The sacraments or ordinances given by God and instituted by Christ, namely baptism and the Lord’s Supper, are visible signs and seals that we are bound together as a community of faith by his death and resurrection. By our use of them the Holy Spirit more fully declares and seals the promises of the gospel to us.
For 28 years, I had the privilege of serving with a group of godly elders. A strong bond in Christ was forged with each of them as we partnered in the gospel together. I recall that about 3 years into my ministry I was asking, ‘What are elders called to do? What should be on our agenda when we meet?’ I’ve learned many churches ask the same questions. At that point our elders dug into Scripture to have a better understanding of our calling. I found our meetings were often inundated with agenda items that seemed to be more operational...
