THE GOSPEL & THE GATHERING

Does singing matter? Absolutely! The Bible contains over 400 references to singing and more than 50 commands to sing. As Christians, we are a singing people. God Himself sings, Jesus sang at the Last Supper, and Paul instructs the early churches to sing. Singing is a powerful expression of worship, and corporate singing is a gracious gift from God designed to strengthen our faith and trust in Him.

Psalm 96 invites us to explore the profound question: “What are we doing when we gather together and sing?”

Main Point – Sing to the Lord who saves!

Outline: Four Aspects of Corporate Singing
We sing to worship (v. 1).
We sing to instruct (v. 2).
We sing to witness (v. 3).
We sing as a response (vv. 4–5)

Study Questions
1. Why is singing so important in our worship? What are some reasons we might feel reluctant to sing?
2. Search for passages in the Old and New Testaments that encourage God’s people to sing. What common themes or purposes do you notice?
3. How does our singing serve as instruction? Why is this important? What are the implications of this?
4. In what ways is our singing missional? Why does this matter?
5. Why is singing a gospel issue?
6. How can you cultivate intentional and worshipful singing in your home, gospel community group, and church?

We often fall into the trap of viewing corporate worship as little more than a burdensome duty or an item to check off our weekly to-do list. There may even be the temptation to treat it as an event designed for entertainment or as a consumeristic experience where we evaluate what we “get out of it.” However, when we open the Scriptures, we find a radically different perspective. The Bible portrays corporate worship not as a mundane task or a show to be consumed, but as a profound privilege—a divine conversation between God and His people.

This concept is powerfully illustrated in Nehemiah 8–9. Nehemiah, the governor of Judah following the exile, leads the returned remnant in rebuilding the city walls of Jerusalem amidst great opposition. After this physical renewal of the city, we see in these chapters a spiritual renewal as God works through His Word to restore the hearts of His people.

In Nehemiah 8, the people of God come together, unified by a hunger for His Word. Ezra the scribe stands before the assembly and reads from the Book of the Law, explaining it so that the people understand. This moment highlights the centrality of God’s Word in worship, as His truth convicts, instructs, and transforms. Then, in Nehemiah 9, we see the people respond in a collective prayer of confession, worship, and adoration. Through these two chapters, we are reminded of the conversational nature of worship—God speaks to us through His Word, and we respond to Him in prayer and praise.

Main Point
Corporate worship the privilege of conversing with our Creator.

Outline

1. God speaks to us through the preaching of His Word (Nehemiah 8:1–10).
2. We respond to God through corporate prayer (Nehemiah 9).

Study Questions

1. In Nehemiah 8, the people’s desire for God’s Word precedes their instruction from it. How can you cultivate a heart that hungers for and delights in God’s Word?
2. What do you believe about the power and authority of Scripture? Discuss this using other passages of the Bible to support your conclusion.
3. Based on your understanding of Scripture’s power, why is it important to sit under preaching that carefully unpacks (exposits) God’s Word? Reflect on how expository preaching at RHC or other churches has helped you grow spiritually.
4. Nehemiah 9 offers us a glimpse into the elements of corporate prayer. What themes or components (such as adoration, confession, thanksgiving, or supplication) do you observe in this prayer? Can you identify similar patterns in other parts of Scripture? Do you weave these patterns into your personal prayer life?
5. Do you have a regular practice of engaging in corporate prayer that includes confessing sin and celebrating God’s grace? How might this rhythm impact your group?
6. What are the implicit and explicit benefits of corporate prayer? How does it shape both individuals and the church as a whole?
7. Describe the comfort we should have in knowing that Jesus is praying over us as our risen High Priest?

Why do we take the Lord’s Supper? Does it matter? Does anything happen when we take it? It does matter… it is worship!

Jesus gives it to us as an ordinance in Luke 22, at the time of the Passover just before he is betrayed and crucified. He invites us into the new Passover, celebrating the real Exodus of God’s people and points us towards the final Banquet.

Main Point – Taking the Lord’s Supper Is Worship

Outline: Four Aspects of Corporate Singing

1. Worship by recognizing the forerunner of the Table (v14-17).
2. Worship by remembering figures of the Table (v. 19-20).
3. Worship by responding in fellowship at the Table: (1 Cor. 11:17-34, 1 co 10:16-20
4. Worship by recognizing the foreshadow of the Table (Luke 22:18, Rev 19:9).

Study Questions
1. Define worship. In what way are the ordinances (baptism and the Lord’s Supper) worship?
2. Jesus says in v15 he “earnestly desired” to have the Passover with his disciples. This is effectively his last act with him before he goes to the cross. Why would he say this? How is the Passover connected to what he is about to do? Is there an example for us to follow?
3. RHC’s bylaws show a tint towards the belief that something spiritual beyond “normal” happens when we take the Lord’s Supper, though there is freedom in this! Where do you fall? Does it matter which it is?
4. We fellowship with one another and with Christ when we partake. This is the essential element in the Lord’s Supper. Where do we see this in Scripture? How is this ordinance unifying both locally and globally? Is it encouraging to know that other Christians of old worship as we do?
5. How can you apply Revelation 19 to your life today? How can it help you worship now?
6. What other passages of Scripture speak into the imagery of the table?

Seeing the Gospel: The Significance of Baptism

When we gather as the church, we come to sing the gospel, speak the gospel, and see the gospel. One way we see the gospel is through the ordinances—visible, symbolic acts given by Jesus to His church to display His saving work. These are not just church traditions; they are gospel reenactments instituted by Christ, taught by the apostles, and practiced by the early church. We’ve already considered the Lord’s Supper. We return to this theme with a focus on the second ordinance: baptism. Our passage, Colossians 2:11–14, guides us in understanding why this visual proclamation of grace is so vital.

Baptism raises important questions: What is really happening when someone is baptized? Why immersion? What does it mean to witness someone else’s baptism? And why should it matter if you’ve already been baptized? These questions are worth asking because baptism isn’t just a ceremony—it’s a gospel declaration. My aim isn’t merely to give information but to stir your heart to worship and obedience by showing how baptism visually expresses the glorious reality of our union with Christ and the immeasurable grace we’ve received through Him.

Paul is writing to a young church vulnerable to false teaching—teachings that added legalism and mystical practices to the gospel and made believers doubt that Jesus is truly enough. Paul counters these errors by pointing them to what has already happened in Christ: through faith, they have been united to Him. Baptism displays that union—it is a sign that we belong to Jesus, that we have been buried with Him in death and raised to new life. It echoes spiritual circumcision—not a physical act, but the supernatural work of God cutting away sin and giving us a new heart. The painful sign of circumcision pointed forward to the cross, where Jesus was cut off for us.

This is why baptism matters for every believer. It’s not about going through a ritual; it’s about declaring, “I belong to Jesus.” And the best picture of that is immersion—being buried beneath the water and raised up again. That image, repeated throughout the New Testament and practiced in the early church, reflects the gospel more clearly than sprinkling ever could. Baptism marks our entrance into God’s family, our embrace of Jesus, and our assurance that our sins have been nailed to the cross. If you haven’t been baptized as a believer, what’s holding you back? And if you have, celebrate it—remember your rescue, rejoice in the gospel, and ask God to show you who you might lead to that same step of faith.

Main Idea – Baptism is the Visual Expression of God’s Immeasurable Grace that Marks us as Members of His Family.

Outline –

1. The Message of Baptism
2. The Mode of Baptism
3. The Marking of Baptism

Study Questions

1. Read the four paragraphs that comprise Chapter 29 of the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith. You can find them HERE. What stands out to you in this confessional statement? What questions do you still have regarding baptism?
2. What is an ordinance and why does they matter to those who follow Jesus?
3. What other passages in Scripture help give you an understanding of baptism and it’s connection to Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection?
4. Have you embraced Jesus by faith and publicly identified with Him through believer’s baptism? If not, what is keeping you from doing so?
5. How does your baptism remind you of your union with Christ—His life, death, and resurrection—and how should that shape the way you live today?
6. Who are you praying will come to faith in Jesus and be baptized?
7. Are you able to defend believer’s baptism by immersion from the Scriptures? Are you able to be charitable with faithful believers who may disagree?

For further study on the significance of believer’s baptism and why we do not practice infant baptism, we recommend this helpful sermon by John Piper, available HERE