Affirming Baptism Sermon Series - Christian Reformed Church

1 1 S e r m o n/ W o r s h i p S e r i e s S u g g e s t i o n s * * * A f f i r m i n g B a p t i s m a n d F o r m i n g F a i t h Prepared by Howard Vanderwell Faith Formation Committee These suggestions for liturgy and preaching are intended to follow the outline of material provided by the Faith Formation Committee in its document Affirming Baptism and Forming Faith . Our intent is to aid congregations in providing a well-rounded ministry to facilitate a more effective formation of faith in the life of the entire congregation. A Series of services and messages would be a very fitting way to raise the awareness of a congregation on these matters, enable them to think through practices that easily become routine, and to facilitate intergenerational worship. In addition, new life and vitality would be infused into customary practices.

2 We are suggesting six possible sermons in this Series to cover the major areas. Each pastor will obviously modify this plan to fit her/his own preaching plan and the needs of the congregation. The ideas given here are only starters, and titles and content of sermons will be crafted by each pastor. The six areas are: The Gift of Faith The Sacraments and Sacramental Practices Baptismal Identity Affirming Baptism Throughout Life Profession of Faith The Lord s Supper For each section, the following are provided: Sermon starters some ideas and passages that can provide the beginning of sermons in Series for the pastor to develop. 2 Confessional references passages from the Belgic Confession, Heidelberg Catechism, the Canons of Dort, and Our World Belongs to God are provided. [note: references to Our World Belongs to God , OWBTG, are from the 2008 edition] Committee document references - o ABFF refers to the document of the Faith Formation Committee entitled Affirming Baptism and Forming Faith o A Practice of Christian Unity refers to a five-lesson Series of Bible Studies on I Corinthians 11.

3 [Note: both of the above documents are available on the web at ] Supplementary Scripture passages - these support the preaching passages and can be profitably used in the liturgy. Liturgical resources are available in The Worship Sourcebook, Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Faith Alive Christian Resources, and Baker Books. Song suggestions from the following sources [ note abbreviations used]: PsH The Psalter Hymnal, CRC Publications. SNC Sing! A New Creation, Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Faith Alive Christian Resources, and Reformed Church Press. SNT Singing the New Testament, Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Faith Alive Christian Resources. SWM Sing With Me, Faith Alive Christian Resources. CS Contemporary Songs for Worship, Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Faith Alive Christian Resources. 3 1.

4 The Gift of Faith: Sermon Starters When God Opens A Heart, Acts 16:11-15 Where does faith come from? Why is it that some people believe and some do not? Some may claim that everyone naturally has faith if only they learn to exercise it. Others claim that anyone can get it if only they want. But the brief story of Lydia teaches us that faith is a gift from God through his Holy Spirit. The natural sinfulness of the human heart requires the divine work of God s Spirit to implant the ability to believe. While she listened to Paul teach the Word ..the Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul s message. (Acts 16:14) We learn there are four key elements in this faith-giving process: (1) speaking the message of God to others, (2) calling them to respond to the message, (3) God s work of opening their heart, and (4) the willful response of listeners. Such a viewpoint includes huge implications.

5 Those who believe see the ability to respond as a gift from God. They are marked by joyful thanks to God. They understand the vital importance of the Word of God in their lives as the means through which the Spirit stirs faith, and also the importance of spiritual disciplines through which faith is nurtured. Faith and Unfaith, Mark 9:14-24; Luke 8:22-25 When I was young, I was vaccinated against certain serious diseases. My parents were told the protection was permanent; no repeated shots were necessary. I wish my faith were that way once given, always permanent, no repeated work necessary. But it s not that way at all. Faith, rather than static, has a very dynamic life to it. Sometimes strong and vital; sometimes weak and failing. The father of the boy-with-a-spirit was honest about the fact that belief and unbelief resided side by side within him.

6 (Mark 9:24) He needed support and nurture so that belief would overcome the unbelief or his son might not be healed. The disciples found themselves in a similar state during a Sea-of-Galilee storm. When Jesus rebuked them with, where is your faith? (Luke 8:25) he did not intend to say that they were without faith, but rather to point them to the fact they must take the faith they had been given and exercise it, applying it to the perilous circumstances they were facing. They had an unexercised faith. 4 Much of the success, and failure, of our lives can be explained on the basis of whether our faith is exercised or dormant, nurtured or starved. The heart of Christian ministry in the Church is to nurture God-given faith that it might overcome our unbelief within. Faith Formation Commmittee Document: ABFF Prologue: Discerning Faithful Sacramental Practice in Contemporary Culture Confessional References Belgic Confession, Belgic Confession, H.

7 Catechism, , Q/A 20-23 H. Catechism, , Q/A 59-61 H. Catechism, , Q/A 65-68 Canons of Dort, III-IV, Supplementary Scriptures Matthew 16:17-20 Mark 9:17-24 Luke 15:6-11 Luke 17:1-6 John 3:34-36 John 6:43-47 Acts 16:113-15 Romans 10:5-15 Ephesians 2:8-10 Hebrews 12:1-3 Song Suggestions Father, We Give You Thanks, Who Planted PsH 314 I Sought the Lord, and Afterward I Knew PsH 498 Jesus Loves Me PsH 571 My Soul Finds Rest in God Alone PsH 62 I Love the Lord, for He Has Heard My Voice PsH 116 And Can It Be PsH 267 My Lord, I Did Not Choose You PsH 496 Spirit of God, Who Dwells within My Heart PsH 419 When Peace like a River PsH 489 Faith Begins By Letting Go SNC 172 You Are My Hiding Place SNC 180 5 In God Alone SNC 187 Through It All SNC 189 Want to Walk as a Child of the Light SNC 77 I Love the Lord - SNC 227 Take, O Take Me As I Am SNC 215 We Give Thanks for Our Salvation SNT 147 Open Your Hearts SWM 175 God s Path SWM 189 In Christ Alone CS 20 Jesus, Draw Me Ever Nearer CS 21 6 2.

8 The Sacraments and Sacramental Practices: Sermon Starters Much More Than Ears, Acts 8:36-38, I Corinthians 10:14-17 During his ministry, Jesus reminded people that those who have ears must be careful to hear well. (see eg. Mark 4:9 et. al.) It is true that the ears are often the primary way in which God speaks to us. The proclamation of his word comes to us through our ears. Paul tells us that believing comes through hearing (see Romans 10:14). While it is true that God s primary means of communicating the Gospel to us is through the process of speaking and hearing, the sacraments are supplements which communicate with us through each of our other senses. With our eyes we see the water and font, the bread and cup, the breaking and pouring. With our sense of touch we feel the water on our skin, we hold the bread and cup, and take them into our mouth.

9 Our taste buds receive the bread and taste the juice. Even our smell is involved in the eating and drinking though we re usually not as conscious of it. This totally sensory communication that is involved in the sacraments ought to shape how we approach the sacraments. Our planning of the liturgy should be careful to give room for each sense; our partaking should be cognizant of each. When we do this, then we can sense more than ever how, in the sacraments, we are actually participating in Christ and all his benefits. Soul-Food , John 6:41-59 Though there is some disagreement about whether John 6 intends to be addressing the sacrament, the majority viewpoint is that the Lord s Supper is certainly in view here. Some find these words to be strange because of Jesus statements about eating his flesh and drinking his blood, especially when he says My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.

10 (see ). This calls for some careful theological thinking to avoid, on the one hand, the transubstantiation that our confessions reject, and, on the other hand, to retain our awareness that we really are partaking of Christ . The Belgic Confession (Article 33-35) has very helpful insight for us with regards to both sacraments. God has chosen to add the sacraments to the Word of the gospel to better confirm in us the salvation he imparts to us. ( ) In , the Confession says that as believers, we have two lives within us. Both of those lives require careful nurture. Our 7 physical and temporal life, which we have from birth, requires support and care through earthly and material nurture. Our spiritual and heavenly life, which belongs uniquely to believers, is nurtured by Jesus Christ who is the genuine bread from heaven. Christ instituted the Lord s Supper for this purpose.