Latest / Reformed Thinking / Baptize Disciples and Eat the Lord's Supper | John Piper

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Baptize Disciples and Eat the Lord's Supper | John Piper · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome to the Deep Dive where we take a stack of information,
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your articles, your research, your own careful notes and pull
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out the most telling insights and, well, essential Nuggets of
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understanding. Our aim is to offer you a
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pathway to being well informed, complete with surprising facts
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and just enough engaging discussion to keep you thinking.
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Yeah, hopefully stimulate some thought.
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Each deep dive is tailored for you, our curious listener, and
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today we are going to unpack some foundational teachings
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concerning the Church itself, straight from the words of
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Jesus. That's right, for this
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particular deep dive, we have been given excerpts from John
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Piper's work, specifically focusing on all the Jesus
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commanded. Significant.
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Work it is, and our mission is to break down Jesus's clear
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guidelines for his followers regarding how they are to live
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together in community, focusing on how they are to deal with sin
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among them and the specific practices he instituted, baptism
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and the Lord's Supper. These are not just ancient
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practices, they are active principles for what it means to
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be a gathering of Jesus's followers today.
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And as we consider these instructions, we'll see how they
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shape our collective life and our individual walk as
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believers. It's really interesting to
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consider that Jesus didn't just give a message, He gave
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practical directives. Didn't he?
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For his people to live by? He absolutely did.
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Very practical so. As we begin to consider Jesus's
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fundamental design for his church, what strikes you as most
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significant about his overall approach?
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Where do we start with that? Hi, Jesus's intentional design
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for his church. OK, let's unpack this
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foundational idea. First, the source material.
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Piper's work makes a really clear assertion the church
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wasn't an accidental development, nor was it like a
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Plan B because Jesus's Kingdom message didn't maybe materialize
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on earth in the way some might have assumed at the time.
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Right, that's a common misconception, but Piper pushes
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back hard on that. So what's truly insightful here
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is that it was a deliberate, planned entity from the very
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beginning, part of Jesus's sovereign intention for his
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people. Indeed, Piper highlights that
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the church was planned by Jesus and he provided for her in every
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way. In every way.
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That's the phrase, and this speaks directly to Jesus's
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purposeful role operating under the declaration.
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I will build my church. That famous declaration in
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Matthew 16. Exactly.
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And this isn't just, you know, a casual statement.
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It signifies his authority and his active participation in
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calling his people into existence.
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So he's the builder? He is the builder.
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He is actively gathering his flock and fulfilling his promise
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to be with her to the end of of the age, right?
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This establishes the Church's divine origin, making it clear
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that it's not just a human construct or merely a collection
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of individuals who decided to gather.
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It's not a club. It's not a club, it is a body
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brought into being and continually sustained by
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Christ's own sovereign will and ongoing action.
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So that elevates its standing, doesn't it?
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Makes it unique. It really does.
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It makes the Church's existence and purpose a direct outcome of
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Christ's rule, rather than, say, a human response to unforeseen
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circumstances. And part of that extensive
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provision, which Piper also brings up from I think it was a
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previous discussion in his work, includes his spirit and his
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word. Crucial elements.
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These are the tools, if you will, that guide and teach his
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followers not just at the outset but continuously.
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It's ongoing. Precisely.
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He teaches her by His Spirit and through His Word.
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This is where the vibrancy and the ongoing health of the Church
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really come from. So it's not static.
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Not at all. It's not as though Jesus started
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something and then just, you know, step back.
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His continuous teaching and guidance through the Spirit and
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the written Word are absolutely integral to the Church's daily
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functioning and spiritual well-being.
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How does that work practically? The Spirit and the Word
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together. Well, the Spirit illuminates the
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Word, right? Applying its truths to the
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hearts and minds of believers, equipping them for living out
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Jesus's commands. OK.
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This reveals Jesus's active role in shaping the church's
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character and ensuring its faithfulness to his vision.
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He's providing the internal wisdom and instruction needed
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for his people to live together according to his plan.
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And to grow, presumably. Yes, and to grow in a collective
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spiritual maturity that reflects his own character.
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This ongoing supernatural work means the church isn't just
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surviving, it's being actively nurtured and directed by its
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head, by Christ himself. So with that understanding of
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Jesus's intentional design in his active role in building and
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sustaining his church, it makes perfect sense that he would also
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give very specific practical guidelines.
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It follows logically, yes. Guidelines for how this
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community, this collective of his followers, is to operate.
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With that in mind, let's turn to some of the specific practical
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guidelines Jesus gave for his church, starting with a topic
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that might feel uncomfortable in our modern world how to handle
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sin within the community. Yes, definitely countercultural
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in some ways, but absolutely vital to his design to handling
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sin in the church. A path to restoration through
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discipline. So if we connect this to the
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bigger picture of Jesus building his church, we see that he also
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provided very specific guidelines for addressing sin
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among his followers. By just ignoring it.
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Definitely not ignoring it. This process is commonly known
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as church discipline, which is well the churches biblical
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responsibility to correct and restore airing members.
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Restore being a keyword there a. Very keyword.
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It's described in the source as careful, loving, patient
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discipline. The whole framework is designed
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to foster repentance and restoration, not merely
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punishment. Or, you know, kicking someone
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out immediately. It's not primarily punitive.
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No, it's a crucial element of his design, signaling that a
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healthy church is not one that's magically free of sin.
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Because that doesn't exist. It doesn't exist, the sight of
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glory, no, But a healthy church is one that knows how to address
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sin in a way that seeks the good of the individual who has
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strayed and upholds the purity of the collective fellowship.
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That's a. Delicate.
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It is, it truly signals a deep concern for both the person and
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the integrity of the body of believers.
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That's a fascinating perspective because Jesus gave a clear multi
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stage process for addressing what Piper calls persistent
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unrepented sin. Yes, specifically that kind,
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persistent and unrepented. It starts very personally and
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only if needed, expands to involve the wider community.
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What does this process truly mean for someone encountering it
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for the first time? It seems quite countercultural
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like you said. It does feel that way in our,
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well, our comfort driven culture maybe.
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Yeah, confrontation avoidant. Right, but Jesus approach is
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remarkably methodical and ultimately driven by love and a
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desire for reconciliation. Piper explains that Jesus lays
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out four distinct steps in Matthew 18, verses 15 to 17.
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OK, 4 steps. Each step builds on the previous
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one, escalating the level of involvement only if the earlier,
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more private steps do not yield repentance.
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Though to progressive. Very progressive, this structure
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underscores the desire for a resolution that preserves
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relationships whenever possible while also upholding the moral
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and spiritual standards of the community.
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It's a compassionate framework intended to bring the individual
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back into alignment with Christ. Recognizing that sin effects
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everyone eventually. Exactly unaddressed sin can be
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corrosive both to the individual and the entire body.
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A step, one private admonition. So the initial instruction from
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Matthew 18.15 is straightforward.
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If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault
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between you and him alone. Just the two of you.
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Just the two of you. This emphasizes personal direct
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communication as the first and most preferred path.
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So the person sinned against, or maybe someone who becomes aware
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of a serious sin takes the initiative.
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That's right, the one who is aware is called to initiate the
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conversation. This places the immediate care
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and desire for correction on the one directly impacted or
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concerned, rather than immediately involving others or,
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you know, gossiping about it. Which happens far too often.
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Sadly, yes. The goal here is to keep the
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matter as contained and private as possible.
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Allows for a quiet, heartfelt discussion without the pressure
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or embarrassment of wider exposure.
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It respects the person's dignity.
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It does, while still addressing the reality of their actions.
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And the primary goal of this private conversation is crystal
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clear. If he listens to you, you have
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gained your brother. That's the objective gain the
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brother. It's about winning back the
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individual, isn't it? Not shaming them publicly right
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away. Absolutely.
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This highlights the loving and relational aspect of the
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process. It's not about proving a point
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or asserting dominance or seeking retribution.
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Not about being right. No, it's about seeking the
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spiritual welfare of the other person, hoping they will
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acknowledge their fault and turn from it.
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This initial step offers a discrete opportunity for
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repentance rooted in brotherly care.
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And it acknowledges maybe they didn't even realize the impact.
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That's true too. Sometimes people are simply
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unaware of the harm they've caused or the spiritual
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implications of their actions, and a gentle, private word is
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all that is needed to set things right.
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The restoration of the individual is paramount at this
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stage. Be Step 2.
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Involve witnesses. OK, but what if that private
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one-on-one conversation doesn't work?
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What if a person doesn't listen? Right.
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Well, Piper notes that if that private conversation does not
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bring about listening and repentance, the next instruction
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is given by Jesus. But if he does not listen, take
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one or two others along with you.
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OK, bringing in others. Why?
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The purpose for this is crucial that every charge may be
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established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
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Ah, so it's about establishing the facts objectively.
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Exactly. This step introduces an
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objective element, providing corroboration for the fault and
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ensuring the process isn't based on a single, potentially biased
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account. That's wise.
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Protects everyone involved. It does.
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And these witnesses aren't just like passive observers.
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They are there to confirm the facts, to add their voice to the
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appeal for repentance, and to serve as additional exhortations
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for the individual. They share the burden, in a
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sense. They share in the burden of
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loving confrontation, yes. So this step truly adds weight
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to the situation. It moves beyond just one
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person's word against another's. It does.
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It offers a further opportunity for the one in sin to hear the
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truth confirmed by others and hopefully to repent.
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It's definitely an escalation, but it sounds like it's still
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fully aimed at reconciliation, at gaining that brother or
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sister. That remains the goal.
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The involvement of one or two others brings the collective
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wisdom and concern of the community, or at least a part of
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it, to bear, providing a more robust appeal for repentance.
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And like you said, it protects all parties, ensures
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transparency and verification, helps prevent accusations of
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unfairness. Yes, precisely.
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The goal remains the individual's repentance and
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restoration to proper fellowship, but now with a
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broader unified voice of concern from within the community still
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seeking restoration. See Step 3.
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Tell the Church. OK, step one is private.
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Step 2 involves witnesses. But what if the person still
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refuses to listen even to the witnesses?
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Should the individual still refuse to listen to them, that
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is to the witnesses, Piper explains.
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The instruction from Jesus is then to tell it to the church.
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Tell the church the whole gathered community.
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Yes, the word church here, ecclesia, is significant, Piper
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notes. It signals Jesus's preparation
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for the ongoing fellowship of his band of followers.
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In his absence, he's envisioning the structured community.
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So this moves the matter from a private or small group concern
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to a collective 1 involving the entire local body of believers.
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That's the implication. It signifies that unrepentant
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sin, if it persists and remains unaddressed through the earlier
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steps, affects the entire body. It's not just a private matter
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anymore. No, not at this stage.
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Therefore, the entire body has a role in seeking its resolution
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and upholding its standards. And it also underscores the
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public nature of Christian witness, doesn't it?
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Persistent sin eventually risks bringing, well, dishonor to the
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name of Christ. That's a serious consideration.
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Yes, the integrity of the church's witness is at stake.
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And this truly brings the matter before the entire community of
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believers, allowing the collective body to urge the
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person to repent. It's a powerful call to account,
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isn't? It it is the body of believers
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speaks with one voice, demonstrating their shared care
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for the individual and their commitment to the purity of the
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fellowship. So the hope is still there even
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at this stage. The hope is always there for
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repentance. The hope is that the gravity of
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the situation, coupled with the unified appeal of the Church,
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will finally lead the individual to reconsider their stance and
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turn from their sin. It's a public, but ideally still
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loving appeal. It should be.
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It demonstrates the church's shared responsibility for one
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another's spiritual well-being. It is a serious step
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acknowledging that if an individual resists, the private
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and small group appeals. The entire community has a part
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to play in drawing clear boundaries for the health of all
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decent 4 Treat as a gentile and tax collector.
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Exclusion from unique fellowship.
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OK, this leads to the final step and honestly, this one sounds
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the hardest. What if the person refuses to
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listen even to the church? This is the most severe step.
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The instruction is to let him be to you as a gentile and a tax
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collector. Wow.
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That sounds harsh, especially knowing how Gentiles and tax
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collectors were viewed back. Then it does sound harsh to our
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ears. But it's critical to note, as
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Piper points out, this does not mean treating the person with
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hostility. OK, that's important because
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Jesus himself show love to Gentiles and tax collectors.
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Exactly, he taught his followers to love such people even though
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those outside the faith or those despised by society.
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So this instruction is not about hatred or I'll will, it means a
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specific change in the nature of the relationship.
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A change in relationship, not abandonment.
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So what does it mean then, if it's not about hostility?
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How would Jesus's original audience have understood that?
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Well, Piper clarifies that it means to no longer share the
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unique fellowship of Jesus with him, not to relate with him as
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if there is no barrier in the fellowship.
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OK, break that down. Unique Fellowship.
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Think about the intimate aspects of Christian community for
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Jesus's Jewish listeners. Gentiles were outsiders to God's
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covenant people, and tax collectors were often viewed as
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moral outcasts, traitors collaborating with Rome.
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Deeply distrusted. Deeply so.
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Jesus is instructing his followers to treat someone who
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persistently refuses to repent as one who has, by their own
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actions, placed themselves outside the unique, intimate
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fellowship of the Church. So it's a recognition of a
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reality they've created. In a way, yes.
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A practical example Piper gives is not sharing, for example, in
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the Lord's Supper together. Exclusion from the table that's.
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Significant. Very significant.
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It's a visible acknowledgement that their unrepentant sin
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creates a spiritual barrier to participating in the most
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intimate communal expressions of faith unique to Jesus's
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followers. It marks a broken covenantal
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relationship within the community, a kind of self
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exclusion through their actions. This ultimate step then
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highlights a really sobering reality.
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It does. It underscores A vital point,
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Piper argues, that persistent, unrepented sin, a refusal to
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take sin seriously and make war against it in our own lives,
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will mean we are not really followers of Jesus.
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That's a strong statement. It questions the authenticity of
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their faith. It calls it into serious
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question. Again, this isn't about being
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punitive in a vindictive sense, but about facing a stark
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reality. If one refuses to deal with sin,
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ultimately rejecting the lordship of Christ in that area,
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it indicates they may not truly be his follower.
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So Jesus made this provision. Why?
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So the Church would not tolerate blatant unwillingness to repent,
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thus maintaining the integrity and purity of the fellowship.
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The Church's responsibility is to reflect Christ's holiness.
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And allowing persistent unaddressed sin would compromise
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that it. Would compromise that witness.
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This final step really is a desperate measure.
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It's aimed to awaken the individual to the gravity of
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their spiritual state, hoping that even the loss of fellowship
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might yet lead them to repentance and return.
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So even here, restoration is still, in a way, the distant
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hope. The door is never permanently
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slammed shut by the church. If genuine repentance occurs, it
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reveals Jesus's care not just for the individual, but for the
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collective spiritual health and witness of his church.
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It's clear that Jesus provided A remarkably detailed and well
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loving framework for dealing with internal sin.
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It balances restoration and integrity.
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A difficult balance, but a necessary one.
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This structured approach prioritizes restoration but also
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draws clear lines when that restoration is consistently
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rejected. It preserves the distinctiveness
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of the community. But his vision for the church
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extends further, doesn't it? Oh yes, he also intended for his
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followers to publicly identify themselves and continually
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nourish their spiritual lives within this new community.
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What visible markers did he give them for this?
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3 The ordinances marks of Jesus followers.
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So beyond addressing sin, Jesus instituted specific practices,
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visible things, things to mark his followers and strengthen his
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church. Hyper refers to these as
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ordinances. Why that specific word?
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It sounds quite formal, almost legalistic.
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Yeah, it can sound that way, but the term ordinances is used
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specifically to signify that Jesus ordained them.
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He ordained them meaning. Meaning he established the
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pattern of their observance. These are not human inventions
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or optional traditions. They're not things the Church
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Committee came up with later. OK.
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These are practices Jesus put in place before he left and
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commanded that we do it. Commanded.
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Commanded and these practices help in marking her the Church
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off from the world. The Word ordain highlights their
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divine origin and Christ's direct authority in establishing
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them. So they're fundamental, not
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optional extras. Exactly.
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They are commanded acts fundamental to how His people
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are to live and identify themselves as distinct from the
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world around them. They show us how we are to live
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as His followers. So he directly commanded these
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things. Let's dig into the The first one
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mentioned baptism. An outward mark of inward
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change. Right just before His departure
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into heaven, His ascension, Jesus gave the command in the
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Great Commission make disciples of all nations, baptizing them
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in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
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Matthew 28.18. Right there at the end, central
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to disciple making. Absolutely central.
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This is the explicit instruction for this ordinance, woven right
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into the fabric of that Commission.
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It's not a suggestion, not a minor custom.
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It's a command. It's a direct, universal
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directive to his followers that transcends culture and
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geography. Baptism is integral to the very
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process of becoming and making disciples of Jesus.
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It shows that discipleship involves a public act right
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away. From the outset.
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So what does this external act truly represent for a follower
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of Jesus? What's the core idea?
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Baptism is presented by Piper as the outward mark of the inward
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change that has happened to bring one under the Lordship of
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Jesus as a forgiven Sinner. Outward mark, inward change.
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That's the connection. It visually represents a
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spiritual renewal that has already taken place in the
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heart. It's a public declaration of a
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private reality. What reality?
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The reality that an individual has turned from unbelief to
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belief, from living under the dominion of sin to living under
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the reign of Christ, having received forgiveness through his
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work. Paper often connects it to
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Romans 6. Doesn't he union with Christ?
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He does, dying to the old self, rising to new life, identifying
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with Christ's death, burial and resurrection.
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So the ACT itself doesn't save. That's a key reform.
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Point crucial. It doesn't save, but it is the
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visible demonstration and in a sense.
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The seal of the salvation that has occurred in the heart.
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By God's grace, it's a public identification.
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So it's way more than just a ritual.
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It's a visible declaration of an internal reality, a spiritual
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bond. And Piper draws a connection to
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John the Baptist practice, too, right before Christian baptism
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was formally commanded. Yes, that's an interesting link.
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John the Baptist baptism served as a call to repentance in
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preparation for the coming of the Messiah.
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Preparing the way. Exactly.
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And it functioned to distinguish true believers from mere
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descendants of believers. Remember, he asserted, that God
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could raise up from Stone's children for Abraham if needed.
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Challenging the idea that heritage was enough.
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Right. John's baptism was a sign that
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true belonging to God's people wasn't about physical lineage,
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but about a transformed heart expressed through repentance.
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So when Jesus later chose the same sign.
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He was reinforcing that idea. True belief isn't about physical
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lineage or inherited status, but about a personal turning to him
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in faith. That's a crucial distinction,
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not inherited, but chosen faith. So how does Jesus's choice of
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baptism for his followers uniquely cement their commitment
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and identity? Well, Piper explains that Jesus
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chose this sign as the mark of his own followers in his
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absence. When people are converted from
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unbelief to belief, they are to be baptized to demonstrate in
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their obedience to this command that they are truly His.
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Obedience demonstrating reality. Yes, this act is part of
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becoming a disciple or a follower of Jesus.
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It's part of becoming his disciple and becoming a part of
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his church. So it's an initiation, right?
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In a sense. It functions as that, yes.
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When someone is baptized, they're publicly identifying
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with Jesus, His death, burial, resurrection, and aligning
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themselves with His community of followers.
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It signals a new allegiance, a new identity within the
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collective body of Christ people.
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It symbolizes their new life and inclusion in His covenant,
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community. B.
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The Lord's Supper, remembrance, covenant, and communion.
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OK, so baptism is the initial mark.
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The other ordinance Jesus provided is the Lord's Supper.
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This one seems packed with meaning.
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The central command given is do this in remembrance of me.
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So much in that phrase, and Piper emphasizes that this meal
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was instituted during Jesus's last Passover meal with his
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disciples. He quotes Luke 22.15.
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I've earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I
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suffer. The timing wasn't accidental.
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Not at all, Piper argues. It would be folly to think his
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Last Supper was only coincidentally A Passover meal,
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given that the Son of Man goes, as it is written of him.
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He was fulfilling prophecy. Intentionally linking his
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suffering and sacrifice to this ancient, highly significant
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Jewish festival of deliverance, the Passover marked God sparing
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the Jewish sons marked with the blood of a lamb, delivering them
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from bondage in Egypt. And Jesus becomes the Lamb.
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Precisely. He's referred to as our Passover
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Lamb in First Corinthians 5. The Lord's Supper, Piper says,
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is a sacred sign to the Passover sacrifice that I will perform
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tomorrow morning when I die for their sins.
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Wow, so it's looking back to Passover and forward to the
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cross simultaneously. Yes, a historical memorial and a
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prophetic foreshadowing combined.
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Jesus positions himself as the ultimate fulfillment of that
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ancient deliverance, securing a far greater spiritual freedom
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from sin. OK.
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Let's get to the elements themselves, the bread and the
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cup, Jesus said. This is my body, and this cup is
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the new covenant in my blood. How does Piper's work help us
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understand those statements? They've been the source of much
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debate. A huge amount of debate
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historically. Piper's very clear that these
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phrases should be understood representationally, not
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literally. Representational meaning
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symbolic. Meaning they signify something
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else, when Jesus said this is my body which is given for you.
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The bread represents his physical body that was offered
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up in death as a sacrifice for sin.
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It. Points to a sacrifice.
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It points to his brokenness, his suffering, his giving of
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himself. It's a tangible symbol pointing
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to the profound spiritual reality of his self giving love.
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And Piper gives analogies for this kind of language.
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He does. He highlights that in common
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language this is often means this represents or this
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signifies his example. If you hold up a photograph and
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say this is our house, no one thinks the paper turned into
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wood and bricks. Or his camel drawing example,
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right? If Jesus drew a camel in the
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same and said this is a camel, the drawing doesn't become a
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literal camel, it represents it. And Jesus used similar
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figurative language in his parables all the time, didn't
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he? All the time.
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Think of the parable of the soils.
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As for what was sewn on rocky ground, this is the one who
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hears the word. The ground represents a type of
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person. It's his common way of speaking.
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It is applying A strict literal interpretation to this is my
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body seems to ignore this consistent linguistic pattern
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Jesus himself used. OK.
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And the cup, this cup is the new covenant in my blood.
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How does that fit the representational understanding?
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Same principle applies. Piper argues that this cup is
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the new covenant. Clearly means this cup
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represents the new covenant that will be purchased and
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inaugurated by my blood shedding tomorrow morning.
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The cup isn't literally the covenant.
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Of course not. As Piper points out, if this is
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my body, we're literal, then logically this cup is.
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The new covenant would also have to be literal, which makes no
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sense. A covenant isn't a liquid in a
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cup. It's an agreement, a
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relationship. Exactly an agreement established
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by His sacrifice. So the cup serves as a vivid
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sign of this new agreement God is establishing with His people
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through Christ's shed blood, bringing forgiveness and a
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transformed heart. It powerfully brings the reality
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of His sacrifice to mind. Now there's also the discussion
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around John 6 where Jesus talks about eating his flesh and
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drinking his blood. That passage seems to complicate
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things for some. How does Piper address that in
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relation to the supper? Yes, John 6 is often brought
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into this discussion, sometimes used to argue for a literal
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presence or transformation, but Piper cautioned strongly against
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reading it that way in a physical sense.
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Regarding the suburb, he points directly to Jesus, his own
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clarification later in that same discourse, John 6 verse 63.
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It is the Spirit who gives life. The flesh is no help at all.
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The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
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Jesus interprets his own words there.
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He does. It's a crucial clarification.
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It signals that his earlier, very graphic statements about
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eating his flesh and drinking his blood are to be understood
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spiritually, not physically. So it's about spiritual
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communion, spiritual reliance. Yes, he's talking about
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believing in Him, trusting Him, finding life in him through
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faith, a spiritual feeding on Christ, not about physically
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consuming his body and blood for spiritual benefit.
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So the life is not mediated through flesh, but through the
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spirit. It's a vivid expression of
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spiritual feeding, not a physical one, through bread and
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wine. That's the conclusion Piper
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draws. It warns against taking this is
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my body and this is my blood in a way that suggests eternal life
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flows through physically eating and drinking, the elements that
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would contradict Jesus's own explanation in John 6.
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So the Lord's Supper isn't some kind of magical transfer.
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No. It's a means by which believers
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spiritually feed on Christ, remembering his sacrifice,
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receiving grace through faith as they partake.
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It's a sacred gathering where believers spiritually commune
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with the risen Christ, benefiting from his finished
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work. OK, ultimately then, what is the
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Lord's Supper meant to achieve for believers?
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What's its purpose? Viper explains it is to be
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celebrated as a commemoration of his death looking back and in
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anticipation of his coming again and the glory of his Kingdom
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looking. Forward.
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Yes, and presently it is a matchless act of communion with
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the risen Jesus, where he draws nearby his Spirit and his Word
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and makes himself known to us for our enjoyment.
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Enjoyment of Christ. Yes, it celebrates the most
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wonderful act of love in history, his sacrifice and the
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inauguration of the New Covenant, which secured
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forgiveness and a new heart. So it's incredibly rich.
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Remembrance, Anticipation, Communion, Covenant,
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celebration. All wrapped up in this simple
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meal, it's a moment of grateful remembrance, joyous communion
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with Christ and each other, and a powerful reaffirmation of our
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covenant relationship with God through Christ, meant to
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spiritually nourish and strengthen us for the collective
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calling being the church. So looking at church discipline,
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then baptism, and now the Lord's Supper, it really becomes clear
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that these aren't just like isolated commands or
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disconnected rituals, are they? Not at all.
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They're deeply interwoven. They're all tied together by a
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bigger, cohesive vision Jesus had for his followers.
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They paint a picture of what it means to be his people
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corporately in the world. Absolutely.
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And this brings us right back to that central idea of Jesus's
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intentional design for his church.
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Piper brings these threads together beautifully.
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He states that the command do this referring specifically to
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the Lord's Supper but applicable more broadly is a command that
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calls us today to be not just individual followers.
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Which is often the emphasis today, the individual
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relationship. It often is, but Piper stresses
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the corporate but a flock, a gathering, a community and a
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church. A church?
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The gathered body? Yes.
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These practices, discipline, baptism, the Supper, are not
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simply individual acts of obedience performed in
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isolation. There are communal expressions
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that define and shape the collective identity of Christ's
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followers. They make the church visible.
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They are the visible means by which the invisible reality of
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the Church as Christ's body is made manifest in the world.
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They're the ways in which his people are visibly marked off
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from the world, functioning as a distinct and holy community.
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It truly is a collective calling, then, a gathering
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created and sustained by His Kingdom, marked off from the
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world through these very practices He ordained.
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That's the picture. These commands are about his
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people living as his people together in a way that sets them
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apart and reflects his design. The church isn't just an
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optional add on to faith. Definitely not optional in his
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design. It's the very place where his
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commands are lived out collectively, where believers
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support each other in holiness, identify with him publicly, and
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are spiritually nourished together at his table outro.
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So as we conclude this deep dive, it's really quite clear,
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isn't it? Jesus provided everything his
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church needs to function as his collective body.
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He really did think of everything.
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From establishing specific steps for handling internal sin,
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prioritizing restoration, to instituting outward signs like
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baptism, showing inward change, and providing intimate communion
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through the Lord's Supper, His design for His people is
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comprehensive and wonderfully ordered.
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These aren't just suggestions. No, they are foundational
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instructions given by the head of the Church, Jesus himself, to
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ensure its health, its purity and its compelling witness in
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the world. So what does this all mean for
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you listening today? Consider the fact that Jesus,
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before He ascended, didn't just give a message.
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He gave very practical instructions for how his
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followers were to live together. Together.
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That's keep demonstrating his ongoing presence and sovereign
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rule even in his physical absence.
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Discipline, baptism, the Supper were so fundamental to his
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initial blueprint for his people.
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How might revisiting them, perhaps with a fresh
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understanding from this discussion, shape your
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participation in Christian community today?
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How might it foster greater alignment?
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With Jesus's original design for his church.
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That's a good question to ponder.
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It is. Thank you for joining.
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Us on the Deep Dive, we hope this discussion has offered you
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valuable insights and maybe a fresh perspective.
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Until next time.