What Is the Lord’s Supper? (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

1. It is a Reminder

• …and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; eat it in remembrance of me.’ (Vs. 24)

2. It is a Symbol

• In the same way, He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; drink it to remember me.’ (Vs. 25)

3. It is a Statement of Faith.

• For whenever you eat of the bread and drink of the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes back. (Vs. 26)

Who Should Take the Lord’s Supper?

1. Only those who are already Believers. (See Mark 14:22-26)

• For if you eat the bread or drink the cup unworthy, not honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. (1 Corinthians 11:29)

How Do I Prepare Myself for the Lord’s Supper?

Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A person ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. (1 Corinthians 11:27-28)

You Prepare Yourself By….

1. Self-Examination

• Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A person ought to examine himself… (1 Corinthians 11:27-28)

2. Confession of Sins

• If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

3. Recommitment

• Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. (Romans 12:1)

4. Restoring Relationships

• Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the alter, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the alter. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. (Matthew 5:23-24)

Baptism is an action taken by those who profess a faith in Jesus Christ. A basic description:

Baptism is an outward sign of an inward commitment.

1. It Illustrates Jesus’ Burial and Resurrection.

• Christ died for our sin…He was buried…and He rose again. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
• For when you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and in baptism you were also raised with Christ. (Colossians 2:12)

2. It  Illustrates My New Life as a Christian.

• By our baptism then, we were buried with Him and shared His death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead…so also we may live a new life. (Romans 6:4)

Baptism doesn’t make you a believer, it demonstrates that you already believe. It’s important to understand that baptism does not “save” you. You are “saved” only by your faith in Jesus.

• For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith…it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Why Should I Be Baptized?

1. To Follow the Example Set By Christ.

• At  the time Jesus came from Nazareth and was baptized by John in the river. (Mark 1:9)

2. Because Christ Commanded It.

• Jesus said, “Go then, to all people everywhere and make them my disciples, baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20)

3. It Demonstrates That I Really Am a Believer.

• …many of the people who heard him believed and were baptized (Acts 18:8)
• We know that we have come to know Him, if we obey His commands. (1 John 2:3)

Who Should Be Baptized?

1. Every Person Who Has Believed in Christ.

• Those who believe and accepted his message were baptized… (Acts 2:41)
• Simon himself believed and was baptized… (Acts 8:13)
• But when they believed Philip as he preached the Good News…and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. (Acts 8:12)

Why Be Baptized by Immersion?

1. Because Jesus was Baptized That Way.

• As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. (Matthew 3:16)

2. Every Baptism in the Bible was by Immersion.

• (Example) …then both Philip and the man went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water…(Acts 8:38-39)

3. The Word “Baptize” Actually Mean “To Dip Under Water.”

4. Immersion Best Symbolizes a Burial and Resurrection!

• When someone becomes a Christian he becomes a brand new person inside. The old life has passed away and the new life has begun! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

When Should I Be Baptized?

1. As Soon As You Have Believed!

• Those who believe…were baptized…that day! (Acts 2:41)
• Then Philip began with Scripture and told him the Good News about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water, and the man said, ‘Look, here is water! Why shouldn’t I be baptized right now?’ Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ The man answered, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’ So they went down into the water and Philip baptized him. (Acts 8:35-38)

There is no reason to delay. As soon as you have decided to receive Christ into your life, you can and should be baptized. If you wait until you are “perfect” you’ll never be ready!

What If I Was Baptized as an Infant?

Some churches baptize infants. At New Passion we don’t. We only baptize those who have made a decision to believe in Christ’s death as the payment for their sin. In the Bible, men and women were baptized following their belief in Jesus.

The custom of infant baptism began about 300 years after the Bible was completed. It’s a ceremony intended to emphasize a commitment between parents and God on behalf of the child. During the ceremony, the parents promise to raise their child in the faith until the child is old enough to make his own personal confession of Christ.

At New Passion, we have a dedication service for infants and children that emphasize the parent’s role in raising a child to follow Christ.

Therefore, if you were baptized as a baby, we encourage you to be baptized by immersion as a believer.

Adapted from CLASS 101 Membership Material

There will be free inflatables, food, fun activities and door prizes.

For more information on the move, please see pastor Nick’s thoughts on his blog.

Join New Passion as we celebrate our first year as a new church in the Grovetown community! We’re hosting a Birthday Bash for the community on Sunday, September 12 from Noon until 2 p.m. at Patriots Park (by the gym).  There will be free inflatables, free lunch and other free and fun activities, plus we’re throwing in a some door prizes from Cudos of Augusta, Target, and other local restaurants. We hope to see you there!

If you have any questions, please connect with us on our contact page.

]]> http://www.newpassionchurch.com/2010/09/new-passion-birthday-bash/feed/ 0 http://www.newpassionchurch.com/2010/07/check-out-our-sermon-videos-on-vimeo/ http://www.newpassionchurch.com/2010/07/check-out-our-sermon-videos-on-vimeo/#comments Wed, 21 Jul 2010 01:11:03 +0000 admin http://www.newpassionchurch.com/?p=1210 We post all of our sermon videos right here on our website, but we host them through Vimeo. The Vimeo website allows you to share the sermon videos effortlessly through your social networking sites, email, etc. You can also post cool things like this Hubnut widget on your site and blogs. So whenever God speaks to you through one of our messages, be sure to share it with the world!

CLICK HERE to check out the update email for the week of November 19.

CLICK HERE to subscribe to the church’s weekly update email.

Thank you New Passion for participating in the “ONE:27 Turkey Project” over the last several weeks.

Several weeks ago 35 families worked up enough courage to walk into United We Care to seek assistance for the Holidays. The first phase of support was to request a simple Thanksgiving meal, complete with a whole Turkey and all of the fixin’s. Because of your generosity 25 of those 35 families will be receiving a complete meal in a couple of weeks for Thanksgiving.

Because of your generosity, those families will now have the opportunity to enjoy a family Thanksgiving this year!

We kicked off our new series called “There’s An App for That.” During the series we will be exploring how the Bible has an app(lication) for some of the tough issues we deal with in life. Today we kicked off with “Hope in Distress.” Below is the schedule for the remaining
5 weeks:

November 8 – Healing for Broken Relationships
November 15 – Healthy Finances
November 22 – Harmony at Home
November 29 – Guest Preacher Tim Carnes
December 6 – Honor in our Uniqueness