Baptist Catechism 95

 Q. 95. How is the Word to be read and heard that it may become effectual to salvation?

A. That the Word may become effectual to salvation we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation and prayer, receive it in faith and love, lay it up in our hearts and practice it in our lives. (Prov. 8:34; 1 Peter 2:1,2; 1 Tim. 4:13; Heb. 2:1,3; Heb. 4:2; 2 Thess. 2:10; Ps. 119:11; James 1:21,25)

Scripture Reading: James 1:19–25

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” (James 1:19–25, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

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When we talk about the ordinary means of grace, two things must be remembered. On the one hand, we confess that these are the things that God ordinarily uses to work within the lives of his people: the Word of God read and preached, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer. On the other hand, we must guard against the error of thinking that these things work in an automatic fashion irrespective of the condition of the mind and heart of the one who partakes. No, brothers and sisters, we do have the responsibility to partake of these means of grace in a worthy manner and with hearts prepared.

Does that sound like a strange thing for a Calvinistic minister to say?  I’ll say it again, we do have the responsibility to partake of these means of grace in a worthy manner and with faith in our hearts. It is a common misunderstanding, but a very serious one, that the Reformed only believe in the sovereignty of God over salvation and deny all human responsibility. Have you encountered that misconception before? Or perhaps you have actually held such a view. It simply is not true. 

Is God sovereign over our salvation and our sanctification? Yes, he is. Do we come to be saved and to be sanctified by his grace alone? Yes, we do. But are we also responsible to repent and believe in Christ, to turn away from evil and to cling to what is good, and to persevere in Christ, making use of the means of grace that God has provided? Yes, we are. And this is why the Scriptures call us to do these things. They are things that we must do. But we can do them only by the free grace of God. 

All of this does connect to what we are learning about the means of grace, doesn’t it? God works through these means; that is true. But we are called by God to partake of these means thoughtfully and prayerfully with faith in our hearts.  

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Baptist Catechism 95

So then, the Word of God is a means of grace. People are brought to salvation through the Word, and they are sanctified in Christ by the Word. The Spirit of God works through the Scriptures as they are read and preached. 

Now we ask, “How is the Word to be read and heard that it may become effectual to salvation?’ In other words, how are we to approach the Scriptures?

Let us consider the answer: “That the Word may become effectual to salvation, we must attend thereunto with diligence…” This means that we are to give our undivided attention to the Word regularly. ​​In Proverbs 8:34 we read, “Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors” (Proverbs 8:34, ESV). The one who is wise will run daily to God for wisdom and nourishment. We must diligently partake of the Word of God as it is read and preached.

Next, we find the words, “preparation and prayer”. ”That the Word may become effectual to salvation we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation and prayer…”  The prayer of the Psalmist in Psalm 119:18 should be our prayer: “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” I’ll ask you this, do you pray on Saturday night, or as you come to church on Sunday morning that the Lord would speak to you through his Word as it is read and preached. Do you pray for those who minister the Word that they would speak with clarity and that God’s Spirit would move upon you and others? Do you come to hear the Word eagerly, expecting to hear from the Lord? We should, brothers and sisters. We should expect God to work through the ministry of the Word every Lord’s Day, and we should come to the assembly with our hearts and minds prepared to receive. James says, “Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21, ESV).

You know, we live in an age where Christians may scour the internet and find audio recordings of the most gifted preachers delivering the very best sermons. Beware of this, friends. Those resources are a blessing, but do not forget that God has determined to work through the ordinary — ordinary preachers reading and preaching God’s Word in an ordinary way. Come expecting to hear from the Lord, and come prepared. 

Next, we are instructed to receive the Word “in faith and love”. To receive God’s Word in faith is to receive it, believing that it is, in fact, God’s word to us, that he inspired the composition of it, and has preserved it so that when we read the Scriptures, we are, in fact, reading the Words of God. To receive God’s Word by faith is also to receive it believing that God will surely keep all of the promises that are found within. One should not expect to be blessed by the Word, nourished and strengthened, if he comes doubting, “for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord” (James 1:6–7, ESV). To receive God’s word with love is to receive it, being reassured of God’s love for us in Christ, and with love in our hearts for God. 

Next, we are to lay God’s Word up in our hearts, brothers and sisters. This means that we are to hear God’s Word, meditate upon it, cherish it, and even devote it to memory. This is what Psalm 119:11 so beautifully describes, saying, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11, ESV).

This leads nicely to the last phrase of our catechism, which is “practice it in our lives.” We are to approach God’s Word with the intention of putting it into practice. We must be doers of the Word, and not hearers only. 

Listen again to James: “Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” (James 1:21–25, ESV)

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Conclusion

The one who diligently hears God’s Word read and preached, with their heart prepared, in faith and with love towards God, with the resolve to obey what God commands, will be blessed. To approach God’s Word in this way is a very good thing. It is a means of grace for the people of God. I am afraid it is a very dangerous thing, however, to approach God’s Word in a careless manner. To come to it casually and unprepared, with unbelief and a lack of love for God, with no intention to obey what is said. Both the Scriptures and experience testify that to approach God’s Word in this careless way leads not to a blessing but a curse. The one who approaches God’s Word in this careless way will find their heart growing harder and harder with the passing of time, and not softer to God and the things of God. Let us approach God’s Word with reverence, brothers and sisters.  

Q. 95. How is the Word to be read and heard that it may become effectual to salvation?

A. That the Word may become effectual to salvation we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation and prayer, receive it in faith and love, lay it up in our hearts and practice it in our lives. (Prov. 8:34; 1 Peter 2:1,2; 1 Tim. 4:13; Heb. 2:1,3; Heb. 4:2; 2 Thess. 2:10; Ps. 119:11; James 1:21,25)

Old Testament Reading: Deuteronomy 16:1–3

“Observe the month of Abib and keep the Passover to the LORD your God, for in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night. And you shall offer the Passover sacrifice to the LORD your God, from the flock or the herd, at the place that the LORD will choose, to make his name dwell there. You shall eat no leavened bread with it. Seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction—for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste—that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 16:1–3, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 22:14-20

“And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, ‘I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, ‘Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’ And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.’” (Luke 22:14–20, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

As you may know, this is the third sermon I have devoted to the topic of the Lord’s Supper. We have been working our way very slowly through the Gospel of Luke, and in Luke 22:14-20, we learn of the institution of the Lord’s Supper by Jesus Christ. This has provided us with an opportunity to look closely at this holy ordinance. In the first sermon on this subject, we considered the Lord’s Supper, its author, and elements. In the second sermon, we considered its administrators, recipients, and timing. And in this sermon, we will consider its purpose. 

Why did Christ institute the Supper? For what purpose did he give this ordinance to his churches? What is the Lord’s Supper designed to do for disciples of Jesus? This is the question I wish to address today.

When we come to our text in Luke 22:14-20 with the question of purpose in mind, three categories emerge. First of all, the Lord’s Supper is meant to remind us of Jesus. “Do this in remembrance of me”, Christ said. Secondly, the Lord’s Supper has something to do with communion with Jesus. “This is my body”, Christ said. And the cup is said to be the New Covenant in Christ’s blood. When we eat of the bread and drink of the cup, the faithful partake of Christ and commune with him and with one another. Thirdly, the Lord’s Supper has something to do with the covenant that God has made with us in Christ Jesus. Again, Christ said, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” To eat of the bread and drink of the cup is to renew the covenant that Christ has made with us—a covenant ratified in his blood. 

To Remember Christ

The first thing to say about the purpose of the Supper is that it is designed to remind us of Christ, especially his death on the cross. 

Just as the Passover celebration observed yearly by the Hebrews was meant to remind them of the day when God brought them out of the land of Egypt (Deuteronomy 16:3), so too the Supper is designed to remind us of Jesus, especially his atoning sacrifice, through which we are saved from our sins. 

Is the Lord’s Supper more than a memorial? In other words, is it designed to do more than prompt us to remember Jesus? Yes, of course. But it is no less than a memorial. And I think we should take a moment to consider just how powerful it is to memorialize or remember Jesus.   

Brothers and sisters, we are prone to quickly forget things—even important things—yes, even Jesus. You know how this goes. Something impactful will happen to you. At first, you think about the event all the time—the memory of it naturally comes to mind. But as time goes by, the event does not dominate the mind as it once did, and the memory begins to fade. If you wish to maintain the memory of something, you must choose to remember it. Something must be done to memorialize the person or event. We do this with many things. We memorialize wedding days with anniversary celebrations. We memorialize births with birthdays. If you are like me, you record the dates that those you love passed so that you might remember their lives in a deliberate was. We experience many, many things each and every day. Very few of those events are worthy of being memorialized, but some are, given their life-shaping importance, and so we choose to remember them. 

And what is one thing that God has commanded us to remember by way of memorial in this New Covenant era? Christ is to be remembered. Christ is memorialized in the sacrament of the Supper. “Do this in remembrance of me”, is his command.  

Jesus is to be remembered by us individually. When each individual disciple of Jesus comes to the Table, they are to remember Jesus.  

And Jesus is to be remembered by us corporately. When the church assembles for worship and partakes of the Supper, it is the covenant community that remembers Jesus collectively. Paul seems to emphasize this corporate or collective dimension of the Supper when he says, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26, ESV). The eating of the bread and the drinking of the cup proclaim something, namely, the death or Christ. How do these elements, which cannot speak, proclaim the death of Christ? They do so in a sacramental or symbolic way. When we eat the bread and drink the cup a message is communicated to all who have eyes to see—Christ’s body was broken for sinners and his blood was shed to make atonement for sin. Of course, it is the Word of God and the preaching of the Word of God that fills the sacrament with its meaning. To observe the Supper without preaching or without words of explanation is highly inappropriate. Without the preaching of the Word of God and words of explanation concerning the meaning Supper, the sacrament would quickly devolve into a meaningless, superstitious, and lifeless ritual. But when the sacrament is faithfully observed and explained according to the truth of Holy Scripture, its symbolism preaches Christ crucified for us and for our salvation.   

Now, when Jesus commands us to remember him, what, in particular, does he want us to think about?  

Certainly, we are to remember the death of Christ on the cross, for that is the thing most clearly symbolized by the broken bread and the wine poured out. But I do not think our minds are to be fixed on the crucifixion of Christ alone. The significance and supreme importance of the crucifixion of Christ cannot be understood if we do not ponder the things that happened before and after, as it pertains to him. 

You know, there were two others crucified along with Christ, one on the right and one on the left. They were crucified—their bodies were broken and their blood was shed—in much the same way that Christ was crucified. We do not memorialize the crucifixions of those men (or of the thousands of others who were crucified throughout history). Why is it that we memorialize Jesus’ crucifixion, then? It has everything to do with the things that led up to and proceeded from the crucifixion of Jesus.    

When you come to the Lord’s Table, remember Christ, his death, and those things that preceded it. 

There is plenty to consider, brothers and sisters. Though the cross of Christ is at the center of the story of Jesus, it is not the whole story. 

When you come to the Table, remember God’s eternal decree to send the Son to redeem his elect. 

When you come to the Table, remember man’s fall into sin and those promises, prophecies, types, and shadows revealed in Old Testament times, which pointed forward to Christ and the salvation he would one day accomplish. 

When you come to the Table, remember Christ’s virgin birth and incarnation. How did the eternal Son of God (who is a most pure spirit, without body, parts, or passions) come to have a body that could be broken and blood that could be shed? Answer: he assumed a true human body and a reasonable soul through the virgin birth. In other words, he became incarnate for us and for our salvation. Remeber that when you come to the Table. 

When you come to the Table to remember the death of Christ, remember also his life—his teachings, his claims, his miracles, and all of the sufferings he endured. Remember all of these things when you come to the Table, brothers and sisters. 

And when you come to the Table, do not only remember those things that preceded the crucifixion of Christ, but also the things that happened afterward. Jesus died on the cross after his body was broken and his blood was shed. But we do not worship and serve a dead Savior, friends. Our faith is set on the one who is risen, ascended, and soon to return. If Jesus died on that cross but did not rise, then he would not have the power to save. And so we must remember his resurrection, his ascension, and his promise to return. 

The point is this: when Christ said, “do this in remembrance of me”, he intended for his disciples to remember him, not in a narrow way, but broadly and thoroughly. 

You might say, How can I possibly think about all of this each time that I come to the Table? 

First of all, I am not suggesting that you must think about all of these things in great detail when you come to the Table. But you ought to remember the death of Christ within the broader context of the story that is told in the Bible from beginning to end concerning him. Though the cross of Christ is central, there is much more to Jesus than the cross.

Secondly, as you remember the whole Christ, likely, some particular aspect of the story of Christ or some particular truth about him will strike you as you come to the Table one Lord’s Day, and another will strike you the next. 

Why did Christ institute the Supper? What is its purpose or design? It is intended to remind us of Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. And I am suggesting that this is very important and powerful, for we are prone to forget; we are prone to wander for the one we love. The Lord’s Table is a kind of touchstone that brings us back, again and again, to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. 

To Commune With Christ

But as has been said, the Lord’s Supper is more than a memorial. It is also a means by which worthy partakers enjoy communion or fellowship with Christ and with one another. Stated differently, those who partake of the Supper worthily and by faith do, in fact, come into contact with Jesus through the Supper. 

The question is, what is the nature of this contact? Is it physical? Do we come into contact with the physical body of the ascended Christ when we eat the Supper,  as the Romanists and Lutherans claim? Or is it spiritual, as Calvin and the Reformed have maintained? As was said in the previous sermon, we believe it is a spiritual communion with Christ that is enjoyed in the Supper.

This is what we confess in the Second London Confession 30.7. “Worthy receivers, outwardly partaking of the visible elements in this ordinance, do then also inwardly by faith, really and indeed, yet not carnally and corporally, but spiritually receive, and feed upon Christ crucified, and all the benefits of his death; the body and blood of Christ being then not corporally or carnally, but spiritually present to the faith of believers in that ordinance, as the elements themselves are to their outward senses.”

This principle that we enjoy communion and come into contact with Christ in the Supper is implied in our text when Christ commanded his disciples to eat the bread, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.’” But the key text is 1 Corinthians 10:16, which says, “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 10:16, ESV). The word participation may also be translated as communion, sharing, or fellowship. Clearly, when Christ’s disciples partake of the sacrament by faith, they do more than remember him. They also come into contact with him, spiritually speaking. In the Supper we enjoy communion or fellowship with Christ.

I understand these things were stated briefly in the sermon I preached last Sunday, but I do believe they are worth repeating. Brothers and sisters, it is vitally important that you think of the Lord’s Supper, not as a memorial only (as powerful and important as that may be), but as a means of grace—a conduit of sorts—by which the faithful come into contact with the crucified, risen, and ascended Christ. When a minister blesses the elements, the bread remains bread, and the wine remains wine (the elements do not change into anything other than the substance of bread and wine). But when the elements are blessed, these common elements are set apart for a holy use. The bread, though bread, is no longer common bread. And the wine, though wine, is no longer common wine. It is sanctified or set apart as holy. And by partaking of this holy sacrament, God’s people do “really and indeed… spiritually receive, and feed upon Christ crucified, and all the benefits of his death…” 

It is this truth—the truth that the Lord’s Supper is more than a memorial and that real communion or fellowship with Christ is experienced in the Supper—that should motivate us to come to the Table worthily. As Paul warns, “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body [that is to say, the body and blood of Christ] eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world” (1 Corinthians 11:27–32, ESV). 

What does it mean to partake of the Lord’s Supper worthily? We must partake of the Supper with faith in Christ in our hearts, humbly, having turned from known sin, and with an understanding of what it is that we are doing when we eat and drink of the holy sacrament. We must know that when we eat and drink, we are communing with, and even feasting upon, our crucified, risen, and ascended Lord. We come into contact with him through the Supper, brothers and sisters. It is no wonder, then, that the Apostle warns about the judgment that will come upon those who partake of the body and blood of Christ in an unworthy manner. These unworthy partakers make this fatal error—they eat and drink while failing to discern (to judge, see, and know) that the bread and wine are not common but holy, and that Christ is present in the elements. Those who partake of these holy things irreverently, without faith in their hearts, or while living in unrepentant sin, eat and drink, not a blessing upon themselves, but judgment. 

What is the purpose of the Supper? Why did Christ give it to his church? It is one of the primary ways that Christ communes and strengthens his people by his grace. But we must not forget that we also commune with one another in the Supper.  

Paul speaks of this in 1 Corinthians 10:17 when he says, “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” Believers commune with Christ in the Supper through their Spirit-wrought union with him, and therefore, their communion is also with one another. 

What is it that binds us together, brothers and sisters, except Christ and our union with him? Christ is the head, and we are his body. He is Lord, and we are his subjects. He is the Shepherd, and we are the sheep of his pasture. He is the cornerstone in the foundation of the New Covenant temple, and we are the living stones built up upon him. The Scriptures contain many metaphors to speak of our relationship to Christ and our relationship to one another in him. And I am saying that that communion we enjoy with one another is symbolized and experienced at the Lord’s Table. Hear the Apostle again: “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.”    

To Renew Our Covenant With Christ

So, when we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we remember Christ. More than this, we commune with him. Finally, when we observe the Supper, Christ renews his covenant with us and we with him.  

Baptism, as you know,  marks entrance into the New Covenant community. It is not a private or family ordinance. It is a church ordinance. And those baptized are ordinarily baptized into the membership of a local church. As our catechism says in Q. 101. “What is the duty of such who are rightly baptized?

A. It is the duty of those who are rightly baptized to give up themselves to some particular and orderly church of Jesus Christ, that they may walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.”

The Lord’s Supper signifies continuance in the New Covenant. Do not forget what Christ said about the cup. “This is the New Covenant new covenant in my blood.” The cup signifies the entire New Covenant. And those who partake of it are to be members of the New Covenant and partakers of its benefits. 

What is the New Covenant? It is the promise of God to forgive all who turn from their sins and place their faith in Christ Jesus. 

Jesus is not a member of the New Covenant, which is the Covenant of Grace; he is the head and mediator of it! The New Covenant, notice, is ratified in his blood! For Christ, the Covenant of Grace required work—active and passive obedience to God the Father. 

For us, the Covenant of Grace does not require work, but only faith in Christ, and even this faith is a gift from God. 

How appropriate, therefore, to have the cup symbolize the New Covenant. What did Christ have to do to make the New Covenant? He had to live and die in obedience to God the Father (John 17). And what must we do to receive the benefits of the Covenant of Grace, namely, the forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God,  and life everlasting? We must receive him; we must eat and drink of him. This is what Christ said to the crowds in the wilderness—“Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:54, ESV).

The Lord’s Supper is a covenant renewal. 

When we partake, we are reminded that we are forgiven in Christ Jesus. 

When we partake, we renew our vows to honor Christ as Lord and King.

Conclusion

Baptist Catechism 94

Q. 94 How is the Word made effectual to salvation?

A. The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching of the Word an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort, through faith unto salvation. (Ps. 119:11,18; 1 Thess. 1:6; 1 Peter 2:1,2; Rom. 1:16; Ps. 19:7)

Scripture Reading: Psalm 119:1-18

“Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules. I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me! How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes! With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word. Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” (Psalm 119:1–18, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

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Let us remember what we learned in the last catechism question before considering this one. In question 93 we learned that God often works through means. In other words, God often uses things to accomplish his purposes. When it comes to distributing to us the benefits of the redemption that Christ has earned, he ordinarily works through four things that are external to us: the Word of God, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer. These have been called “the ordinary means of grace.” This does not mean that God cannot work in our lives in other ways. He certainly can! But God has determined to work through these things. He brings his elect to faith, strengthens them, and preserves them through these ordinary means of grace. In the questions that follow, our catechism will teach us a lot more about these means of grace. We will learn about how God works through the Word, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer. Today our focus is on the Word of God. 

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Baptist Catechism 94

Again, the question: How is the Word made effectual to salvation? The answer begins like this: “The Spirit of God maketh… the Word an effectual means…” 

This will be a constant theme as we consider these means of grace. How do they become effective? How do they get the job done in bringing sinners to repentance and faith, in sanctifying God’s people, and in enabling them to persevere? The Spirit of God makes these ordinary things effective.

You know this, don’t you, that many will hear the word of God proclaimed, but only some will believe it? What makes the difference? Is it the skill of the preacher? Is it the inherent goodness or lack thereof of the hearer? No, it is God who makes the difference. In particular, it is the Spirit of God who makes the difference by opening blind eyes and unstopping deaf ears. The Spirit makes the Word an effective means of salvation. This is why Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44, ESV). And how does the Father draw sinners except by his Holy Spirit? 

So it is the Holy Spirit working within the minds and hearts of men and women who makes these ordinary means of grace effective. And notice that our catechism teaches that the “Spirit makes reading, but especially the preaching of the Word an effectual means…” I think it is right that our catechism mentions both the reading and the preaching of the word as a means of grace, while at the same time giving priority to the preached word.  

You should read your Bibles, brothers and sisters. You are blessed to have copies of the Holy Scriptures translated in your native tongue and accessible in your homes. That is a great blessing. Read the Scriptures, friends. But do not forget that the vast majority of God’s people did not have this privilege. How then were God’s people in times past (or in other places in the world today) fed with God’s word? Answer: They assembled together with God’s people to hear the Scriptures read and preached. 

Pastors are given to the church by Christ, and one of their primary responsibilities is to read the Scriptures to the congregation. Paul wrote to Timothy, saying, “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture…” (1 Timothy 4:13, ESV). I wonder, brothers and sisters, do you listen intently to the Scriptures when they are read? It is God’s word! We should listen intently! 

But Pastors are also to preach the word. They are to proclaim it, teach it, and apply it to the congregation. Listen again to Paul’s words to Timothy: “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.” (1 Timothy 4:13, ESV). In another place, Paul says to Timothy, “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Timothy 4:1–4, ESV).

So the word of God is to be read aloud, and it is to be preached, and“The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching of the Word an effectual means” unto salvation.  Are you eager to hear the word preached, brothers and sisters?

Finally, notice what the Spirit of God does within God’s elect when the Word of God is faithfully read and preached. 

He convinces sinners.

He converts sinners.  

He builds those converted up in holiness.

He builds them up in comfort.

Those converted are built up in holiness and comfort “through faith.”

And all of this is “unto salvation.”  

*****

Conclusion

Let me conclude with three points of application. 

One, if we wish to see sinners come to faith and repentance, we must preach the word of God. 

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16, ESV)

Two, if we wish to grow in Christ, being built up in holiness and comfort, then we must listen to the word read and preached.

Three, if the word is to benefit us at all, then we must come to it in faith, which is itself the gift of God. Prepare your hearts to hear God’s word, friends. Pray that the Lord would increase your faith as you come to hear the word read and preached each Lord’s day. 

Q. 94 How is the Word made effectual to salvation?

A. The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching of the Word an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort, through faith unto salvation. (Ps. 119:11,18; 1 Thess. 1:6; 1 Peter 2:1,2; Rom. 1:16; Ps. 19:7)

Old Testament Reading: Exodus 24:1–11

“Then he said to Moses, ‘Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. Moses alone shall come near to the LORD, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.” Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do.” And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the LORD. And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.” Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank.” (Exodus 24:1–11, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 22:14-20

“And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, ‘I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, ‘Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’ And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.’” (Luke 22:14–20, ESV)

*****

Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

This sermon is a continuation of the one I preached last Sunday. Given the extreme importance of the Lord’s Supper to the New Covenant community, we are taking some time to consider this Holy ordinance as we consider its institution as reported by Luke.

In the previous sermon we addressed the question, who is the author of this ordinance? The author and originator is the Lord Jesus Christ. He instituted the Supper as he celebrated the Passover with his disciples, on the night he was betrayed, the night before the day of his crucifixion. Christ Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper and commanded that it be observed throughout the New Covenant era, that is to say, until he returns (see 1 Corinthians 11:26).

And in the previous sermon, we also addressed the question, what are the elements to be used when celebrating the Supper? In brief, bread and wine. In my opinion, the wine should be red. And my preference is that it be unleavened, though I would not charge anyone with sin if they chose to use unleavened bread. According to Christ, the bread and wine signify his broken body and his shed blood. Indeed, the cup signifies the entirety of the New Covenant that Christ instituted and mediates. When communicants eat the bread and drink the cup, the substance they consume is bread and wine. And yet we confess that Christ is really present in the elements, not in a fleshly way, but in a spiritual sense. We must take care to discern the body of Christ, therefore, and approach the Table worthily, knowing that it is not common bread or common wine that we partake of, but bread and wine set apart for a holy use. When God’s people partake of these elements by faith, they do actually partake of Christ and enjoy communion or fellowship with him, and with one another. .  

All of that is review. Today, I wish to address these questions: Who is to administer this ordinance, and how? Who is to receive this ordinance, and how? And when is this ordinance to be observed? I’ve left the last question, What is its purpose, end, or goal?, for next Sunday.  

Who Is To Administer This Ordinance And How? 

To answer the question, who is to administer or serve the Lord’s Supper, we must start with our passage in Luke wherein the Supper was instituted and trace things from there. 

It was the Lord Jesus Christ who first administered or served the Supper. It was Christ who first broke the bread and distributed the cup, saying, “Do this in remembrance of me”. 

And to whom did Christ speak when he uttered this command? Notice very carefully, it was not to a natural family that he spoke. Under the Old Covenant, families, or households, were to observe the Passover feast. Sometimes, multiple households would join together to eat the meal if the families were small. Households were observing the Passover throughout Jerusalem on the night that Christ was betrayed. But who was Christ celebrating the Passover with? His twelve Apostles. It was to the Apostles that he spoke when he served the bread and cup of the Lord’s Supper and said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” It should be clear to all, therefore, that the Lord’s Supper is not an individual or a family ordinance. It is a church ordinance, for the Apostles are the foundation stones of the church (see Ephesians 2:20)! 

And sure enough, as we trace the Lord’s Supper through pages of the New Testament, we find that it was administered within the church. And by church, I do not mean the catholic or universal church. That church is invisible now. It cannot assemble presently, and so the Lord’s Supper cannot be administered there. No, the Supper is administered within local churches. It was observed by the Christians assembled in the cities of Jerusalem, Corinth, and Thessalonica, etc.     

Let us quickly trace the progression. 

Christ gave the Supper to the Apostles and said, “Do this in remembrance of me.”

Later, he commissioned his Apostles, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18–20, ESV). This is the very thing they did. After the Holy Spirit fell upon them, the Apostles preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8, ESV).

And what did those who were converted and baptized do? Acts 2:42 says, “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42, ES). Here, the breaking of bread refers to the observance of the Lord’s Supper. 

We see more evidence of this in the Book of Acts. In Acts 20:7, we hear Luke say, “On the first day of the week [Sunday], when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight” (Acts 20:7, ESV).

And this chain of transmission is made very clear in the words of the Apostle Paul to the church in Corinth, saying, “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me’” (1 Corinthians 11:23–24, ESV). So then, Paul the Apostle received this ordinance from the Lord, and he delivered it to the church in Corinth to be observed by them perpetually. 

And so it is within every local church down to this present day. The ordinance of the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Apostles, who then commanded the churches they planted to administer the Supper until Christ returns. 

Who is to administer or serve the Lord’s Supper? The church is. The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance given to local churches. And who, in particular, is to administer the Supper within local churches? Ordinarily, pastors or elders are to preside over and administer the Supper. 

This becomes clear when one considers that after the extraordinary offices of Apostle, Prophet, and Evangelist ceased, spiritual authority was left in the office of pastor or elder. This progression can be seen in Ephesians 4:11-12, which says, “And [Christ] gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ…” (Ephesians 4:11–12, KJV). And this progression is witnessed in the book of Acts in passages like Acts 14:23: “And when they [Paul and Barnabus] had ordeined thẽ Elders by election in everie Church, and praid, and fasted, they commended them to the Lord in whom they beleved” (Acts 14:23, GB). What did the Apostles and Evangelists do in the days of the early church? They planted churches through the preaching of the gospel, and they appointed elders in those churches by the election of the people. It is no wonder, then, that Paul the Apostle listed qualifications for the office of elder (and deacon) in his letters to the Evangelists, Timothy and Titus. This was a crucial aspect of their job. They were like church planters. And they were to entrust the work of the ministry to faithful men who would carry the work forward. And what would these elders do except devote themselves to the ministry of the word, prayer, and the pastoral oversight of the church? Connected with the ministry of the word is also the administration of the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, these being visible words or signs ordained by Christ. 

Consider the way that Paul speaks of his work as an Apostle, and of the work of pastors, by way of extension. In 1 Corinthians 4:1, he says, “This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.”

Interestingly, our confession cites 1 Corinthians 4:1 as a proof text for the statement made in 2LCF 28.2, regarding baptism and the Lord’s Supper. “These holy appointments [baptism and the Lord’s Supper] are to be administered by those only who are qualified and thereunto called, according to the commission of Christ. (Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 4:1).”

And listen to what Matthew Poole says about 1 Corinthians 4:1: “The apostle here gives us the right notion of the preachers of the gospel; they are but ministers, that is, servants, so as the honour that is proper to their Master… belongeth not to them; they are ministers of Christ, so have their primary relation to him, and only a secondary relation to the church to which they are ministers; they are ministers of Christ, and so in that ministration can only execute what are originally his commands, though those commands of Christ may also be enforced by men… They are also stewards of the mysteries of God, such to whom God hath committed his word and sacraments to dispense out unto his church. The word mystery signifieth any thing that is secret, but more especially it signifieth a Divine secret, represented by signs and figures; or a regious secret, not obvious to every capacity or understanding… Ministers are the stewards of the mysterious doctrines and institutions of Christ, which we usually comprehend under the terms of the word and sacraments.”

Ordinarily, the Lord’s Supper is to be administered in local churches by those ordained to the office of pastor or elder in those churches. As a bit of an aside, I will add that I do believe that under unusual circumstances, in the case wherein a church finds herself without elders for an extended period of time, she may appoint a Gifted Brother, that is, one who has the gift of teaching, who has been approved by the church to preach (licensed to preach), to adminster the Lord’s Supper, so that the church is not left without her spirtual food for a prolonged time. I would argue the point like this: The members of a local church have a right to eat of the Supper. In fact, the Lord Jesus Christ has commanded us to eat the Supper.  Ordinarily, it is to be administered by the elders of the church. But in the absence of elders, a Gifted Brother may be appointed to administer the sacrament so that everything is done decently and in order. This man will have met the character qualifications of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. He will have been recognized by the congregation as having the gift of teaching. And given that the sacraments are appended (attached, or added) to the Word as visible signs (as Calvin says,” But as the sacraments are connected with these mysteries as appendages, it follows, that those who have the charge of administering the word are the authorized stewards of them also.”), then one who has been approved to administer the Word of God may also, under unusual circumstances and for a limited time, be approved to administer the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The argument is from the greater to the lesser. If a man has been approved by the church to administer the higher, converting ordinance, namely, the preaching of the Word, then he may, for a time, be approved to administer the lower, sanctifying ordinance that Christ has added or appended to the Word, namely, the Lord’s Supper. As you may know, our association of churches has had to wrestle with this question recently, as we presently have two churches without elders. I’m not claiming that this is the position of our association or all the churches in our association, but I do know that others share this opinion, and it is my opinion. Finally, I do believe that our confession is worded in such a way to leave room for this view, when it says, “These holy appointments [baptism and the Lord’s Supper] are to be administered by those only who are qualified and thereunto called, according to the commission of Christ” (2LCF 28.2). 

Who is to administer the Lord’s Supper? The local church is. And, ordinarily,  it is the elders who are to administer the Supper. Now I ask, what are those who administer the elements to do? They are to follow the pattern established by Christ when he first instituted the Supper. Those who administer the Supper are to take the bread, bless it, break it, and distribute it to the disciples. And likewise, the cup is to be blessed and distributed so that all may drink of it. You will find many different opinions within the church and the history of the church as to how exactly the bread and the cup are to be distributed. Are the people to be served, or are they to come forward? If they are served, by whom? Some would say, the deacons. What should the posture of those who partake be? Should they stand, kneel, or sit? Consider this: the disciples of Jesus were likely reclining on the ground at a low table when they partook of the elements. And should the members drink from a single cup, or one that has been divided? These questions, in my opinion, though not unimportant, may be answered by each congregation according to the light of nature. What matters is that the elements be served according to the general pattern established by Christ and in an orderly way so that the worshiper is not distracted from the Lord.

Who Is To Receive This Ordinance And How?

We have answered the question, Who is to administer or serve the Lord’s Supper, and how? And now we turn our attention to the question, Who is to receive this ordinance, and how? The answer to this question may seem obvious to you, but it is not obvious to all, and so teaching is needed. If you were to survey Evangelical churches today and ask them the question, Who is to receive the Lord’s Supper?, you might be surprised by what you hear.  

Let me ask you, are little children to be given the Supper? Are those not yet baptized to be given the Supper? Are those who are unbelieving to be given the Supper? The answer to all of these questions is no. And yet this is precisely what is done in many churches today. It is not uncommon for the Supper tp be distributed indiscriminately to all who happen to be present. This is contrary to the Scriptures. 

To whom is the Supper to be served? 

One, not to little children. 

The Passover was given to little children. But the Lord’s Supper is not the Passover. The Passover was to be celebrated by Hebrew families from generation to generation. It was used to teach about their shared history of redemption from Egypt. But the Lord’s Supper was not given by Christ to an ethnic people. It was given to his disciples, that is to say, those who professed faith in him. Just as the New Covenant is not made with an ethnic people or with families, neither are the sacraments of the New Covenant given to an ethnic people or families. The sacraments of the New Covenant belong to those of whom the symbolism is true. Who is to be baptized? Only those who have made a credible profession of faith and appear to the church to have been united to Christ by faith, washed in his blood, and raised to new life. And who is to partake of the Supper? Those who have, in fact, eaten of Christ with the mouth of faith. 

As you may know, it is very common in Evangelical churches for the Lord’s Supper to be given to little children. I would encourage those who think that this is an appropriate practice to consider two things:  

One, consider again the command of that the Apostle delivered to the Christians in Corinth:  “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself” (1 Corinthians 11:28–29, ESV). To examine oneself is to test the genuineness of one’s heart and profession. To discern is “to make a judgment on the basis of careful and detailed information—‘to judge carefully, to evaluate carefully.’” Ask yourself, are little ones capable of doing these things? The answer is no. 

Two, consider the relationship between the two Sacraments and the order of the Great Commission. Baptism marks entrance into the covenant community and is to be given once, near the beginning of the Christian life, after a person repents and professes faith in Jesus. The Lord’s Supper marks continuance in the covenant community. It is a kind of covenant renewal. If Baptism may be compared to a wedding, the Lord’s Supper may be compared to an anniversary celebration. My point is simple. Baptism is to be applied first, and then the Supper is to be given.  And this order is perceived in the Great Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19–20, ESV).

Many Evangelicals will not give baptism to their infants or children, but wait until they make a credible profession of faith. That’s good and right. But strangely, some will give the Lord’s Supper to their children before their conversion and baptism. This is backwards and highly inappropriate (even sinful). 

Ironically, most Presbyterian and Reformed paedobaptists do not give the Lord’s Supper to their little ones. They wait for a credible profession of faith. This is good and right. But they are inconsistent in their administration of the Sacraments when they baptize their infant children and withhold the Supper. There are some who practice paedobaptism and paedocommunion. These are doubly wrong, but at least they are consistent! They rightly see that those who have the right to receive Baptism then have a right to come to the Lord’s Table.  

Dear friends, in brief, the Lord’s Supper is not for the unregenerate and unbelieving. The Lord’s Supper is for believers. It is to be given to those who make a credible profession of faith, have been baptized upon profession of faith, and are walking worthily (they are living in sin, divisive, or disorderly—see 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14-15; 1 Corinthians 5:9-11; Titus 3:10). This is what we confess in 2LCF 30.8: “All ignorant and ungodly persons, as they are unfit to enjoy communion with Christ, so are they unworthy of the Lord’s table, and cannot, without great sin against him, while they remain such, partake of these holy mysteries, or be admitted thereunto; yea, whosoever shall receive unworthily, are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, eating and drinking judgment to themselves.”

Stated even more succinctly, the Lord’s Supper is to be given to those who are members in good standing of a true and orderly church of Jesus Christ. There is no single passage of Scripture that you can point to to prove this (the Scriptures are not written like a church constitution or polity manual). But when all that the Scriptures have to say regarding Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, church membership, and church discipline is considered, this is what the Scriptures teach. The Lord’s Supper is for believers. It is for those who have been baptized in the church upon profession of faith. It is for those who walk worthily within the church, in obedience to the commands of Christ. The Lord’s Supper is not for the world, and neither is it for professing Christians who are walking in a disorderly way (see again 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14-15).

How are disciples of Jesus to parake of the Supper? Answer: By faith, with hearts prepared, with the confession of sins, in humility, and with much thanksgiving.

When Is This Ordinance To Be Observed?

The last question that I wish to address today is, When should the Lord’s Supper be observed? 

Interestingly, Christ did not speak clearly about the frequency of the observance of the Lord’s Supper when he instituted it.  “Do this in remembrance of me”, he commanded. And when Paul spoke of the observance of the Supper, he was not clear either, saying, “In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:25–26, ESV).

Throughout the history of the church, there have been differences of opinion concerning the frequency of the observance of the Supper. Some have observed weekly, others monthly, some quarterly, and some yearly. 

It seems to me that the first Christians observed the Supper week. Acts 2:42 says, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42, ESV). In Acts 20:7, Luke says, “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight” (Acts 20:7, ESV). In brief, it seems that the church observed the Supper when they assembled to worship on the Lord’s Day Sabbath. Again, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42, ESV). 

Conclussion

There are many points of application to be drawn from this sermon. I wish to highlight three: 

One, though the pastors and elders of a local church indeed have a primary responsibility to administer the Lord’s Supper and to fence the Lord’s Table, the entire church must take an interest in seeing to the proper administration of this ordinance. The Lord’s Supper belongs not to the elders but to the church. Yes, those who hold the office of elder are to serve the Supper, but elders are ministers or servants. We are servants, first and foremost, of Christ, and secondly, of the members. Though not every member is qualified and called to serve the Supper, every member should be eager to see the Supper faithfully administered and served. 

Two, we must be diligent to prepare our minds and hearts to partake of the Supper. Those who advocate for a less frequent observance of the Supper (monthly, quarterly, yearly) often do so because they wish to encourage preparation. I say, prepare weekly. 

Three, I wish to speak to the young people in our midst who are emerging into adulthood, who have not yet been baptized and who, therefore, do not partake of the Supper.  I must urge you to turn from your sins and to place your faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And if, when I say that, you think I have! Then I must urge you to be baptized and then to come to the table. I know that one of the things that holds young people back is a fear of professing faith in Christ in front of other people. This is something you must do.  As Paul says, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame’” (Romans 10:9–11, ESV).