What We Believe About: The Sacraments a webinar with Pastor Mike Henry New Hope Open Bible

What Is a Sacrament? Sacrament = Public display of devotion to God, utilizing symbols of a spiritual reality Baptism Communion Laying on of Hands

What Is Baptism? Baptism = to soak, to let the water permeate, saturate every part of you Two parts (two sides of the same coin): Symbolizes death to the old lifestyle Symbolizes a pledge of a good conscience to God Baptism is a public acknowledgement of repentance, which has two sides as well: Turning away from sin Turning to God

Who Can Be Baptized? Because baptism is a public pledge of repentance and devotion to God, we do not baptize infants Infants, however, can be dedicated to God by parents or guardians We baptize anyone who wants to make a public profession of devotion to God An interview with the pastor is necessary

What Is Communion? Also known as the Lord’s Table or the Eucharist Instituted by Jesus Christ as the last foods he ate and drank before his crucifixion. In a ceremonial fashion, he passed out the bread and the wine and said, “Do this in remembrance of me” The Apostle Paul wrote that, when we take part in the Lord’s Supper, we “proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

What Is It About? According to Jesus… The bread represents his body, which was broken for us The wine represents the new covenant in his blood The new covenant was promised through the prophets, one that would write God’s law on people’s heart instead of on tablets of stone Communion acknowledges our acceptance of the new covenant that Jesus established by his death on the cross

Who Can Take Part in Communion? We practice open communion, which means it is open to everyone who wants to acknowledge their acceptance of the new covenant establish by Christ

Laying on of Hands There were many uses of laying on of hands in the Bible Preparing sin offerings Setting people apart to ministry Blessing children Healing All of these have to do with acceptance. They are public displays of our embrace of people (or offerings) in the name of God

When and How Do You Do It? The Bible says to be wise in the laying on of hands, implying that some are not receptive Usually, it is performed by a religious leader who places a hand or hands on the other person’s head or shoulder. The Laying on of Hands must be directed by the Holy Spirit and can be used to perform Healings Consecrations Blessings