In this ninth installment of the "Basics of the Faith" sermon series, Pastor Drew Webb examines the two ordinances instituted by Jesus Christ: baptism and communion (the Lord's Supper). Unlike the Roman Catholic tradition's seven sacraments, which teach that sacred rites impart saving grace, the Protestant understanding recognizes only two ordinances commanded by Jesus in Scripture. This message explains the theological distinction between sacraments and ordinances, emphasizing that salvation comes through grace alone, by faith alone, rather than through participation in religious rites.
The sermon traces the biblical foundation of baptism from its Old Testament foreshadowing in Noah's flood and 1 Peter 3:20-21, through John the Baptist's baptism of repentance in Luke 3:3, to Jesus' own baptism in Matthew 3:13-17. Pastor Webb explains why believer's baptism, also called credobaptism, requires that faith precede baptism, and why immersion rather than sprinkling reflects the biblical meaning of the Greek word baptizo. He also addresses the history behind the King James Version's translation choices regarding the word "baptize," and contrasts believer's baptism with infant baptism, or paedobaptism, practiced in many other Christian traditions.
The second half of the message explores communion, tracing its origins from Melchizedek's presentation of bread and wine to Abraham in Genesis, through the Passover meal in Exodus 12, to the Last Supper in Matthew 26:26-28. Pastor Webb outlines three historical views of the Lord's Supper: transubstantiation, consubstantiation, and the memorial view, and explains why most Baptist and evangelical churches hold to the memorial view, in which the elements represent Christ's body and blood rather than becoming them. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 11, the message closes with practical guidance on approaching communion with unity, reverence, and honest self-examination. This teaching is part of a broader sermon series designed to help believers understand foundational Christian doctrines, including salvation, baptism, and the Lord's Table, from a biblically grounded, grace-centered perspective.
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