Ordination on SermonAudio

This sermon explores the theological foundation of corporate worship, arguing that the cross of Christ is the central reason believers gather on Sundays. Drawing from Hebrews 12, the message emphasizes that Christians should approach God with reverence and awe, recognizing Him as a consuming fire while simultaneously enjoying the assurance of salvation. The discourse outlines specific means of worship, including the public reading of Scripture, the preaching of the Word, and the observance of ordinances like baptism and communion. These practices are presented not as mere rituals, but as essential responses to God's redemptive work and a way to proclaim the gospel. Ultimately, the sermon calls the church to offer acceptable worship that glorifies God and strengthens the community in faith.

Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 30

Sermon Start Time: 1:00:55 Love, Feed, Follow: An Ordination Charge Given by Greg VanCourt From John 21:15-19

The sermon examines the abuse of the Lord's Supper in the Corinthian church, where social divisions and selfishness undermined the gospel message of unity in Christ. It argues that such factions deny the oneness of believers and defile worship, contrasting the Corinthian behavior with the biblical call to prefer others and maintain scriptural order. The teaching emphasizes that the ordinance is Christ-centered, serving as a remembrance of His sacrifice and a proclamation of His death until He returns. By referencing the regulative principle of worship and the eschatological hope of the future kingdom, the message urges the congregation to receive the Supper with reflection, thanksgiving, and a conscious awareness of their shared identity as the body of Christ.

Worthy receivers, outwardly partaking of the visible elements in this sacrament, then also inwardly by faith, really and indeed, yet not carnally and corporally, but spiritually, receive and feed upon Christ crucified, and all benefits of his death: the body and blood of Christ being then not corporally or carnally in, with, or under the bread and wine; yet as really, but spiritually, present to the faith of believers in that ordinance, as the elements themselves are, to their outward senses.

This sermon examines the theological foundations of water baptism by contrasting the positions of paedo-baptism and credo-baptism. It argues that the church is a distinct entity separate from Israel, rejecting the notion that the New Testament church is merely a continuation of the Old Covenant community. By analyzing household baptism texts in Acts, the message demonstrates that faith and repentance consistently precede baptism, supporting the practice of believer's baptism. The sermon emphasizes that baptism is an outward sign of an inward change, serving as a public profession of faith rather than a means of salvation. It concludes with a pastoral call for believers who have not yet been baptized to obey Christ's command as a foundational step of discipleship.