03:40.920 To say this person has gone astray and it's not good, right? 00:03:40.960 --> 00:03:44.580 We take this seriously and so should you. 00:03:44.580 --> 00:03:50.340 Thirdly, church discipline is aimed at the good of the church as a whole. 00:03:51.300 --> 00:03:56.400 Church discipline keeps the local body pure by protecting it from moral decay. 00:03:56.900 --> 00:04:02.760 It also addresses sin that could potentially lead to strife and conflict in the church. 00:04:03.800 --> 00:04:08.920 So we are part of an association of churches called the Chattahoochee Baptist Association. 00:04:09.480 --> 00:04:12.500 I am part of some of the leadership of that association. 00:04:12.500 --> 00:04:15.900 I volunteer as a moderator for our meetings. 00:04:16.560 --> 00:04:24.959 And so I'm in the middle of some ugly church situations, hearing about them, praying for them, hoping to see some change in them. 00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:36.919 And when you hear about the strife going on in some of these churches, my first thought is, had they practiced discipline, these unregenerate people would not be causing all these problems in the church. 00:04:36.920 --> 00:04:41.199 Just un-Christian action. 00:04:41.259 --> 00:04:46.319 Just incredibly wicked the way they're working with each other. 00:04:46.939 --> 00:04:52.140 And I would suggest that they're probably not Christians at all and probably should have been put out of the church some decades ago. 00:04:52.140 --> 00:04:57.960 Or, one would hope, repent and believe and walk righteously in the church. 00:04:57.959 --> 00:05:07.839 So, it's good for the church to be holy and avoid those kinds of conflicts and strife that would be caused by people who are not in the faith at all. 00:05:08.939 --> 00:05:13.199 Fourthly, church discipline is aimed at the good of non-Christians. 00:05:13.199 --> 00:05:22.879 It powerfully protects our corporate witness and evangelism because people notice when there is a whole community of believers whose lives are different from the world. 00:05:23.259 --> 00:05:24.399 We're marked off. 00:05:24.500 --> 00:05:26.480 We're different in the way that we live. 00:05:26.839 --> 00:05:30.039 It helps to produce a community of changed people. 00:05:30.560 --> 00:05:35.319 A community that gives hope to non-Christians that they really can change. 00:05:35.379 --> 00:05:38.259 It's possible that change can happen. 00:05:38.259 --> 00:05:44.219 And fifthly, most importantly, church discipline is aimed at the glory of God. 00:05:44.899 --> 00:05:50.240 Christians are called to be holy, not for our own reputation, but for God's. 00:05:50.879 --> 00:05:56.539 Our lives are meant to display God's character in the world and we want him to look magnificent. 00:05:57.060 --> 00:05:58.319 He is that. 00:05:58.680 --> 00:06:01.519 We want to display that as secondary means. 00:06:02.120 --> 00:06:08.000 One important part of that is the responsibility to address sin in the church that would bring dishonor. 00:06:08.259 --> 00:06:09.199 To his name. 00:06:09.399 --> 00:06:16.000 People claiming to be Christians and doing things in contradiction to that claim. 00:06:17.439 --> 00:06:19.439 So, important. 00:06:19.740 --> 00:06:20.579 I hope you're seeing. 00:06:20.939 --> 00:06:26.199 What does all of this have to do with the ordinance of the Lord's Supper? 00:06:27.139 --> 00:06:28.680 Let me go back to my previous question. 00:06:28.680 --> 00:06:38.360 What are the keys of the kingdom of heaven that do the binding and loosing work that's talked about in Matthew chapter 16 and chapter 18? 00:06:39.360 --> 00:06:47.780 Those keys are the authority of the church expressed in the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper. 00:06:47.779 --> 00:06:56.039 However, God has given us two visible signs for this weighty work of binding and loosing. 00:06:56.379 --> 00:07:00.479 Declaring who is and who isn't church. 00:07:00.480 --> 00:07:09.040 So, the binding and the loosing is this marking off of who is part of the church and who isn't part of the church. 00:07:09.759 --> 00:07:12.379 Beloved, this is an absolutely serious matter. 00:07:12.819 --> 00:07:17.560 To say that somebody is a member of a church, they belong to the people of God, 00:07:17.620 --> 00:07:20.840 is to say to them that Christ's work has been effectual for them. 00:07:21.200 --> 00:07:24.040 They have repented and believed in the gospel. 00:07:24.040 --> 00:07:28.280 It's a serious authority that has been given to the church. 00:07:29.240 --> 00:07:37.480 And it is to be handled under the great authority of our great God who gave us a book to govern us. 00:07:37.879 --> 00:07:47.220 And we are to do this with care and love, great caution for the good of people and the purity of the church to the glory of Christ. 00:07:48.240 --> 00:07:52.740 We live in an age, I'm just going to say it again, that this is grossly neglected. 00:07:52.740 --> 00:07:59.680 You have likely come from a background where this idea was not even talked about in the life of your church. 00:07:59.819 --> 00:08:05.120 And it is an important thing, a primary thing that the church should be doing. 00:08:06.060 --> 00:08:14.079 The most commonly held and historically agreed upon definition of a local church goes something like this. 00:08:14.079 --> 00:08:21.319 A local church is a gathering of professing Christians who meet regularly to do things. 00:08:22.099 --> 00:08:23.359 Rightly preach the gospel. 00:08:24.099 --> 00:08:27.099 And I assume this means both in their meeting and in their going. 00:08:27.639 --> 00:08:28.659 Rightly preach the gospel. 00:08:29.319 --> 00:08:32.779 And secondly, rightly administer the ordinances. 00:08:32.779 --> 00:08:36.199 Some of you might think, what? 00:08:36.519 --> 00:08:39.279 Like, get people wet and serve them little cups of grape juice? 00:08:39.379 --> 00:08:42.000 Like, why is that included in that definition? 00:08:42.000 --> 00:08:50.019 It's because it's the way that the church marks off who is in Christ and who is not. 00:08:50.139 --> 00:08:55.439 With the kind of confidence we can have under the authority of the scripture. 00:08:55.440 --> 00:08:56.160 Right? 00:08:56.540 --> 00:09:01.220 It's really sad in our day if you take that definition and apply it to most churches. 00:09:01.220 --> 00:09:03.820 It's difficult to call them churches. 00:09:04.660 --> 00:09:08.560 We'd be gracious to just say irregular churches. 00:09:09.280 --> 00:09:12.360 Not quite fitting the standards. 00:09:12.980 --> 00:09:14.480 I don't care where you meet. 00:09:15.000 --> 00:09:17.720 I don't really care exactly how you meet. 00:09:17.720 --> 00:09:20.779 I don't care on which day you meet. 00:09:20.879 --> 00:09:28.320 But if you're not preaching the gospel and rightly administering the ordinances, it's difficult to call you a biblical church. 00:09:29.340 --> 00:09:34.340 Rightly administering the ordinances is a primary work of the church. 00:09:35.019 --> 00:09:41.820 And as congregationalists, which means we all think that we should be involved in this discipling project. 00:09:42.120 --> 00:09:43.300 We're all to be doing it. 00:09:43.399 --> 00:09:45.399 Then we better make sure that we get it right. 00:09:45.500 --> 00:09:47.340 It's not just the thing that your elders do. 00:09:47.340 --> 00:09:50.320 It's a thing that we do together. 00:09:51.620 --> 00:09:57.759 So last week as we considered the ordinance of baptism, which was kind of a setup to be honest for today. 00:09:58.160 --> 00:10:05.060 We did so with an outline from the 1689 London Baptist Confession article on baptism. 00:10:06.080 --> 00:10:13.040 The 1689 Confession, also known as the Second London Baptist Confession, is possibly the finest of all Baptist confessions. 00:10:13.039 --> 00:10:21.679 And while we cry sola scriptura, as the reformers did, historical precedents can support our understanding of the scripture. 00:10:21.779 --> 00:10:28.759 So it's helpful to go, OK, we're seeing this in the Bible and someone else also saw it as well. 00:10:28.759 --> 00:10:31.620 So we looked at Article 29. 00:10:31.899 --> 00:10:32.980 It had four sections. 00:10:33.100 --> 00:10:34.460 That was our outline last week. 00:10:34.980 --> 00:10:43.659 Today we're going to look at Article 30 of the 1689 on the Lord's Supper, which has eight sections, but we're not going to look at all of them. 00:10:43.819 --> 00:10:45.600 So breathe a big sigh of relief. 00:10:45.600 --> 00:10:49.480 We're only going to consider five this morning and three of them I'm lumping together. 00:10:49.639 --> 00:10:54.420 So there's three points for this morning and we'll cover them fairly quickly. 00:10:54.680 --> 00:10:55.320 All right. 00:10:55.399 --> 00:10:58.980 Firstly, first point, Section one. 00:10:59.200 --> 00:11:05.580 Just listen carefully to this statement on the Lord's Supper from the 1689 Confession. 00:11:05.580 --> 00:11:11.259 The Supper of the Lord Jesus was instituted by him the same night he was betrayed. 00:11:12.080 --> 00:11:20.960 It is to be observed in his churches to the end of the age as a perpetual remembrance and display of the sacrifice of himself in his death. 00:11:21.460 --> 00:11:33.320 It is given for the confirmation of the faith of believers in all the benefits of Christ's death, their spiritual nourishment and growth in him and their further engagement in and to all the duties they owe him. 00:11:33.320 --> 00:11:38.920 The Supper is to be a bond and pledge of their communion with Christ and each other. 00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:44.980 The Lord's Supper is to serve as a reminder to us. 00:11:45.920 --> 00:11:50.260 We are slow learners and we are quick to forget. 00:11:51.460 --> 00:11:55.500 I appreciate that God knows us much better than we know ourselves. 00:11:55.500 --> 00:12:07.019 And so in great loving kindness, God gave us instructions for our meeting together so that we would be taught and reminded of his graciousness toward us. 00:12:07.779 --> 00:12:13.759 We do so well if we want to be encouraged to take up the word and say, how would God have us meet together? 00:12:13.860 --> 00:12:19.080 It's his design that we would come together and be reminded of his goodness in Christ. 00:12:19.080 --> 00:12:24.300 One of the things we have been instructed to do is to take the Lord's Supper. 00:12:25.320 --> 00:12:29.240 Gathering together to take the Lord's Supper serves as a sort of pageant. 00:12:29.560 --> 00:12:37.440 It marks the high point of human history, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, an event that none of us were present for. 00:12:38.120 --> 00:12:40.200 And it makes it more visible to us. 00:12:40.200 --> 00:12:51.259 As we take the bread and the fruit of the vine together, we are meant to remember all that God accomplished for us in the personal work of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 00:12:52.160 --> 00:12:58.740 It's meant for us to come together and look at each other and go, yeah, that thing that we say we believe is still true. 00:12:59.240 --> 00:13:02.800 It's still effectual for you and for me. 00:13:02.799 --> 00:13:17.919 If you have participated in our taking of the Lord's Supper at our members gathering, you have heard me say, we remember together, I say this all the time, that what our God has done for us in Christ. 00:13:18.679 --> 00:13:21.979 This is an ordinance given to the church. 00:13:22.079 --> 00:13:26.079 It's a thing that the church does when it gathers together. 00:13:26.339 --> 00:13:28.599 It's not a thing that you should do on your own. 00:13:28.859 --> 00:13:32.000 It's not a thing that should be done online in a Zoom meeting. 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:34.460 It's not a thing that should be done at a wedding. 00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:41.039 When the church gathers, this is when the Lord's Supper can be taken. 00:13:41.899 --> 00:13:46.639 We remember together what God has done for us in Christ. 00:13:47.159 --> 00:13:50.019 We proclaim his death until he comes. 00:13:50.379 --> 00:13:52.179 This comes from 1 Corinthians chapter 11. 00:13:52.460 --> 00:13:54.519 We're going to be in 1 Corinthians a bunch if you'd like to turn there. 00:13:55.059 --> 00:13:57.340 I think you'll appreciate the flipping that you could do. 00:13:57.720 --> 00:14:01.700 1 Corinthians 11, I'll begin reading in verse 23. 00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:04.320 Again, another familiar passage. 00:14:05.019 --> 00:14:08.960 Every Lord's Day that I'm here, I cite from this passage. 00:14:10.139 --> 00:14:10.960 Paul here says, 00:14:10.960 --> 00:14:30.639 In the same way also, we took the cup after supper, saying, 00:14:30.639 --> 00:14:32.559 This cup is the new covenant in my blood. 00:14:33.199 --> 00:14:37.059 Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. 00:14:38.019 --> 00:14:44.259 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 00:14:44.819 --> 00:14:47.720 We remember what has been accomplished. 00:14:47.879 --> 00:14:52.100 The finished work of Jesus Christ on our behalf. 00:14:52.100 --> 00:14:58.060 And, because we're slow learners and quick to forget, we think it's good to do it often. 00:14:58.800 --> 00:15:05.600 We have been doing it every Lord's Day since the founding of this church some 14 years ago. 00:15:05.600 --> 00:15:10.620 We are proposing a change that's going to have us doing it once a month. 00:15:11.019 --> 00:15:14.360 And, at least for a time, doing it in that way. 00:15:14.980 --> 00:15:16.080 It's not my favorite. 00:15:17.159 --> 00:15:20.100 But, if you want to read the text and say, 00:15:20.200 --> 00:15:22.740 Look, I think the church did this every single time they gathered. 00:15:22.840 --> 00:15:23.860 I'd go, Yeah, it's possible. 00:15:24.220 --> 00:15:28.240 But also, they all gathered way after dark, after all the slaves got off of work. 00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:29.980 So, would you also like to meet at that time? 00:15:31.000 --> 00:15:32.779 Would that be the regulative thing for us to do? 00:15:32.779 --> 00:15:35.059 We're all going to meet at 8 p.m. on Sunday evenings? 00:15:35.899 --> 00:15:36.759 Probably not. 00:15:37.179 --> 00:15:39.299 I think we have some latitude in our regularity. 00:15:39.379 --> 00:15:41.299 But, we should do it because we need to be reminded. 00:15:41.519 --> 00:15:45.600 We need to be reminded of God's goodness to us in Christ. 00:15:45.759 --> 00:15:47.600 In the taking of the Lord's Supper. 00:15:48.459 --> 00:15:50.579 We remember together what God has done for us in Christ. 00:15:50.699 --> 00:15:54.399 We remember together also how that work is effectual today. 00:15:54.500 --> 00:15:56.740 What he is even now doing for us. 00:15:56.839 --> 00:15:58.600 Having given to us the Spirit. 00:15:58.980 --> 00:16:00.480 Helping us to walk in obedience. 00:16:00.819 --> 00:16:02.159 Romans 8.1 says, 00:16:02.159 --> 00:16:06.759 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 00:16:07.480 --> 00:16:11.919 We need to come together and remind one another that if we are in Christ. 00:16:12.039 --> 00:16:14.079 If we have placed saving faith in him. 00:16:14.219 --> 00:16:17.439 There is no condemnation for us. 00:16:18.639 --> 00:16:22.120 A whole group of fellow Christians have said, 00:16:22.219 --> 00:16:25.980 As far as we can tell, you still walk faithfully with our Lord. 00:16:26.339 --> 00:16:27.980 There is no condemnation for you. 00:16:28.139 --> 00:16:30.879 Come, welcome to the table. 00:16:30.879 --> 00:16:36.600 And, thirdly, we remember together what God has promised to do. 00:16:36.600 --> 00:16:38.460 So, it looks backward. 00:16:38.759 --> 00:16:40.519 It looks to the present. 00:16:40.720 --> 00:16:43.000 And, it looks forward as well. 00:16:43.920 --> 00:16:45.879 Matthew chapter 26. 00:16:46.159 --> 00:16:49.519 In the instituting of the Lord's Supper, Jesus goes on to say this in verse 29. 00:16:49.980 --> 00:16:58.320 I tell you, I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. 00:16:58.320 --> 00:17:02.680 He is talking about the marriage supper of the Lamb. 00:17:02.680 --> 00:17:05.660 A thing that every Christian should long for. 00:17:05.980 --> 00:17:11.440 So, when we take the Lord's Supper together, we are getting some glimpse of that future glorious feast. 00:17:11.640 --> 00:17:14.600 Some paltry, small shadow of a glimpse. 00:17:14.740 --> 00:17:18.059 But, it is meant to point our thinking to that great day. 00:17:18.059 --> 00:17:24.799 So, we remember together what he has done, is doing, and has promised to do. 00:17:25.720 --> 00:17:28.919 Now, in that confession, the 1689, it says, 00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:37.919 It is given for the confirmation of the faith of believers in all the benefits of Christ's death. 00:17:37.920 --> 00:17:46.039 I think for too long, probably most of us grew up in churches where the Lord's Supper was this highly individualized thing. 00:17:46.660 --> 00:17:48.180 And, there is an aspect of that, right? 00:17:48.440 --> 00:17:52.800 Thinking about my past week or month. 00:17:52.900 --> 00:17:56.259 Or, in the case of many churches, six months to a year. 00:17:57.180 --> 00:17:58.060 Reflecting upon it. 00:17:58.120 --> 00:17:59.480 Thinking about my faithfulness. 00:18:00.460 --> 00:18:06.840 But, this is an ordinance of the church given in confirmation of the faith of believers. 00:18:06.839 --> 00:18:08.339 As I said it before, right? 00:18:08.859 --> 00:18:11.500 Welcoming people to the table. 00:18:12.179 --> 00:18:13.139 I need this. 00:18:13.220 --> 00:18:14.799 I need to be welcomed to the table. 00:18:15.199 --> 00:18:16.699 I have bad weeks. 00:18:17.359 --> 00:18:19.159 This last week was just a tough week. 00:18:20.419 --> 00:18:21.559 Circumstantially, it was tough. 00:18:22.379 --> 00:18:23.639 Emotionally, it was tough. 00:18:24.419 --> 00:18:26.759 It was a hard, hard week. 00:18:27.679 --> 00:18:29.980 It was good for me to come and gather with you. 00:18:30.659 --> 00:18:33.699 And, have you, in the taking of the Lord's Supper, say to me. 00:18:34.559 --> 00:18:35.639 I'm not saying it with your mouth. 00:18:35.640 --> 00:18:39.040 But, in the action of taking it, you're saying, Nathan, you still belong at the table. 00:18:40.840 --> 00:18:42.680 It's okay that this last week was rough. 00:18:42.920 --> 00:18:45.720 Because, Christ's work is completed and effectual for you. 00:18:46.020 --> 00:18:52.880 He has given you his righteousness, however poor yours was this past week. 00:18:52.880 --> 00:19:01.920 So, it's why we say, again, if you've been to one of our members' gatherings, the Lord's Supper is for members of our church. 00:19:01.920 --> 00:19:05.680 People who we have given the confidence to. 00:19:05.680 --> 00:19:07.940 We believe you're in Christ. 00:19:08.320 --> 00:19:15.620 And, for guests who have been baptized and are members in good standing of a gospel-preaching church. 00:19:16.180 --> 00:19:19.660 A church that rightly preaches the gospel and rightly administers the ordinances. 00:19:19.920 --> 00:19:20.019 Right? 00:19:20.019 --> 00:19:25.740 Another group of Christians who have said, yes, yes, we believe that this person is in Christ. 00:19:25.879 --> 00:19:28.180 And, then, of course, I always say, with some providential exceptions. 00:19:28.180 --> 00:19:33.299 Like, you may have just moved and you've moved your membership from one place to another. 00:19:34.460 --> 00:19:36.839 I'll give you a couple more supporting texts. 00:19:36.839 --> 00:19:39.639 1 Corinthians 10, verse 16 and 17. 00:19:39.779 --> 00:19:40.119 Paul says, 00:19:40.240 --> 00:19:44.039 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? 00:19:44.480 --> 00:19:47.839 The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 00:19:48.539 --> 00:19:52.639 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body. 00:19:52.740 --> 00:19:56.259 For we all partake of the one bread. 00:19:56.699 --> 00:19:56.819 Right? 00:19:57.240 --> 00:20:01.459 I'm picturing that likely at their meals, and I think it's fine that we do it differently, 00:20:01.559 --> 00:20:04.859 but there was a single loaf of bread and it was broken. 00:20:04.859 --> 00:20:11.879 This congregation gathered together, shares in this bread as a church together. 00:20:13.219 --> 00:20:17.079 On, back up a little bit, 1 Corinthians 5, verse 11 and 12. 00:20:22.079 --> 00:20:23.759 This would be to the negative, right? 00:20:23.799 --> 00:20:26.019 To the positive, you're welcome at the table. 00:20:26.559 --> 00:20:29.679 To the negative, you're no longer welcome at the table. 00:20:30.619 --> 00:20:32.399 1 Corinthians 5, verse 11 and 12. 00:20:32.400 --> 00:20:33.240 Paul there says, 00:20:33.360 --> 00:20:37.100 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother, 00:20:37.300 --> 00:20:44.100 if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler. 00:20:44.300 --> 00:20:47.920 Now, we need to understand, Paul's not saying that we should walk around going, 00:20:48.060 --> 00:20:49.320 No, you screwed up this week. 00:20:49.960 --> 00:20:51.140 Can't have anything to do with you. 00:20:51.600 --> 00:20:55.980 We need to apply the teaching of Matthew chapter 18 on top of this, 00:20:55.980 --> 00:21:02.500 and see that what Paul's talking about here is a person who is habitually and unrepentant participating in these things. 00:21:02.759 --> 00:21:07.720 He's given them the actual title of these activities. 00:21:08.339 --> 00:21:08.880 And then he says, 00:21:09.039 --> 00:21:12.120 Not even to eat with such a one. 00:21:13.019 --> 00:21:17.200 Now, in this day, to eat with somebody was very familial, right? 00:21:17.200 --> 00:21:21.460 I don't think he is necessarily specifically referring to the Lord's Supper here, 00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:24.960 but I definitely think that it includes that in his teaching. 00:21:26.519 --> 00:21:33.740 Now, you can meet somebody and sign insurance paperwork over a meal, right? 00:21:33.900 --> 00:21:37.740 Somebody you've never met before, you might sit down and have chips and salsa with. 00:21:38.380 --> 00:21:39.779 A little less so. 00:21:39.779 --> 00:21:48.259 So, what he's saying is, you don't have that kind of close familial relationship that you would have with somebody who's in the church and walking faithfully, right? 00:21:48.299 --> 00:21:50.920 So, this certainly applies to the Lord's Supper. 00:21:51.039 --> 00:21:52.039 And then in verse 12, he says, 00:21:52.139 --> 00:21:54.019 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? 00:21:55.599 --> 00:21:58.420 Rhetorically, he's saying, nothing to do with judging outsiders. 00:21:58.579 --> 00:22:03.539 He says, is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge, right? 00:22:03.539 --> 00:22:08.119 Pick up that authority of bearing those keys to the kingdom. 00:22:08.119 --> 00:22:13.500 And so, we say often that baptism is the welcoming ordinance. 00:22:14.099 --> 00:22:21.679 It's the way that we put our confirmation on, even as an individual proclaims their faith in Christ. 00:22:21.779 --> 00:22:23.479 It's the welcoming ordinance. 00:22:24.399 --> 00:22:33.159 In fact, I think in much simpler Christian context, perhaps a place where people are being terribly persecuted for their faith, 00:22:33.279 --> 00:22:37.979 if somebody claimed to be a Christ follower, you would just baptize them, and that would be the membership process. 00:22:38.119 --> 00:22:40.000 You would just say, well, then come on. 00:22:40.399 --> 00:22:45.039 We have a secret meeting, and we'll baptize you at that meeting and welcome you into our fellowship. 00:22:45.879 --> 00:22:49.359 In our setting, we go through a bit of a process, don't we? 00:22:49.419 --> 00:22:54.219 All of you who are members, we want to make sure that you understand what we believe to be true in the scripture. 00:22:54.379 --> 00:22:55.559 We want to get to know you. 00:22:55.899 --> 00:23:00.699 When you say you're a Christ follower, we want to be sure it's the Christ of the Bible that you're talking about. 00:23:00.700 --> 00:23:05.039 But then baptism still serves as that welcoming ordinance. 00:23:05.980 --> 00:23:10.120 The Lord's Supper is the remaining ordinance. 00:23:10.299 --> 00:23:15.259 It does the same work as the baptism does, but it continues on. 00:23:15.600 --> 00:23:17.180 It's like reaffirmation. 00:23:17.420 --> 00:23:19.000 We affirmed we believe you're in Christ. 00:23:19.100 --> 00:23:22.700 Now we're going to reaffirm that you're in Christ as we gather at the table together. 00:23:22.700 --> 00:23:30.120 It's the remaining ordinance, or in some sad cases, it's the dismissing ordinance. 00:23:30.299 --> 00:23:33.600 So I hope I'm wrapping that around to the whole thing about church discipline for you. 00:23:34.039 --> 00:23:38.580 It's the ordinance that must be used in that way. 00:23:38.579 --> 00:23:44.139 So there have been three positions for who the Lord's Supper should be offered to. 00:23:45.639 --> 00:23:50.000 One of them, to my shame, we used to do, and it was open. 00:23:50.779 --> 00:23:53.399 We had the Lord's Supper every time we met in this setting. 00:23:53.659 --> 00:23:57.059 It was kind of offered as an invitation after the preaching. 00:23:58.339 --> 00:24:04.339 And to our credit, we offered some strong warnings about who should and who shouldn't be taking the Lord's Supper. 00:24:04.339 --> 00:24:09.099 But there were many, many Sundays that some college student said, I'm so excited. 00:24:09.159 --> 00:24:13.579 My parents are here, and they're not Christ followers, and just so glad they're going to get to hear the gospel. 00:24:13.980 --> 00:24:18.959 And we would preach the gospel, and we would give these very clear warnings, and then we would see them take the Lord's Supper. 00:24:19.939 --> 00:24:22.159 And my hope was always, maybe they repented and believed. 00:24:22.379 --> 00:24:24.619 Like, oh, this would be wonderful news. 00:24:24.740 --> 00:24:29.019 And you'd find out from that student later that that wasn't the case at all. 00:24:29.019 --> 00:24:34.819 And the concern was that we were issuing false assurance to these people. 00:24:34.879 --> 00:24:39.519 Now, they probably misunderstood it so much that that's not really what we were accomplishing. 00:24:40.359 --> 00:24:43.440 But it was a fear that it was possible that we were. 00:24:44.639 --> 00:24:46.700 And so we changed the way we did it, didn't we? 00:24:47.000 --> 00:24:48.359 Some of you were here through that. 00:24:49.039 --> 00:24:51.220 Gathering before this time together. 00:24:51.220 --> 00:24:54.600 Something we call our members' gathering. 00:24:55.319 --> 00:24:59.100 To practice what has been historically called close communion. 00:24:59.680 --> 00:25:06.200 Which means we welcome members and guests who are baptized and members in good standing of a gospel preaching church. 00:25:06.620 --> 00:25:06.860 Right? 00:25:07.019 --> 00:25:11.360 Which allows for somebody to travel from another town for us to be in this kind of fellowship with them. 00:25:11.799 --> 00:25:18.519 Previous members of our church to come back to Dahlonega, which happens quite regularly, and to enjoy the Lord's Supper with us. 00:25:18.519 --> 00:25:28.200 But it still places on there this desire that people would understand that it's about the affirmation of their faith as we take this meal together. 00:25:29.019 --> 00:25:34.539 And then the last one is called closed communion, which is for members only. 00:25:34.539 --> 00:25:37.759 It's much more strictly done in that sense. 00:25:38.400 --> 00:25:43.359 This is the more historical position of interest to you. 00:25:43.359 --> 00:25:50.859 You might appreciate knowing that Charles Spurgeon, his church once a year, an elder would interview members of their church. 00:25:51.219 --> 00:25:56.379 And would give them tickets to their monthly Lord's Supper meetings. 00:25:56.719 --> 00:25:59.819 And say, as far as we can tell, these people are still in the faith. 00:25:59.899 --> 00:26:02.319 And would give them tickets for that. 00:26:02.439 --> 00:26:04.979 And if they were disciplined out of the church, they would ask for them back. 00:26:04.980 --> 00:26:09.039 It was such a large fellowship of people that they numbered the tickets. 00:26:09.160 --> 00:26:13.660 And they would actually track who was and wasn't coming and participating in the Lord's Supper. 00:26:15.120 --> 00:26:16.339 Seems like a little much to me. 00:26:16.500 --> 00:26:17.880 But I'm just saying that to say. 00:26:19.319 --> 00:26:22.059 Jonathan Edwards was fired from his church. 00:26:22.180 --> 00:26:26.559 This is pre-Great Awakening because he fenced the table. 00:26:27.220 --> 00:26:29.599 He would actually stand at it and tell people, oh, no, no. 00:26:30.720 --> 00:26:31.440 Not today. 00:26:31.440 --> 00:26:37.140 And he offended a particular man who had enough influence to get him fired. 00:26:38.059 --> 00:26:41.420 And that church, some like a year later, repented and rehired him. 00:26:41.640 --> 00:26:46.460 Brought him back and said, you were much more right than we understood on this. 00:26:46.600 --> 00:26:49.420 So opened, close, closed. 00:26:49.799 --> 00:26:52.100 But these things are thinking in that direction, right? 00:26:52.120 --> 00:26:56.380 We have to think carefully about how do we rightly administer the ordinances. 00:26:57.259 --> 00:26:57.519 Okay. 00:26:58.140 --> 00:26:58.820 Super fast. 00:26:58.820 --> 00:27:00.580 I'm going to fly through these next two. 00:27:01.440 --> 00:27:04.340 Second point, sections 2, 5, and 6. 00:27:04.720 --> 00:27:07.620 Actually, I'm just going to give them to you in summary to make it even better for you. 00:27:09.559 --> 00:27:16.940 The point of these is to say that there's not any real sacrifice being made for the remission of sin. 00:27:17.539 --> 00:27:19.779 It's not Catholicism. 00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:25.320 It's not a penitent thing that you must do in order to gain God's grace. 00:27:25.319 --> 00:27:30.299 It's a remembering thing of what Christ has accomplished once for all. 00:27:30.839 --> 00:27:34.960 So section 2 makes this extremely clear. 00:27:35.720 --> 00:27:38.200 So Hebrews chapter 9, verse 25 and following. 00:27:39.159 --> 00:27:45.259 The author of Hebrews is making this case that Jesus is a different kind of priest from the Levitical priests. 00:27:45.259 --> 00:27:46.279 And he writes, 00:27:46.379 --> 00:27:54.420 Nor was it to offer himself, being Christ repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own. 00:27:55.160 --> 00:28:00.640 For then he, Christ, would have to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. 00:28:00.640 --> 00:28:08.720 But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 00:28:09.620 --> 00:28:16.620 So Jesus is not like those priests who had to make sacrifice constantly with somebody else's blood, the blood of animals. 00:28:17.200 --> 00:28:21.160 But Jesus made the sacrifice of himself once for all. 00:28:21.160 --> 00:28:29.320 So we have no need to make continuing sacrifice in the way that they did in the Old Testament or that some people do in our day. 00:28:29.380 --> 00:28:34.060 This is not what the ordinance of the Lord's Supper accomplishes. 00:28:34.560 --> 00:28:38.720 The next two sections are about the actual nature of those elements. 00:28:39.040 --> 00:28:44.240 That they do not become the actual body and blood of Christ. 00:28:44.480 --> 00:28:44.660 Right? 00:28:44.900 --> 00:28:49.160 They speak against a doctrine commonly called transubstantiation. 00:28:49.160 --> 00:28:52.560 The authors of the 1699 say, 00:28:52.980 --> 00:28:57.400 This doctrine is hostile not only to scripture but also to common sense and reason. 00:28:58.200 --> 00:29:05.960 It destroys the nature of the ordinance and has been and is the cause of many kinds of superstitions and of gross idolatries. 00:29:07.300 --> 00:29:10.019 For the sake of time, we won't look at any scripture for that. 00:29:10.019 --> 00:29:24.539 But these last two sections in summary, we take the elements which are symbols of the completed sacrifice of Christ on our behalf and remember God's mercy and grace toward us. 00:29:24.539 --> 00:29:29.440 And then lastly, section 7 says this. 00:29:29.440 --> 00:29:59.059 The body and blood of Christ are not present bodily or physically in the ordinance but spiritually to the faith of believers. 00:29:59.059 --> 00:30:04.079 just as the elements themselves are present to their outward senses. 00:30:04.960 --> 00:30:07.659 So 1 Corinthians 10, 16, I read to you already. 00:30:08.000 --> 00:30:11.700 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? 00:30:12.000 --> 00:30:16.259 The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 00:30:16.259 --> 00:30:22.419 We experience his sacrifice on our behalf by faith inwardly as we take the Lord's Supper, 00:30:22.559 --> 00:30:25.159 but not outwardly in reality. 00:30:25.160 --> 00:30:33.759 The Lord's Supper serves the strong at heart, and it serves the faint at heart. 00:30:34.200 --> 00:30:42.500 When we come together, welcome one another at the table, and feast, whether figuratively or literally, 00:30:43.140 --> 00:30:47.880 we remind each other of our belonging in Christ. 00:30:49.920 --> 00:30:54.519 Thomas Watson, Puritan pastor, wrote a book called The Lord's Supper, 00:30:54.519 --> 00:30:58.980 which I don't agree with in its entirety, but for the most part, it's a very good read. 00:30:59.720 --> 00:31:02.579 And this is the quotation on your bulletin this morning. 00:31:02.700 --> 00:31:03.299 I'll just add, 00:31:03.559 --> 00:31:09.379 In the supper, a weak faith can lay hold on a strong Christ. 00:31:10.559 --> 00:31:16.500 It's a time for us to forget ourselves that we might remember what Jesus has done. 00:31:16.500 --> 00:31:21.779 And again, we do it together for one another as we come together. 00:31:22.579 --> 00:31:24.940 So there's so much more that can be said of the Lord's Supper. 00:31:25.640 --> 00:31:29.140 I skipped a page and a half of my notes for the sake of time, 00:31:29.240 --> 00:31:34.119 but I hope that I've sufficiently shown you that this is why we take the supper regularly, 00:31:34.119 --> 00:31:44.479 why the way we take it is for members and for people who are in good standing with a gospel-preaching church, 00:31:44.479 --> 00:31:51.939 and why it is significant for the good of souls both within and outside of the church. 00:31:52.759 --> 00:31:55.839 And so, this is why we do what we do, 00:31:56.500 --> 00:31:59.199 and why we do what we do the way we do what we do. 00:31:59.539 --> 00:32:00.299 Let's pray together. 00:32:00.299 --> 00:32:30.279 Let's pray together.