Grace for Growth

Gods Provision for Your Growth

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Review
Sacraments
o The sacraments are about what God has done, not man's choices

Church Membership
o Being with the people of God to bring honor to God as a body

Fully embracing these provisions for growth will bring huge blessing to my life
o But this is not the primary goal
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The Sacraments
The Lords Supper & Baptism Both sacraments have visible, tangible elements
o Bread & Wine o Water o These point to what God has done, not primarily what man does
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Baptism, Not New

Like Passover & The Lords Supper, Circumcision & Baptism are tied to each other
o Refer to Dr. Adams sermon for meaning & mode

Passover Lords Supper

o A meal of remembrance o Luke 22:15 And he said to them, I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. o I Cor. 11: 23-26 on the night he was
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Baptism
Circumcision Baptism
Signs of initiation & faith pointing to changed hearts Also signs of purification and uniting Both signs serve to identify the covenant people of God Both signs include children

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Baptism & Faith

Circumcision identified with Faith
o Gen. 12:1-3 - I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. o Gen. 17:3-14 - This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you o Romans 4:11&12 - And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. o Romans 4:13 - For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.
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Circumcision Baptism
Baptism Initiation, Identity, Learning
o Matthew 28 - 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, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. o Deuteronomy 6:6&7 given as the people prepare to enter promised land

Faith & Repentance

o Peter replied, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38 o Jer. 4:4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts, you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, for my wrath will flare up and burn like fire because of the evil you have done burn with no one to quench it.

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Circumcision & a New Heart

Physical circumcision pointed to an internal reality a circumcised heart
o Deut. 10:16 Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. o Deut. 30:6 The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. o Jer. 9:25 The days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab and all who live in the wilderness in distant places. For all these nations are really uncircumcised, and even the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart.
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Baptism and Heart

Baptism with water points to a baptized spirit a changed heart is the goal
o Romans 6:4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. o Colossians 2:11-12 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism o Deut. 30:6 The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.

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Baptism & Children

Water baptism also includes children
o Water baptism, like circumcision of the flesh, saves no one o Gen. 17:10 -11 This is my covenant, Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you o Acts 2:39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far offfor all whom the Lord our God will call. o Matthew 28:18-20 children are to be taught Deut. 6 o Eph. 6:1-4 Same promises to children as in Deuteronomy

Children were included in the covenant of faith

o Gen. 17 & Romans 4

There is no command or direct implication that removes children from Gods covenant people RPC Adult SS 2011

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Baptism: Blessing or Curse

Baptism and Church Discipline Water baptism marks the entrance into Gods covenant community Church discipline marks an exit from this community In this light, water baptism is either a blessing or curse
o Blessing the goal of faith is realized o Curse-Heb. 6; Acts 8:13 Simon believed & was baptized o Acts 8:20 - Peter answered: May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God.
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Circumcision
Circumcision

Faith & Goal Initiation& Children Repenta Changed Identity Included nce Heart

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Baptism
Baptism

Now Faith & Goal includes Initiation Children Repenta Changed all the & Identity Included nce Heart earth Gen. 12:3

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The Church 2 aspects

The Visible Church identified by
o First Physical Circumcision Now by Water Baptism

The Invisible Church identified by

o A circumcised heart, i.e. baptized spirit o Romans 2:28-29 - 28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a persons praise is not from other people, but from God. o The circumcised heart is known only to God
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Church Membership
Admittance to the visible church You can profess in
o o o o Philippian Jailer Acts 16 Simon Acts 8 A foreigner from outside the camp Exodus 12:48 Ruth, Rahab

You can be born in

o Genesis 17 o Acts 2:39; I Cor. 7:14; Eph. 6:1-4

No one in the visible church can be said to be in the invisible church simply because they are baptized. Acts 8:13, Hebrews 6:1-12; Deut. 29:18-21
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The Church
Blessings of Church membership Care and Discipline Lets look at some church members:

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Young Church Member

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Fall Fest

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Cool Sheep

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Warrior Sheep

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Church Membership
Sheep (Church Members) need care & discipline
o Ephesians 4:11-16

This care is provided by elders, deacons and by fellow members

o This why elders are referred to as shepherds sheep without shepherds do not do well. Eph. 4:14 o Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Just how important is it to be part of a biblical church?

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Next Week
Church structure & begin last things

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