Planting the Flag: Why God Gave Us Sacraments
In Week 2 of While I Breathe, I Hope, Pastor Mark Boettcher took us to 1 Samuel 7:12, where Samuel sets up a stone after Israel’s victory over the Philistines and names it Ebenezer — “stone of help” — saying, “Till now the Lord has helped us.” That stone is where the message of Planting the Flag begins.
The Scripture Behind Planting the Flag
After years of losing battles to the Philistines, Israel repents, and God delivers them in a single, decisive moment. Samuel marks the victory not with a monument to himself, but with an ordinary stone between Mizpah and Shen. The stone itself wasn’t significant — what it pointed to was. Every time an Israelite walked past it, or a child asked “why is this here?”, the answer was the same: this is where God helped us. That’s the whole idea behind Planting the Flag.
Sacred Because of Its Significance
The core truth of Planting the Flag is this: something becomes sacred not because of what it is, but because of what it points to. A stone is just a stone — until it becomes a marker of God’s faithfulness. In the same way, Jesus gave the church two sacraments — communion and baptism — as tangible reminders of His saving work. When we take communion, we remember that Jesus’s body was broken and His blood was shed for us, that our debt is paid in full, that we have a future and a hope. When we’re baptized, we’re declaring that our old life is dead and buried with Christ, and we’ve risen into new life with Him.
We Are Forgetful
Here’s the honest turn in Planting the Flag: we need these physical reminders because we are forgetful people. We misplace our keys and our phones — and we also forget the vows we made to a spouse, the promises we made to our kids, the commitment to walk away from an addiction. We forget where we’ve placed our hope, and when we do, the enemy moves in to whisper lies: you’re not good enough. Are you really a follower of Jesus? Communion and baptism exist because we need something we can point back to.
Baptism Is Planting the Flag
Baptism is the picture at the center of this message: it’s a public declaration that says, while I breathe, I hope. Pastor Mark shared a story from a missionary serving in a Muslim-majority community overseas, where believers who get baptized are often shunned by their families and communities — sometimes made homeless — simply for declaring their faith publicly. That’s the weight behind Planting the Flag: you can say you believe, but baptism is where you go all in, no exceptions, the same way a hunter isn’t a hunter without buying the tag and doing the work.
Next Steps After Planting the Flag
- Get Baptized. If you’ve never been baptized, or you know it’s the step you’ve been putting off, this is your invitation.
- Take Communion. Set aside time this week to remember what Jesus has done — His body broken, His blood shed, your debt paid in full.
- Join a Life Group. Planting the flag isn’t a one-time moment — it’s remembered and lived out in community.
- Start Serving. Part of becoming who you’re created to be is discovering the way God has gifted you to serve His church and this city.Â
Did you like the message, Planting the Flag? If so, check out more of our Sunday teachings here.