Covenant Theology: Part 11

Show Notes

Rev. Scott Wright

Adult Sunday School

What is Redeemer Church Sermons?

We exist to exalt, proclaim, and treasure the Lord Jesus Christ that He may have devoted followers throughout the world. A congregation in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) located in Hudson, Ohio.

Speaker 0: You're listening

Speaker 1: to an adult Sunday school class at redeem Church, a Pc congregation in Hudson Ohio io. For more information, visit us at redeem Ohio dot org.

Speaker 2: Of in a community, what does that mean for me? Well, it means tremendous privileges, but it also means solemn responsibilities. And the God the spirit can use that to draw a person to Christ. It's a means of grace. Dick so what's happening?

Why has shift? This believer Yeah. The, the shift and believers baptism, Think that is the prevailing view. Majority of evangelical is. And I don't know why the shift.

Because historically, the vast majority of churches baptized their covenant children. If you look at it historically. But in the last hundred and a hundred and 50 years maybe, I'm obviously, it's been believers baptism. I don't know. Not sure why.

Part of it might be anti intellectual. We don't under stand the whole council of God because I do think infant baptism requires an understanding of covenant theology, you know, my baptist friends with whom I talk, they see a more of a disc continuity between the old and new than we would. They would say that this this covenant with Abraham was made with Abraham himself, but I say, well, he's the father of all who believes I believe. He's my father, and they would somehow do exe energetic gymnastics to get around that. I'm not sure.

Rob? About what? Oh, yes. Yeah. Well, that's matthew 03:25.

And that's true. And Matthew 7 is the 1 where he says I never knew you, but there also he says depart from me you cursed. Right? So So what's interesting there is that the king, Jesus is is sentencing those people for the sins of o mission, not necessarily sins of mission. See the far he's avoided the sins of commission.

Never were murdered, never stole never adultery, but they didn't realize sins of o mission. You didn't do the things you're supposed to do. So, yeah, it's a prison. It's a real prison. We should be going to the prisons and visit these people.

We should be feeding the hungry as Christians. Right? But you don't have to do all things at all times I mean, there's lots of christians to take care of these things and many people in our churches are doing them. In your place in calling, what got us led you to do do what you can to love your neighbor. There are what we call moral proximity.

You ever heard of moral proximity. We've talked a little bit about that that you have, like concentric circles in your life of responsibility. And the immediate circle for you is your wife. That's the closest morally pro approximate, where how close are they to you. The second circle is your are your children?

You have to take care of your children. If you don't care of your own, you're worse than an believer. Right? The next circle, we can debate on what that circle is, church family, relatives, but it's... These people are close to you.

Your next door neighbor. Your community members, you know, people in Africa. Now that's way out there. You have some responsibility, but it's very little because you can do very little to help them. You might send a check or go visit them on a short term missions trip or something.

But these concentric circles are it's called moral proximity, Who is who is closest to you and who do are you most responsible for? Right? On that? I'm not sure where I would... I'd have to think about that, but it's a good question where I can lead you for that material.

I'm not even sure where I what we Yeah. It's it's it's an important idea. I didn't know we read about it. I'll I'll think about that. But...

Yeah, Good question. But these are ways to figure out our responsibilities. And so, you know, some people will say, well, I'm I'm responsible for the person in the undeveloped world who hasn't heard the gospel, and they get all worked up about those people and yet they're neglecting their family. And it which is crazy. Right?

Or they're neglecting your relatives or whatever the case may be. Okay? Okay. So the to the neglect the covenant sign of ci decision was to break the covenant or to be cut off. That's how serious it is.

Very important. 1 of the body's parts is appointed to as a representative of the hole. It's what we call a s you know, Cleveland won the Super Bowl never happened. But next year go next year. It's always next year.

Cleveland is used to represent the team. Right? Or many hands made the lunch. So the hands represent the people who made the lunch. It's a s.

So 1 of the body parts, you're ci sizing the fore skin, that's appointed as a representative of the whole person, cut off. It confirmed the covenant pointed forward to the sacrifice of Jesus, of chorus. In him, you also also, you were ci sized with a ci decision made without hands. By putting off the body of the flesh by the ci of Christ, his death is called a ci decision being cut off. He was cut off from the land of the living.

So ultimately, ci pointed forward to Jesus being cut off at the cross. And by that ci, all believers are saved. By that baptism remember. He said, I have a baptism to go through. So he calls it both a ci and a baptism, further linking the 2.

He went through that baptism. Those flood waters of judgment and he was cursed. For us. Peter's baptism now saves you. Christ this cup is a new covenant.

These are sent... This is a s where it's a apart represents the whole baptism is the sign that represents salvation, which is huge. All of life. You're justified, you're adopted, you're san, you're glorified. Here we go, mary Alice, True ci decision is a matter of the heart that by grace is cons to the covenant Lord.

It's a matter of the heart, by the spirit, not by the letter. So ci vision is meant to represent the outward sign represents an inward grace. Lord Willing. The spirit will accompany the sign with his grace. When we ba baptized those infants Lord willing, the Lord's gonna call them by his grace.

That's our hope. That's our prayer. We labor for that. We teach with that in mind. We preach for that end, and only he can open the heart.

We're powerless and helpless. There's nothing we can do other than pray. Mind comes to salvation. It signifies union with Christ and his ci vision, his crucifixion, It means dying to sin, putting off the old man and living for righteousness, putting on the new man. Ci was a way of vow of cons concentration, signify your entrance into the covenant with God, and the person was distinguished, And I mean the place in the status of disciples ship, you become a cycle.

And again, like it or not, the child was disciple. He was a good disciple and he was a bad disciple. No other way about it. It's like that for thousands of years in the old testament. It's been like that for thousands of years in the new testament.

2000. Yeah. Any questions on, wait a minute 1 more son. It was not an infallible sign. He saw a symbolize ultimate ex decision right there.

He was ci sized. Didn't believe. Cut off. Any closer was a question? Don?

Speaker 3: Yeah. What you talk about 3 gonna talking about commitment. The baptism among the old testament. Is there any baptism in the old testament? When talking

Speaker 2: Yeah. The question is was there any baptism in the old testament. There were ritual washing, you know, the priest had to wash, and they had the bowl, the basin. But that didn't occupy the same position that ci did as a science seal of the covenant. Not everybody was washed.

But see, with the new nuke with the new covenant, what we had to do, God found a sign and see that was no longer bloody because the sacrifice once for all was made, no need for a buddy sign. And 2, he wanted to sign to be worn by all of his people, male and female alike, whereas on the old testament, the male is the lead of the family was the 1 who bore the sign. Yeah. And this is trans continental trans cultural, you can take baptism anywhere. Rob?

Speaker 1: Is that justification

Speaker 3: just

Speaker 2: Well, I think, the question is the slicing the animals and taking their blood and so forth is that the justification for our pouring or sprinkling and baptism. Partly. I think, yeah, when the priest sprinkles the blood on the holy place, the most holy place, the people, the utensils. It's such them apart. And also, I think there's a better way to signify how the washing of the holy spirit in regeneration.

You know, the washing of the work of the holy spirit and titus 3 or titus 3, I think. So, yeah. I mean, immersion. They they get that from this idea in Romans 6, I think where you're... You go down with him and and death married.

Buried and risen again right. But I think theological, the idea of pouring or sprinkling represents work of the holy spirit better. And Baptism ti, the word used for baptism is used for washing cups and pots and copper pans and couches. Now how many of us would immerse our couch to wash it. I'm not sure many people do that.

You know, I think what even with large pots. I I pour. This is getting kinda detailed, but I'm a good dish washer. I can't do anything else in the kitchen, but I can wash dishes. Washer Okay.

So Sacramento Union, there is what we call a sac union between the sign and the things sign. Now this union, and this is a very difficult concept to garrett at grasp, but this union between the sign and the things sign is so close that the names and the effects of 1 are often attributed to the other. Sign So this is my covenant, Genesis 17, in which you shall keep between me and you and your offspring after you every male among you shall be ci size. Notice. He's saying ci is the covenant.

How can that be? The covenants already may. He's made the promise. He's ratified with those animals sliced. What he's doing is showing that there's a sac union.

There's a things sign here in this right of ci. Cutting off the fore skin, it's so closely united to the things sign justification in Christ, the righteousness of Christ. They're so close that scripture is often comfortable calling the 1 by the other. Look at this. Back, which corresponds to this.

Now saves you what? How does baptism save you, Peter. Haven't you heard about Luther? No. The idea is that the things sign, basically, salvation in Christ is so closely united to the sign baptism.

The scriptures comfortable using the name of the 1 for the other or the effects of the 1 for the other is a very serious thing. We know that you're not saved by baptism. But here Peter is showing that so close is the sign and the thing sign that sometimes scripture is comfortable using the 1 for the other. Now it's a very difficult concept to grasp. Jesus gave it to the disciples and said take it, this is my body.

All kinds of debate over what this means. Right? Is it the physical body of Christ? Is his body in with or under the elements? Does it represent Christ?

The idea is that it is representing Christ, and the... There's such a close union between the supper and the the nourishment in Christ that scripture comfortable. Jesus is comfortable using the name of the 1 for the other. The Roman and Lutheran churches understand it to be a literal identities when Jesus Christ said, this is my body they insist that it means the bread is his body. You gotta eat his body.

You still to the wine you gotta lick it up. They've had instances where priests have lick up from the floor, the wine when it's spilled because that is his blood. Reformed tradition understands it to mean this represents sac, my body. It's than a mere representation. It represents sac.

And this gets back to Colin question, I think. There's something so significant about these rights that if you get it wrong, it's a false church. Right? We say the true church is identified by word and sac. You get this wrong, you're not even at your church.

And so it's very significant how we do these rights that Jesus has given to us to signify and to see all the covenant to God's people. There is more happening at that sucker than you and I think. Something very supernatural, and mysterious and yet true and real is going on in that right. We are spiritually nourished by the spirit enabling us to commune with Christ. So God takes up this material element, this bread and temporarily unites it with divine element, grace.

That bread, we used to give it to the kids out to the service intentionally to show people, hey, It's just bread. Right? But when it's set apart and used in the public worship of God, It becomes more than bread. It becomes a means of comm with Christ, and you take that bread and you grind that between your teas and you think affectionately about the crucifixion of Christ. Jim?

Speaker 3: Can you give some examples of how churches get this?

Speaker 2: Well, I don't wanna appear pom us because, you know, I think they are wrong, but they look at it on the 1 hand, as if it's nothing more than a remember it's I think that's an error. I think it's well intention. I think they're sincere. But I think it's an error because something more happening here. This is the this is the cup of blessing, right?

For Corinthians 10. It's a cup of blessing, Not just remembering. So So those who think of it as a mere memorial, I think are erroneous in terms of it's not enough. And those who go the other extreme, this is the body of Christ. It it misunderstand the whole sac union aspect that Jesus is not...

Were they feeding on Christ's body when they were sitting at the last supper? No. He was with them. They weren't munch on his arm or anything. What's not his body literally.

He's saying there is a sacramento union. So these 2 extremes you know, we find in churches all around us. And hopefully, we're somewhere in a nice balance. Rob? We do it every week because we believe that it is what Jesus says it is.

And if it is, what he says it is, why wouldn't we wanna do it as often as we can? X 02:42, the... They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the breaking of bread, which is another way of saying the Lord's supper. Devoted them selves to it. If you devote yourselves to it, that means you're doing it as often as you can.

We do it once in a while. Once a quarter, I think. We've done that for people who aren't able to get there in the morning. We do we do it only because we've done it on the Lord's Day. Mh.

We sense okay. This is a continuation of our worship in the evening, and it's a little more informal shorter. Yeah. Marie?

Speaker 0: 2 questions leaders for

Speaker 1: of

Speaker 0: don't and this creates and very. Yeah. And then second, this idea that you're teaching Leads to a lot of error in relics, icons in this staying down with something there isn't there at all.

Speaker 2: Right? Yeah. That's why we... The question is with Rolex and icons and so forth. We say there's only 2 sac.

And the authority of Christ is required to identify something as a sac. Instituted by Christ. Now, you know, obviously, the second command and mil against any kind of relic or icon or... But some people have gone so far as they say, well, washing a feet. You know, Jesus washed his to disciples feet.

So we're gonna make that a sac, but there's no indication in scripture that it's a sign and seal of anything. He was just giving us an example of humility that we serve 1 another. It's a marvelous passage, but it's not a sac. So 1 of these other things that they would say is sac, there's no biblical proof. You have to have biblical proof.

Lauren?

Speaker 1: Because of the Craig sacrifice, we view ci decision differently today, of course. So would you say that the important?

Speaker 2: Not at all. Hygiene. That's it. Has no significance whatsoever. No red d historical significance, no religious significance or it should not.

Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean, I.

Speaker 2: Yeah. No. It has none. Yeah. Good question.

K?

Speaker 4: Back to certain and acts 15 that's so... I wanna struggle with that. I'm like, if I would read now, I, be bad doesn't be safe and they give these 3 things that I don't frankly totally understand. Yeah. I understand.

So show more morality...

Speaker 2: Strangled of the blood?

Speaker 4: No. Is that... Can we say that that was, like, just heavy on that church that.

Speaker 2: Yeah. You're right. Because you

Speaker 4: try to apply that? It's like they don't need certain wouldn't be saved but they need these 3 other things.

Speaker 2: Well, they didn't see that. Yeah. They didn't see need to be saved. What they did was because it was a transition period and think of it for thousands of years. Jews and gentile files were distinct.

These were gentile dogs just to welcome them in as fellow heirs in the covenant was just mind boggling. So they understood this difficulty and they were trying to smooth the transition. So that's what they were doing. Look, this is nothing more than this gen piles, let the strong, help the week. These Jewish brothers are having a hard time.

If you eat meat with the blood in it, they're gonna have a real difficult time. Let's do this for the sake of unity. You know? So that's what they were doing, But they did say un qualified. No need to be ci sized.

That was hammered out and it's clear. And, of course, sexual immoral morality, you know, it was so rampant, especially among gentile, they just wanted to remind them. This is not good. This is wrong. So I don't think they were saying in any way that, okay, you and I were bound by these 3 things or be cut off.

That's not what they were saying. Yeah. It was a transition period. Very difficult. And know we ever talk about prejudice you know, and Prejudice is terrible wherever it's found, and we have a lot of work to do in our culture, but let's face They had even more work could do.

I mean, it was rampant Jews and gentile. Remember Peter got trouble for even eating with Cornelius, going into his house. Wow. Because of the sovereign holy spirit's activity and influence, it's made official to the elect, the sac in this way, the sac event effectively conveys the grace. Ultimately, it's the holy spirit who makes it.

I'm trying to remember. Well, anybody have any questions? I don't wanna keep going. We're getting close to the time, Rob? I asked theresa Yeah.

The question is why is the sac? 1 of the things that makes a church true or false. Is that is that fair? Yeah. Well, you have to identify a true church somehow.

And if you boil it down to its bare minimum, obviously the word. It's the gospel paul. That's what makes the church. The truth of Christ, the knowledge of Christ and the gospel proclamation. If that is true, then that which signifies it and seals it is equally important.

Right? If if this is what's gonna be used to seal that to believers. God wants 2 things. He wants his promise and his oath to encourage you. He knows our weakness.

He wants us to be encouraged and be assured, if the promise is important, the sign and seal of that promise is equally important. So I think what they've determined is that the word in sac or what we have to have to have a true church. Now, and it's not even the belief. I mean, we can debate all day long, whether or not a church who administer the Lord's supper, it doesn't think much of it, if it's a true church. But if they administer it correctly according to the words of Jesus.

Well, the right administration is what we're looking for. There plenty ministers who don't believe a word they're saying. But they're doing it right. So we'd say it's a true church with a false minister. You know?

Does that make sense?

Speaker 1: Yes. I'm

Speaker 2: Right. Right. Yeah. Yeah. It doesn't matter what they're congregation, Thanks.

It's what the church intends, what it teaches. Yeah. 1 more question, Rob. You mentioned the blood just to clarify. I like my hamburgers nice and red.

Speaker 1: I was like part of

Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah. And part of it was the the pagan nations would drink blood because they thought there was efficacy in the blood. If you're a really wise man and you died, we drank your blood because I become wise. That all that kinda weird stuff.

Yeah. Okay. Well, let's pray. Father, we thank you for the time we've had. And we're grateful for these marvelous sac that you've appointed, and we pray that you'll help us to grow continually in understanding and appreciation of them.

And that you'll be with us today as we worship as we hear your word and as we partake of the Lord's supper. We pray this in Jesus name. Hey god.

Speaker 1: Thank you for listening. For more information or to connect with us. Visit us at redeem Ohio dot org.