Keeping Preaching and the Ordinances Together, Part 2 May 30, 2010
Inlast week’s column, we noted that preaching and the ordinances (i.e., baptismand the Lord’s Supper) have historically been the two identifying marks of atrue church. If you think about it, these two marks are very closely related. Here’show I would say it: the ordinances make the results of preaching visible. How so?
Godalways creates and grows His people by His word, deliveredprimarily through preaching. He creates Hispeople through conversion, calling the unsaved to Himself through the preachingof the word of God (cf. Rom 10:13-17). After conversion, He continues to grow His people through the proclamationof the word of God (cf. 1 Tim 3:16-17). So the question arises: how can we tellif God’s word is creating and growing spiritual life in our church? Through ourrepeated observance of the ordinances. Since baptism symbolizes the beginningof our new life in Christ, it helps us to see that God’s word is creatingspiritual life. And since the Lord’s Supper symbolizes our ongoing growth inChrist, it helps us see that God’s word is continuing to grow us in ourspiritual life.
Obviouslythen, it only makes sense to keep these two marks of a true church together. AtParker Hills, we want to preach the gospel and then reenact the gospel viabaptism and the Lord’s Supper in every worship service. Or, to put it anotherway, we want to preach the word and then observe its tangible results. Has God’sword created new life? Has it sustained our fellowship with Jesus? When preachingleads to baptism and/or communion, we can be sure it has.