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Emmaus is a Reformed Baptist church in Hemet, California. We are a community of Christ followers who love God, love one another, and serve the church, community, and nations, for the glory of God and for our joy.
Our hope is that you will make Emmaus your home and that you will begin to grow with us as we study the scriptures and, through the empowering of the Holy Spirit, live in a way that honors our great King.
LORD'S DAY WORSHIP
10:00am Sunday Mornings
12:15pm Sunday Evenings
In the Emmaus Chapel at Cornerstone
26089 Girard St.
Hemet, CA 92544
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Sunday School For Adults
9:00am to 9:45am most Sundays (Schedule)
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43430 E. Florida Ave. #F329
Hemet, CA 92544
The Realm is our church's online network. We use this tool as our primary means of communication. Be sure to check it often and don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
Interested in becoming a member? Please join us for a four-week study in which we will make a case from the scriptures for local church membership and introduce the ministries, government, doctrines, and distinctive's of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church.
Learn MoreEmmaus Essentials classes are currently offered online Sundays at 9AM. It is through our Emmaus Essentials (Sunday School) that we hope to experience an in depth study of the scriptures and Christian theology. These classes focus on the study of systematic theology, biblical theology, church history, and other topics practical to Christian living.
An audio teaching series through the Baptist Catechism aimed to instruct in foundational Christian doctrine and to encourage obedience within God’s people.
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At Emmaus we believe that God has given parents, especially fathers the authority and responsibility to train and instruct children up in the Lord. In addition, we believe that God has ordained the gathering of all generations, young to old, to worship Him together in one place and at one time. Therefore, each and every Sunday our children worship the Lord alongside their parents and other members of God’s family.
Learn MoreEmmaus Reformed Baptist Church is committed to the fullfilment of the Great Commision given by our Lord when he said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV), through the planting of local churches, both at home and abroad.
Mar 23
19
“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.’ A voice says, ‘Cry!’ And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’ All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:1–8, ESV)
“Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” (Luke 1:1–4, ESV)
Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Today we begin our consideration of the Gospel According To Luke. I’ve always appreciated this Gospel, but my love for it has grown tremendously over the past couple of months as I’ve had the opportunity to study it in greater depth than before. I very much look forward to engaging with it week after week and presenting its rich content to you Lord’s Day after Lord’s Day as we assemble together in Jesus’ name.
I trust that we will be very blessed to consider anew and afresh the person and work of Jesus Christ and the implications of his finished work not only for you and me and all who are united to him by faith but for all of God’s creation, for by his victory Christ has earned peace – peace in heaven, peace on earth, and peace with God the Father for all who are united to him by faith. This peace is enjoyed by all who have faith in the Messiah now in part, and this peace will be enjoyed by us in fullness when Christ returns to make all things new.
Why did Christ come, according to Luke? Well, this question can be answered in a variety of ways. But Luke seems especially concerned to demonstrate that Christ, by his victory over sin, Satan, and death, has brought peace – peace in heaven, peace on earth, and peace for all who are cleansed from their sins and reconciled to the Father through faith in him. Again I say, this peace is present now in part, but not in full. It will be present in fullness when Christ returns to make all things new.
Consider, briefly, the emphasis that is placed upon “peace” in Luke’s Gospel.
When Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, prophesies after being struck with muteness for time, he says that Christ has come “to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:79, ESV).
When the angels sang praises to God before the shepherds in the field they said, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14, ESV). You will notice that they pronounced peace on earth, not universally, but upon those with whom God is pleased.
In Luke 19:38 Jesus enters Jerusalem to shouts of praise from the people. We call this episode the “triumphal entry”. And what do the people proclaim? They shout, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38, ESV). Peace in heaven? What does this mean? Well, in Luke’s Gospel, we see clearly that Christ came to secure peace, not only on earth but in the heavenly realm too. This he would do by winning the victory over Satan and destroying his kingdom.
In Luke’s gospel, we hear Christ say, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18, ESV). Christ repeatedly casts out demons to demonstrate that he has won the victory over Satan’s kingdom and that the kingdom of heaven has arrived with power (Luke 11:20). He speaks of disarming the Evil One so that he might plunder his house (Luke 11:21ff.). You see, when Adam fell by bowing the knee to Satan, Satan was given authority over this world for a time. He ruled the nations and kept them bound in darkness. But when Christ came and obeyed God the Father as the last Adam, that authority was taken away from the Evil One and given to Christ. Satan was barred from heaven as the accuser of the brethren. His heavenly authority over the nations was taken from him and given to Christ. And this is why the kingdom of God is now able to spread to all nations. We will need to consider these things as we come to them in the text. For now, I want you to know that Christ secured peace in heaven by defeating the Evil One through his obedience to the Father’s will. Satan was bound at Christ’s first coming, “so that he might not deceive the nations any longer…” (Revelation 20:3, ESV). He was cast out of heaven so that he could no longer accuse the brethren (as he did in the days of Job), and so that he could no hold the nations in darkness and idolatry (as he did from Adam to Christ) (Revelation 12:7ff.). To put it simply, there is peace on earth now in part, and there will be peace on earth in full when Christ returns because Christ has won the victory in the heavenly realm. The Evil One has been cast down from heaven to earth. He is active still, but he is bound and defeated enemy. At the end of time, he will be cast into the lake of fire forever and ever.
Christ, through his victorious life, death, and resurrection, has secured peace in heaven and peace on earth (for those with whom he is well pleased). It is no wonder then that Christ greeted his disciples in this way after his resurrection: “As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, ‘Peace to you!’” (Luke 24:36, ESV).
As I have said, there are many themes present in the Gospel of Luke that we will be blessed to consider in the course of this study, but the theme of peace – peace in heaven, peace on earth, and peace to all who are united to Christ by faith – does seem prominent. Christ has come to give peace to all of those given to him by the Father. This peace is ours now in part. It will be ours in full in the new heavens and earth, which Christ has earned through his obedient life, death, and victorious resurrection.
The full title of this book is “According To Luke”, or we might say, “The Gospel According To Luke”.
Gospel means “good news”. When we speak of the Christian gospel we mean the good news concerning the salvation that Jesus Christ has earned for all who believe in him. The gospel of Jesus Christ can be presented very briefly, as you know. But I would like to draw your attention to the way in which Luke presents the gospel. He does not present it briefly, but very carefully, at length, and in great detail. And the same can be said of the other gospels – Matthew, Mark, and John. These four Gospels are not brief accounts of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and of the salvation that he has earned. No, they are very carefully crafted, thorough, and detailed accounts. Each one in their own way seeks to demonstrate that Jesus is the Messiah who was promised long before.
Brothers and sisters, we ought to be prepared to present the gospel of Jesus Christ succinctly. There are different ways to do this. We can tell the story of redemption in the terms of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation. Or we can present God’s law, demonstrate that we are all guilty by nature because we are lawbreakers, and then hold forth Christ as the righteous one who has atoned for sin, proclaiming that there is salvation found in him, received by faith alone. But I think we should also be able to speak of the gospel in depth and detail. If we wish to grow in our understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ, then we had better pay careful attention to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, for in these writings we find divinely inspired accounts of the life of Christ, his person and work, and the victory he has won for all who trust in him, through his obedient life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection.
Who then was Luke? Well, let us first say who he was not. He was not one of the twelve Apostles of Christ. And neither does it seem that he was an eyewitness of Christ’s life, death, or resurrection. No, to write this Gospel he had to investigate those who were eyewitnesses, as we will soon see.
So who was he? We know that he was a close traveling companion of Paul the Apostle. The book of Acts, which was also written by Luke, makes this clear. In Acts 16:10 he begins to use the word “we” instead of “they” to describe Paul and his traveling companions, indicating that he was present with them. And Paul sends greetings to others on behalf of Luke in Philemon 24, 2 Timothy 4:11, and Colossians 4:14, making it clear that Luke was with him. In Colossians 4:14, Paul refers to Luke as “the beloved Physician”. Luke was a Doctor and was probably very useful to Paul as such. Luke was a Gentile. In fact, he is the only Gentile author of a book of the Bible.
Though Luke was not an Apostle, he was very close to Paul, who was. Something similar can be said of Mark, by the way. He was not an Apostle, but he was very close to Peter the Apostle. So then, in this way, all four Gospels are backed by apostolic authority. Matthew and John were Apostles of Christ. Mark was closely associated with Peter. And Luke was closely associated with Paul.
One more fact about Luke: Given the large size of the books of Luke and Acts, he is responsible for writing about a quarter of the entire New Testament. Both Luke and Acts come from his hand, and they should be considered together as two parts of a united work.
Let us now briefly consider the audience of Luke (and of Acts). To whom was Luke writing? At the end of the day, we must say that Luke wrote his Gospel and his account of the Acts of the Apostles for the church. He wrote to those who love God and who believe that Jesus is the Messiah in order to strengthen their faith. But notice that both of his works are dedicated to someone named “Theophilus” (Luke 1:3, Acts 1:1).
We don’t know much about Theophilus. Some believe that he was not really a person, but that the name, which means “lover of God”, is meant to stand for all who love God. If this is true, then Luke and Acts are simply dedicated to all of God’s people. But I think it is better to view Theophilus as being a real person, whether or not this was his real name.
In Luke, he is called “most excellent Theophilus”. The title, “most excellent”, was reserved for those who possessed power, prestige, or authority. For example, in Acts 26 Paul addresses a man named Festus, a Roman official, as “most excellent Festus”. That Theophilus is called “most excellent” leads me to believe that he was a real person, and probably someone of wealth and status. Given his name, it is likely that he was a Gentile and not a Jew. Perhaps he had converted to Judaism as a “God-fearer”, and afterward came to believe that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the long-awaited Messiah. It is also possible (maybe probable) that Theophilus was the patron or benefactor of the Luke/Acts project. Writing the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles would have been very expensive. Luke would have needed support to live and travel while working on this project. Parchment in those days was expensive. Viewing “most excellent Theophilus” as the one who funded this project makes perfect sense. This would explain why Luke dedicated the work to him.
In summary, it is my view that Theophilus was a real person, probably a Gentile Christian, and a wealthy supporter of Luke and his writing projects. But in saying this, I think it is also right to view Theophilus as a representative of all who love God as he did. Luke dedicated his work to Theophilus, his benefactor, and he wrote for the benefit of the whole church of God.
So, we have considered the title, the author, and the audience of this Gospel. Let us now consider Luke’s stated purpose for writing. Authors do not always state their purpose for writing in a direct way. When they do, we should pay careful attention to what they say. In 1:4 Luke says that he wrote so that Theophilus (and all who love God and Christ along with him) “may have certainty concerning the things [they] have been taught” (Luke 1:4, ESV).
So then, Luke wrote to Theophilus with the assumption that he had heard the gospel of Jesus Christ and that he had believed in that gospel. Perhaps Theophilus had heard the gospel presented orally. Or perhaps Theophilus had read one of the other accounts of the life of Christ that Luke mentions in 1:1, saying, “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us…” This could be a reference to one of the other Gospels we now have in our canon. It seems likely, though, that Luke is referring to “narratives” produced by others, not inspired by the Holy Spirit, nor approved by the Apostles, and therefore, not accepted and preserved by the church. However the good news came to Theophilus, we know that Luke wrote to further strengthen his faith and to confirm the message that he had already heard so that he might believe beyond all doubt.
Luke’s purpose statement reminds me that the gospel of Jesus Christ is not just for the non-believer. No, the gospel is for the believer too. The gospel must be preached to the non-beliving world so that sinners might turn from their sins and place their faith in Christ. But those who have believed must hear the gospel again and again. And we must consider the gospel with more and more care and depth so that we might grow in our understanding, appreciation, and certainty concerning the things that God has graciously done for us in Christ Jesus. I’m reminded of Paul’s exhortation to the Colossians. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly”, he says (Colossians 3:16, ESV). We come to believe in Christ through the preaching of the word of Christ. And all who believe in Christ have the word of Christ in them. But we are to go on to maturity – the word of Christ is to dwell in us richly!
Luke presents the story of Jesus Christ, his person, work, and reward to us in a very rich way. I have no doubt that Theophilus greatly benefited from Luke’s work when he received it. Certainly, the church throughout the ages has benefitted from this Gospel. And I’m confident that the Lord will use his inspired word to strengthen our faith as well so that we might have greater certainty concerning the things we have been taught.
How then did Luke go about producing this Gospel so that Theophilus (and all who love God along with him) might “have certainty concerning the things [they] have been taught.” In other words, what was his method?
As I have said, Luke was not an Apostle nor was he an eyewitness to the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. To write this Gospel, he had to interview those who were.
He mentions his dependence upon eyewitness testimony at the beginning of Luke and Acts. In Luke 1:1 he says, “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus…” (Luke 1:1–3, ESV). And in Acts 1:1 Luke says, “In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:1–3, ESV).
Luke does not write the Gospel of Luke or the first half of Acts from personal experience but as an investigator who had “followed [these] things closely for some time”. Luke bases his account of the life of Christ on the testimony of many witnesses. He investigates those who walked with Christ in his life, witnessed his death, and saw him in his resurrection. There is a sense, therefore, in which Luke’s Gospel is a group project. It is a carefully ordered collection of the testimony of many eyewitnesses.
By the way, is interesting to think about Luke’s process of writing as it pertains to the topic of the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures. We confess that all Scripture is inspired by God. We agree with Peter who said, “that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20–21, ESV). And we agree with Paul who said, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…” (2 Timothy 3:16, ESV). This certainly includes Luke’s Gospel. The Gospel of Luke is inspired Scripture. But it must be admitted that God has inspired the writing of Holy Scripture in different ways. Some writers of Holy Scripture saw visions. Some dreamed dreams. Some heard the voice of the LORD. Some wrote inspired oral traditions that were handed down to them. Others wrote in their study as they contemplated Scriptures previously written. But God moved Luke to write what he wrote through the process of investigation. “It seemed good to [him]… having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account… for… most excellent Theophilus…” (Luke 1:3, ESV). In this way – through the process of investigation – Luke was moved along by the Holy Spirit to write what he wrote so that what we have is not ultimately the word of Luke, but the very word of God.
I want you to notice something interesting in 1:2. Luke does not only say that “eyewitnesses” delivered these truths to him (and to others). He also refers to them as “ministers of the word”. Also, at the beginning of verse 2, he says that these were with Christ “from the beginning”. So then, Luke wrote his Gospel by carefully consulting with those who were 1) with Christ from the beginning of his ministry, 2) were eyewitnesses, and 3) were ministers of the word. Clearly, this is a reference to the twelve Apostles of Christ (minus Judas). It may also include the 72 disciples of Jesus mentioned in Luke 10. Perhaps there were more. The point is this: Luke relied on the testimony of those who met all three of these qualifications. They were 1) with Christ from the beginning of his ministry, 2) eyewitnesses of his life, death, and resurrection, and 3) ministers of the word. I think the phrase “ministers of the word” is very interesting and important. These Apostles and disciples of Christ that Luke relied upon for the writing of his Gospel were not merely “eyewitnesses”, they were also “ministers of the word.” Their mission was not only to report on facts – facts about what they heard and saw Jesus say and do – they were entrusted with a word or message.
What were these eyewitnesses and ministers of the word to preach and teach? Well, it should be clear that they were to preach and teach the very things that are now contained for us in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. All four Gospels tell us about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. All four testify to what he taught and what he did. And notice this: as these eyewitnesses tell us about what they saw and heard, they do not merely present the facts to us (as if they were eyewitnesses only), but labor to demonstrate to us Jesus is the Christ (or Messiah) who was promised to Adam, Abraham, Israel, and David. In other words, the Apostles and others who were with Jesus from the beginning did not only have facts to present, they also had a message to proclaim. I think this is why Luke refers to them both as “eyewitnesses” and “ministers of the word”. This will become very apparent as we progress through Luke’s Gospel. In this Gospel, we will not only find facts concerning the things that Jesus said and did, we will also encounter a message – the very message that the disciples of Christ who were eyewitnesses from the beginning were commanded to proclaim as ministers of the word of God.
The last question that I have for today is this: what was the finished product? Answer: An orderly narrative concerning the things that Jesus Christ accomplished. Let us consider these three words: orderly, narrative, and accomplished.
First of all, Luke’s Gospel is orderly. You should know, brothers and sisters, that the ancients were not as concerned with chronological order as we tend to be. Sometimes they were more concerned with thematic or literary order. And I have come to greatly appreciate the thematic or literary order of Luke’s Gospel. Information and stories are presented to us in this Gospel in very skilled ways so as to clearly communicate a message. Many have called the Gospel of Luke a masterpiece. The language of Luke is beautiful in its original Greek. And it is ordered in a very careful and brilliant way. Take, for example, the way in which the opening songs and statements from Elizabeth, Mary, Zechariah, and the Angels set the tone and establish the major themes of this Gospel. And consider also the placement of the genealogy of Jesus. It does not appear at the very beginning and before the birth narrative as it does in Matthew, but at the end of chapter three, after the account of Jesus’ baptism, and right before the account of his temptation in the wilderness. It seems almost out of order, but in fact Luke is orderly. He presents the genealogy here at the end of chapter three and just before his temptation in the wilderness to make the point that Jesus was victorious over the temptation as the Son of Adam, the Son of God. The order makes a theological point. Many other observations about the order of Luke will be made as we progress through this marvelous book.
Secondly, in the Gospel of Luke, we find a narrative or story. Brothers and sisters, the Christian faith is a story. It is a message about what God has done. It is not merely a philosophical system, a collection of teachings, or a moral code. The Christian faith is centered upon a message or story about what God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit has done as our Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer. In the Gospel of Luke, we find a story. And it is a story about the victory that has been won by the Lord’s Messiah – victory over sin, Satan, and death. It is a story about how God has secured peace to heaven, to earth, and to all who are united to Christ by faith. The truth is this: when man fell into sin, all of creation (with the exception of the elect angels in heaven) fell with him. But Christ came to reconcile all things to the Father. He came to secure peace in heaven and on earth through redemption and judgment.
Listen to how Paul puts it. He speaks of Christ when he says, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister” (Colossians 1:15–23, ESV).
The same truth that Paul presents in the form of teaching, Luke presents as a narrative. In Luke we find a story concerning the victory that Jesus Christ has won to secure the redemption of God’s elect, to reconcile them to God, and to secure peace in heaven and on earth – a peace that is present now in part – a peace that will be here in full when Christ returns to judge and to make all things new. In the Gospel of Luke, we find a narrative or story.
Finally, let us consider the word “accomplished”. It is found in Luke 1:1, and it’s very important. Jesus did not just say things and do things – he accomplished things. Can you see the difference? Everything that Jesus said and did, he did to accomplish the work that the Father gave him to do in eternity. Everything that Jesus said and did, he did to accomplish (or fulfill) the things that were said about him beforehand as recorded in the pages of the Old Testament from the first announcement of the gospel in Geneses 3:15 onward. Brothers and sisters, the Gospel of Luke is a divinely inspired masterpiece, especially when considered as a presentation of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of the prophesies, promises, types, and shadows of the Old Testament Scriptures. Luke’s Gospel is dripping with Old Testament quotations and allusions. Clearly, he was concerned to present Jesus to us, not only as a great teacher, a miracle worker, as one who has authority over Satan and his demons, and as the one who was raised from the dead in victory, but as the Messiah – the Son of Adam and the Son of God – who promised to Adam, Abraham, and Israel. Christ accomplished things, and Luke wants us to know for certain what those things were.
As many of you know, the name of our church is drawn from Luke’s Gospel. It comes from that story found at the very end of this Gospel in chapter 24 where Jesus meets with two of his disciples on the road to a town called Emmaus. This is a very important story. It is no accident that Luke concludes his Gospel with it. He wants us to see it as a kind of climax as it pertains to the disciples understanding of Christ and his work. If you remember, these two disciples were discouraged and perplexed after the death of Christ. Jesus met with them on the road to Emmaus. And it was at Emmaus that Jesus began to open the eyes of his disciples concerning all that he had accomplished in fulfillment to all that was spoken of him in the entirety of the Old Testament.
He spoke to these dejected disciples, saying, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:25–27, ESV)
And it was later that night that he appeared to more of his disciples in Jerusalem. “Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, ‘Peace to you!’” (Luke 24:36, ESV). They were still perplexed. A little later he spoke to them saying, “‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.’” (Luke 24:44–49, ESV)
How did Luke write his Gospel? He interviewed these witnesses whose eyes had been opened to the truth of Christ and to the truth of the Scriptures. And what was the finished product? An orderly narrative concerning the things that Jesus Christ has accomplished in his life, death, burial, and resurrection.
May the Lord bless our consideration of his inspired word. May we grow in our certainty concerning the things we have been taught concerning Jesus the Messiah, his words of truth, and his finished work. And may it bring greater peace to your souls.
Mar 23
19
Questions For Discussion At Home Or In Gospel Community Groups
Mar 23
19
Q. 62. What is the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment is, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maid servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” (Exodus 20:8-11)
Q. 63. What is required in the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment requireth the keeping holy to God one whole day in seven to be a Sabbath to Himself. (Lev. 19:30; Deut. 5:12)
Q. 64. Which day of the seven hath God appointed to be the weekly Sabbath?
A. Before the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly Sabbath; and the first day of the week ever since, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian Sabbath. (Gen. 2:3; John 20:19; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1,2; Rev. 1:10)
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.” (Genesis 2:1–3, ESV)
We will be considering the fourth commandment this Sunday and for the next two Sundays, Lord willing. Please remember that the first four commandments have to do with the proper worship of God. The first tells us who should be worshipped — God alone. The second tells us how he should be worship — not with images. The third teaches about the attitude of worship — we must not take the Lord’s name in vain. And the fourth addresses the time of worship. Here in this commandment, we learn that one day out of every seven is to be set aside and treated as holy unto the Lord as a Sabbath day. On this day we are to rest from our worldly employments and recreations and give ourselves over rest, to the public and private worship of God, and to acts of necessity and mercy.
If I were to guess I would say that the fourth commandment is the most misunderstood and greatly neglected of all of the commandments today. The predominant view seems to be that the Sabbath command is no longer applicable to the people of God living under the New Covenant. “Christ is our rest”, they say. “He has fulfilled the law!” And there is of course some truth to this. But that does not mean that we have nine commandments now instead of ten. No, we agree with the writer of Hebrews who wrote to New Covenant Christians, saying, “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God…” (Hebrews 4:9, ESV). The Greek word translated as “sabbath rest” means “sabbath keeping”. The pattern of resting and worshipping one day in seven remains under the New Covenant era. Why? Because we have not yet entered into the full and final rest of which the weekly Sabbath is a sign. The weekly Sabbath was given to Adam in the garden as a sign. It signified that through his faithful work, he would enter into rest. The Sabbath day was reiterated in the Ten Commandments and given to Israel as a sign. It signified that through the faithful work of the promised Messiah, he would enter into rest, and we would enter into rest in him. And indeed we know that Christ has entered into his rest. We rest in him, in an inaugurated sense. We have not yet experienced the fullness of the rest that Christ has earned. That will be ours in the new heavens and earth. Therefore, the practice of Sabbath keeping remains for the people of God. This is the clear teaching of Holy Scripture from Genesis through Revelation, and this is the argumentation the author Hebrews presents to us in his epistle. A Sabbath-keeping remains for the people of God because we have not yet entered into the rest of which it is a sign.
Let us learn to think carefully about the Sabbath command, lest we find ourselves living in perpetual sin as we fail to worship God according to his word.
As you know, the fourth commandment is, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God.” (Exodus 20:8–10, ESV). This is the fourth of the ten commandments written by the finger of God on stone and delivered to the people of Israel by the hand of Moses.
But please do not miss this very significant point. This was not the first time that Sabbath-keeping was commanded. No, even Adam was to keep the Sabbath day holy in imitation of his Maker. God created the heavens and earth in six days and rested on the seventh. It should be obvious to all that it did not take God six days to create (as if he were struggling to complete the work). Instead, God took six days to create so that we might imitate him in our work. And God did not rest on the seventh because he was tired, but so that we might imitate him in our rest and in our contemplation of his work.
Two very important observations must be drawn from this as we begin to consider the fourth commandment.
One, Sabbath-keeping was not for Old Covenant Israel only, but for all of mankind. The Sabbath (like marriage) was instituted, not in the days of Abraham, nor in the days of Moses or David, but at creation. It was at the time of creation that God, “blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.” This is very significant. Those who believe that Sabbath observance passed away with the Old Covenant fail to recognize that the Sabbath was not instituted with the Old Covenant, but at creation. The pattern of one and seven will remain until we enter into the new heavens and earth,
Two, the seventh-day Sabbath corresponded to the Covenant of Works which was made with Adam in the garden, and the covenant of works which was made with Israel in the days of Moses. The seventh-day Sabbath communicated this: work and thus enter into rest. We know that Adam broke that covenant. He failed to enter into rest. And we know that Israel could never keep God’s law, not even to secure and maintain blessed life in the promised land. Nevertheless, the observation stands. The seventh-day Sabbath signifies the Covenant of Works. Work to enter God’s rest is what the seventh-day Sabbath says. Obey to enter life eternal.
Setting those preliminary observations aside for just a moment, let us look a little closer at Baptist Catechism 63, which asks, What is required in the fourth commandment? Answer: “The fourth commandment requireth the keeping holy to God one whole day in seven to be a Sabbath to Himself.”
As I have said, God established this pattern at the time of creation. One day of seven is to be set apart as holy. This means that one day in seven is to be treated as different from the rest of the days. The other days are for common things — common work, and common recreation. But one of seven is to be regarded as special. It is to be approached as holy unto the Lord.
The word “keeping” is significant, I think. As you know, common things — common work and recreations — do always threaten to overrun the Sabbath day. Sabbath observance is not something we fall into. The Sabbath must be kept. The people of God must be intentional about it. They must prepare for it throughout the week by ordering their common affairs. And when the Sabbath day comes, it must be kept.
Let us now briefly return to the question of the day. Question 64 will help us by asking, “Which day of the seven hath God appointed to be the weekly Sabbath?” And the answer is right and true: “Before the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly Sabbath; and the first day of the week ever since, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian Sabbath. (Gen. 2:3; John 20:19; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1,2; Rev. 1:10)
Notice three things:
One, the pattern of one day of rest out of every seven remains. And it will remain, “to the end of the world.” In other words, Sabbath-keeping has existed and will exist as long as life in this present age remains. This is so because of what the Sabbath signifies, namely, eternal rest. It signified eternal rest for Adam. It was an invitation for him to work and thus enter into God’s rest. And the Sabbath functioned in the same way for Christ. Christ was to work and thus enter into rest. And the Sabbath also signifies eternal rest for you and me today. Tell me, brothers and sisters, have we entered into eternal life? Well, we have tasted it. And it is ours for sure if we are in Christ. We have been sealed by the Spirit. He is our guarantee. But we have not laid hold of it. Eternal life – life in glory – eternal rest – is still in the future for us. And this is why a Sabbath-keeping remains for the people of God.
Two, notice that though the pattern of one in seven remains, the day has changed. There was a time when the Sabbath was to be observed on the seventh day, that is, on Saturday. But now it is to be observed on the first day, that is, on Sunday, which the New Testament calls “the Lord’s Day”, and which we may call “the Christian Sabbath.
So what prompted the change? Notice thirdly that the change occurred at the resurrection of Christ from the dead.
Now, let us think about this theologically. Why would the resurrection of Christ prompt a change in the Sabbath day? Why, after the resurrection of Christ from the dead, did Christ meet with his disciple on Sunday? Why did the early church have this practice? Why did they assemble together for worship on the first day, and not the seventh, as was the custom for the people of God for generations before them? Why the change?
Well, I suppose the simplest answer would be to commemorate the resurrection of Christ from the dead. And that would be true enough. But I think there is more. Much more!
One, consider that Jesus Christ rose from the dead and entered into glory because he obeyed God, which is the very thing that Adam failed to do. And so at the time of Christ’s resurrection, there was an advancement in God’s program of redemption. When Christ rose from the dead, he accomplished something. He earned something. He moved things forward as he kept the terms of the covenant that God made with him in eternity. Having accomplished his work as the Messiah, Christ entered into rest. Perhaps this is why the early church referred to the Christian Sabbath as the “eighth day”. In six days God finished the first creation and he rested on the seventh. But Christ, by being obedient to the Father even unto death and rising from the dead on the eighth day, secured the new creation for himself and all who are united to him by faith. The first day, or the eighth day Sabbath, signified this advancement.
Two, consider that when Christ died and rose again he did at that time inaugurate the New Covenant, which is the Covenant Grace. A Sabbath-keeping does indeed remain for the people of God. But a seventh-day Sabbath does not fit the Covenant of Grace. The seventh-day Sabbath signified that work would lead to rest — and that was indeed true for Adam, Israel, and Christ. But for those who are under the Covenant of Grace — that is to say, for those who have faith in the risen and ascended Christ — work does not lead to rest. Instead, rest in Christ leads to work. First, we trust in Christ, and then we serve him. First, we rest in him, and then we obey him out of gratitude for all he has accomplished for us. The first day Sabbath fits the pattern of the Covenant of Grace.
As you can see, the fourth commandment is a combination of moral law, and what we call positive or ceremonial law. The unchanging moral principle is this: God is to be worshipped, a period of time is to be devoted to the worship of God, and when God created this world he established that pattern would be one day in seven. But the day itself is ceremonial and symbolic. The seventh-day Sabbath signified that the rest still had to be earned by faithful work. The first-day Sabbath signifies that the rest has been earned. Christ earned it. He has entered into his rest (he ascended and sat down). We rest in him now. But we await the enjoyment of the fullness of this rest in the new heavens and earth. Therefore, the practice of Sabbath-keeping remains (Hebrews 4:9), but the day has changed as a reminder of the new creation and the New Covenant, of which we are partakers.
More could certainly be said. But for now, I will say, do not neglect the Christian Sabbath.
Delight in it, brothers and sisters. Long for it. See that on this day we are blessed with a small taste of the rest that will be ours for all eternity through faith in Jesus Christ, who is the second and better Adam.
And prepare for it so that the Sabbath may be kept. “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24–25, ESV).
Q. 63. What is required in the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment requireth the keeping holy to God one whole day in seven to be a Sabbath to Himself. (Lev. 19:30; Deut. 5:12)
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Q. 60. What is forbidden in the third commandment?
A. The third commandment forbideth all profaning and abusing of anything whereby God makes Himself known. (Malachi 1:6,7; Lev. 20:3;19:12; Matt. 5:34-37; Isa. 52:5)
Q. 61. What is the reason annexed to the third commandment?
A. The reason annexed to the third commandment is, that however the breakers of this commandment may escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape His righteous judgment. (Deut. 28:58,59; Malachi 2:2)
“And now, O priests, this command is for you. If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it. So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the LORD of hosts. My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts, and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction.” (Malachi 2:1–9, ESV)
The third commandment is “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7, ESV). We have asked what it requires, and now we are asking what it forbids.
One general thing that we have learned about the third commandment is that it is very broad in its application. Many assume that it only forbids using God’s name as a swear word. And it does forbid that, of course. If you have the habit of using the name “God”, or “Jesus Christ”, in a careless way to express surprise or dissatisfaction, you should turn from that and ask the Lord’s forgiveness. This is true if you say the name of God verbally, or represent it in a texting acronym. In doing so we take a most holy thing and treat it as if it is common. We trivialize God and the name of God. Never should we use God’s name in a careless or profane way. But we have learned that the third commandment requires and forbids more. When God’s law says, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain”, this does not only have to do with the way that we use God’s name in speech, but also our handlining of all “God’s names, titles, attributes, ordinances, words, and works.” Everything whereby God makes himself known is to be handled with reverence and care.
And that leads us to the second general thing that we have learned. The third commandment is really about attitude. We are to approach God with reverence. We are to consider him carefully. We are to love him, worship, and serve him from the heart and with sincerity. This we are to do from day to day as we live in the world that he has made. And this we are to do Lord’s Day by Lord’s Day as we assemble in his temple to worship and to hear his word proclaimed. We are to have reverence for God and the things of God always. We live in his world. We bear his name. Our lives are lived before his eyes. We are to serve him truly, reverentially, and from the heart.
We have learned what the third commandment requires. But what does it forbid? “The third commandment forbideth all profaning and abusing of anything whereby God makes Himself known.”
Let us think about this for a moment.
What does it mean to profane something? It means to treat something in an irreverent or disrespectful way. And what does it mean to abuse something? To abuse something is to misuse it, or to use it in a bad way and to a bad effect.
If someone were to act at a wedding ceremony in the way they might act at a sporting event they would profane the wedding ceremony. Why? Because a sporting event is common, whereas a wedding ceremony is solemn. Each are to be approached in a different way given their content and purpose. And if someone were to use a cell phone as a hammer we might say, you are abusing that phone. Why? Because the phone is not designed to be used as a hammer. When you use it in that way something of value is damaged and even destroyed. And when men and women profane, misuse and abuse God’s revelation of himself to us, they break the third commandment.
Now, how does God make himself known to us? He makes himself known to us in creation and by his word.
God reveals himself generally to us in the world he has made. Those in Christ must learn to see the world in this way. The world does reveal truth concerning God. That is why the Psalmist says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard” (Psalm 19:1–3, ESV). And Paul also speaks to this, saying, “For what can be known about God is plain to them [the unrighteous], because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (Romans 1:19–20, ESV). God reveals himself generally in the world he has made.
We should be very careful, therefore, to never profane or abuse God’s creation. The created world is to be appreciated and enjoyed. The created world is to be used according to its design. The created world is to be respected. And when we engage with the created things it should always move us to give glory to God the Creator of all things seen and unseen. There is sense in which a man violates the third commandment when he abuses or oppresses another human being. That human is made in God’s image. That human reveals something about God. To abuse a human being is to abuse the name of God, therefore. That is an obvious application. But it may also be said that men break the third commandment when they live in God’s world and do not recognize the glory of God in it. They enjoy the things of this world, not to the glory of God, but for their own pleasure only.
Brothers and sisters, we must learn to do all things to the glory of God. We are to honor him even in simple things like eating and drinking. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31, ESV). Look at the mountains and trees to the glory of God. Enjoy your home to the glory of God, for he is our refuge and strength. Relate to others made in the image of God to the glory of God. For God does make himself known in all of these things. We are to approach each day with an attitude of reverence, therefore.
God reveals himself generally in the created world, but he reveals himself much more clearly in his word. This we call special revelation. And we must be sure to handle his word and receive his word with great care. This means that we should take the reading, teaching, and application of scripture very seriously. And this also means that we should partake of the sacraments seriously too, for they are a visible word for the people of God. In the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper God has filled common things like bread, wine, and water with special meaning according to his positive command. We must not abuse or profane God’s Holy Word.
So I wonder, do you come to worship with reverence in your heart? Do you come prepared to receive God’s holy word? Do you come prepared to partake of his ordinances? God reveals his name to us in these things. We must handle them — the scriptures and the sacraments — carefully and with reverence.
That passage that I read from Malachi just a moment ago was powerful, wasn’t it? The priests of Israel were rebuked and threatened with a curse for corrupting the covenant, perverting the worship of God, and turning aside from sound instruction.
All ministers of the gospel should take this as a sober warning to be faithful and uncompromising in the proclamation of God’s truth and in keeping pure the worship of God.
And all members of Christ’s church should take this as a sober warning as well. We must not profane or abuse “anything whereby God makes Himself known”.
In fact, Malachi 2 is listed as a proof text for Baptist Catechism 61, which asks, “What is the reason annexed to the third commandment?” The answer is, “The reason annexed to the third commandment is, that however the breakers of this commandment may escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape His righteous judgment.” In other words, this is what the words, “for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain”, mean. We may fool man, but we cannot fool God. He sees even the attitude of our hearts. He knows when we take his name in vain — when we partake of the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner, or listen to his word proclaimed carelessly and without faith in our hearts. He knows, and he will judge. Malachi 2 certainly communicates this principle well. The Lord sees. He saw his priests, and he sees his preachers. He knows when they minister the word carelessly and with partiality. And he will surely judge, for he will not allow his name to be profaned.
Q. 60. What is forbidden in the third commandment?
A. The third commandment forbideth all profaning and abusing of anything whereby God makes Himself known. (Malachi 1:6,7; Lev. 20:3;19:12; Matt. 5:34-37; Isa. 52:5)
Mar 23
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“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 35, ESV)
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:25–34, ESV)
Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
We live in a very anxious age, don’t we? As I say that, I do not mean to suggest that people from the past did not experience anxiety. Indeed, they did. After all, Christ addressed this subject in his sermon on the mount for a reason! The feeling of anxiety is common to the human experience. But it does seem that our age is particularly anxious. As a pastor, I notice this topic coming up more and more frequently. And I am also hearing that folks are feeling anxious and they don’t know why. I’ve heard this called free-floating anxiety. It is a feeling of anxiousness, or unsettledness, with no obvious cause. Others are anxious, and they definitely know why! There is something that is causing them concern – a deadline, a problem, a particular worry about the future. Whether the feeling of anxiety is free floating or attached, mild and manageable, or severe and debilitating, I think everyone in this sanctuary – at least those who are old enough to be aware of such things – would admit to feeling anxious at some point in their lives.
To be anxious is to be concerned, apprehensive, or worried about something. And when we are anxious in the mind and we often feel it in the body. Sometimes it feels like there is a pit in our stomach. At other times we might feel tightness in our chest or experience shortness of breath. And sometimes our muscles simply grow tense. It’s amazing, isn’t it, how our immaterial souls and physical bodies interact?
Brothers and sisters, we are all called to be at peace. Christ commands his disciples to “be not anxious” but to trust in God for all things (Matthew 6:25ff). God’s word calls us to “Humble [ourselves]… under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt [us], casting all [our] anxieties on him, because he cares for [us]” (1 Peter 5:6–7, ESV). In Christ Jesus we are to “[r]ejoice in the Lord always…” and “[l]et [our] reasonableness be known to everyone…” for “the Lord is at hand…” We are to “not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let [our] requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard [our] hearts and [our] minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4–7, ESV).
These passages that I have just cited provide precious remedies for anxious souls. Where are we to go to find relief from our anxiety? Well, in prayer, we are to run to God the Father through faith in Christ the Son, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we are to cast our anxieties upon the LORD, knowing that he cares for us. The remedy for the anxious heart truly is faith in the Triune God, our Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer. If we wish to be at peace inwardly, we must first be at peace with him. And this is possible only through faith in Jesus the Messiah. He atoned for the sins of all who believe in him in order to reconcile us to God. He lived a righteous life so that he might give us his righteousness and make us right before God. If you wish to be at peace inwardly, then you must be at peace with God through faith in Christ.
And having been reconciled to God through faith in Christ by the working of the Spirit, God’s children must then learn to trust him for all things. Faith truly is the remedy for the anxious soul. As we learn to trust the Lord more and more, knowing that he is sovereign over all and that he cares for us, then we will find ourselves at peace more and more.
Well, now that the remedy for an anxious heart has been prescribed in a very straightforward way, I would like to take some time to consider anxiety more carefully so that we might know how to respond when it comes upon us.
One question that I would like to ask is this: is all anxiety sinful? In other words, do we sin against God each and every time that we feel anxious?
I supposed that some might say, well yes, after all, Jesus commands his disciples to “be not anxious” in Matthew 6:25. Therefore, each and every worrisome thought that enters our mind or anxious feeling we feel in our bodies is a sin, for it reveals a lack of faith in God.
I would beg to differ. And I would ask that you please hear me out on this. I think an important distinction needs to be made between natural or reasonable anxiety and sinful anxiety.
Now please hear me. I do understand that some forms of anxiety are sinful from the start. We will get to that. And I do also understand that sometimes anxiety that is not necessarily sinful from the start may become sinful if we do not do the right thing with it, namely cast it upon the Lord, trusting in him, knowing that he cares for us. Nevertheless, I think it is very important (and biblical) to have a category in our minds for anxiety that is natural or reasonable, and not necessarily sinful.
We are humans, brothers and sisters. We are creatures who depend upon God the Creator and Sustainer of all things and for our every breath. In other words, we are frail. Or to use the language of Scripture, we are “but a breath” (Psalm 62:9; 94:11, etc). And I wonder if there is a sense in which anxiety – that is to say, feelings of concern or apprehension about some danger – is in fact a gift. It is an emotion that we feel that reminds us of our frailty and singles that we need to take action because of some threat, the most important action being this: to depend upon the Lord in faithful prayer.
It may be helpful at this point to think of the emotion of fear. Just as the scriptures say, “do not be anxious”, so too the scriptures say, “do not fear.” But I think most would agree that the command to fear not is not forbidding what we might call natural or reasonable fear. A woman who sees an ominous figure walking towards her on a dimly lit street, or a man who thinks he hears an intruder, does not sin against the Lord when they feel the emotion of fear, do they? Their heart rate elevates. The hair on the back of their neck stands up. And hopefully, they are moved to take appropriate action. When fear is natural and reasonable, it is not sinful. When the scriptures command us to fear not they are calling us to not live in fear, to be driven by fear, or be debilitated by it, but to trust the Lord, especially as it pertains to his precocious and very great promises. And I want to say that something like this is true concerning anxiety.
Is it reasonable for you to feel a bit anxious concerning the big test? Is it reasonable for you to feel anxiety concerning the upcoming interview? Is it reasonable for you to be concerned (and even to feel it in your gut) when your child is ill or when your loved one is in some danger? I think so. The feeling of anxiety is a signal that there is something that requires you to take action. Sometimes there are practical things for you to do – study, prepare, seek a remedy, etc. And certainly, we must always run to God in faithful prayer.
Please allow me to demonstrate from Scripture that we really need this category of natural or reasonable anxiety. I could do so from a few passages. But the thing that I really want you to consider is the experience of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the garden of Gethsemane. Did he not experience great angst as he contemplated the physical sufferings that awaited him, and the wrath if God he would endure? So extreme was his anxiety that he sweat drops of blood. Luke 22:44 says he was in agony. The Greek word means “to be in a state of great mental and emotional grief and anxiety—‘anguish, intense sorrow.’” (LouwNida, 318). Did Jesus sin when he felt this angst or anguish? Was this anxiety he felt the result of a lack of faith? Of course, not! No, the Son of God experienced natural or reasonable anxiety in the garden through the human nature he had assumed.
But what did he do with it? That is the question. Was he debilitated by this angst? Did it move him to run from his calling or doubt God’s love? Did he remain in it? No, he did what Peter commands us to do with our anxiety. He humbled himself under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time God would exalt him. He took all of his natural and reasonable anxieties and cast them on the Father, knowing that the Father cared for him (see 1 Peter 5:6–7). Luke 22:44 says, “And being in agony [Jesus] prayed more earnestly…” Verse 42 reveals the content of his prayer. He prayed, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42, ESV). So then, in his agony or angst, Christ “prayed more earnestly”. He brought his desires to the Father and submitted to the Father’s will. Continuing now in verse 44: “… and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow…” The Greek word translated as “sorrow” here also means distress, mental pain, or anxiety. “…and he said to them, ‘Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation’” (Luke 22:44–46, ESV).
This text is very instructive, in my opinion. Christ experienced anxiety so severe that he did not only feel a pit in his stomach or tightness in his chest, he sweat drops of blood. But what did he do with his anxiety? He took action. First, he prayed. “And being in agony he prayed more earnestly…”, the text says. And then having prayed – having submitted his human will to the will of the Father – he rose up and continued on in obedience to the Father. What, on the other hand, were the disciples doing in their distress (λύπη – “a state of mental pain and anxiety—‘sadness, sorrow, distress’” (Louw Nida, 317). They were sleeping. And Jesus said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Luke 22:46, ESV). It’s interesting how anxious feelings can sometimes paralyze us. But Jesus says, “Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
So why have I devoted so much time to this question, is all anxiety sinful? And why have I been so concerned to distinguish between natural or reasonable anxiety and sinful anxiety? One, it is biblical. In fact, we cannot make sense of the experience of Christ in Gethsemane without this distinction. Two, I am afraid that many in our day have bought into the lie that if they ever feel anxious, something is wrong with them. I want to say, not necessarily. And the problem might even be worse for Christians, especially if they have been told that anxiety is always sinful. If the Christian believes this, then they will feel guilt regarding their anxiety, when perhaps they should not. And if this is the case, they may be ashamed to talk with others about it. And if they do talk to God about it, it may only be to confess the “sin” of anxiety. But the Scriptures do not call us to confess the sin of anxiety to God (in every instance). No, the Scriptures call us to take our anxious thoughts and feelings and to cast them upon the Lord in faithful prayer. Three, making room for what I have called natural or reasonable anxiety gives us a little space to do the thing we really need to do, and that is to process these emotions, to be sure they are reasonable and within their proper bounds, and then to bring them to God through faith in Christ to find relief and peace. In other words, understanding that every anxious thought or feeling is not necessarily sinful, gives us some room to fight for peace.
An illustration came to mind. It’s kind of a silly one, but I think it is helpful. I’m sure you can think of a movie scene where someone is threatened by intruders and they immediately fall to the ground, put their hands in the air to surrender, and then are taken into captivity for a time. I wonder if this does not illustrate the way that many respond to feelings of anxiousness. They are quickly overcome. They are quickly defeated and debilitated. Like the disciples in the garden, they do not fight, but sleep, metaphorically speaking. But in contrast to this, I’m sure you can think of a movie scene where a kung-fu master is threatened by intruders – not one or two, but a dozen or more. He does not surrender but fights with all of his skill and might to repel them. He fights to repel the threat and to be at peace. I think this is what the Scriptures are calling to do with things like worry, fear, and anxiety. To think these thoughts or to feel these emotions does not mean that we have been defeated (have fallen into sin), but we must fight for peace in Christ Jesus, lest we be taken captive.
Brothers and sisters, when you feel anxious, it means that it is time to take action. And now I ask, what action are we to take?
One, as has already been said, we are to enter into faithful prayer. And by “faithful” I mean two things: One, prayer that is constant and earnest. Two, prayer that is full of faith.
We are to follow the example of Christ in the garden. “[B]eing in agony he prayed more earnestly” (Luke 22:44, ESV), the Scriptures say. We are to do what Peter commands. He tells us to, “Humble [ourselves]… under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt [us], casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for [us]” (1 Peter 5:6–7, ESV). We are to heed Paul’s instructions in Philippians 4:4ff. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4–7, ESV).
Brothers and sisters, I do wonder if we are not sometimes anxious because we are prayerless. Granted, this is not the only explanation for persistent anxiety, but I must present it as a possibility. Are you faithful in prayer, brothers and sisters? And when you pray, are you praying in faith?
In Matthew 6:25 Jesus says, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on…” (Matthew 6:25, ESV). The word “therefore” indicates that what Christ is saying here about anxiety is related somehow to things that he said previously in his sermon on the mount. And I think it is important to remember that one of the things Christ addressed before this is prayer. Christ’s disciples asked him to teach them how to pray. He instructed them (in 6:9) saying, “Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:9–13, ESV)
I have said that the remedy for anxiety is faithful prayer. Perhaps it could be said, more specifically, that the remedy for anxiety is the prayer that Christ taught his disciples, commonly called the Lord’s Prayer. I think an argument can be made that the preface to the Lord’s Prayer, along with each and every petition, functions as an antidote to the causes of anxiety, if we pray them with understanding and with faith in our hearts. Consider, for example, the fifth petition, which is “Give us this day our daily bread.” When we pray this prayer, “we pray that of God’s free gift, we may receive a competent portion of the good things of this life and enjoy His blessing with them” (Baptist Catechism, 111) Notice the obvious connection between this fourth petition and the words of Christ concerning anxiety: “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on…” (Matthew 6:25, ESV). It’s as if he said, because you have prayed to your Father in heaven and have asked him to provide you with your daily bread, do not be anxious therefore.
The remedy for anxiety is faithful prayer. Indeed, the Lord’s Prayer is particularly helpful. But is this the only thing we can say to an anxious soul – simply, trust the Lord in prayer? While this is the essential thing to say, I do not believe it is the only thing.
Secondly, when feeling anxious we must remember the goodness of God, his promises to us in the covenant of grace, and his power to accomplish all of his purposes.
At this point I must remind you of the preface to the Lord’s Prayer. Christ taught us to approach God as “Our Father in heaven.” These words, “our Father in heaven” remind us to draw near to God “with holy reverence and confidence, as children to a father, [who is] able and ready to help us…. (Baptist Catechism, 107). In other words, when we call God “Father” it reminds us of his love and concern for us. He has set his fatherly love upon us in Christ Jesus. He invites us to draw near to him. And his word reassures us that he has good things for his children. He is the “Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” Indeed, we know that “Every good gift and every perfect gift” comes from his hand (James 1:17, ESV).
Some may be tempted to say, well, I have not received good things from God. My life is very difficult. Three things must be said in response to this. One, I do not doubt that your life is filled with many difficulties, but you must not allow this to lead you to question the goodness of God. God is always good, even when we experience trials and tribulations in this fallen and sin-sick world. Two, though it may be that your life is filled with many difficulties, I trust that there are many blessings too. We must count our blessings and be thankful to God for them. Remember Paul’s word: “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7, ESV, emphasis added). Thankfulness or gratitude is so very important, brothers and sisters. Three, in Christ we must learn to see that there are blessings from God even in the trials we face. Indeed, “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, ESV). By faith, we know this to be true, even if we cannot see it with our eyes or comprehend it with our reason at the moment.
When we approach God as Father, we are reminded of the unconditional love that he has for us in the covenant of grace. We are reminded that he, by his grace, has set his love on us. He has forgiven us all of our sins in Christ. He has given us Christ’s righteousness so that we might be reconciled to him and adopted as his children – all of this has been received by faith in Christ alone. And God has promised to keep us in Christ to bring us safely home into our heavenly inheritance which Christ has earned. We cannot forget these precious promises from God the Father.
And when we approach God as our Father in heaven we are reminded of his power and his majesty. He is perfectly good, he is most wise, and he is infinitely able, brothers and sisters, for he is almighty. Indeed, God the Father is worthy of our trust.
Where do we learn these truths about God, his character, and the grace that he has shown to us in Christ Jesus? We learn this from the book of Scripture. But notice that in Matthew 6 Jesus encourages the anxious soul to look also at the book of nature to be reminded of God’s goodness, power, and covenant faithfulness. In verse 26 Jesus says, “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Verse 28: “And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” And then Jesus makes his point in verse 30: “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:30, ESV)
Those who are anxious must remember the goodness of God, his promises to us in the covenant of grace, and his power to accomplish all of his purposes.
Thirdly, those who are anxious must take practical steps to alleviate their anxiety, if possible.
I do not wish to spend much time on this third point, but I do believe it is important to state. When I say that faithful prayer is the remedy for anxiousness, and when I encourage you to remember God and his goodness, I do not mean to suggest that there is nothing more to do. No, the one who is anxious may also need to take practical steps to alleviate their anxiety.
Are you anxious about money, friends? Then having prayed, having cast your anxieties on the Lord, and having remembered his goodness, his covenant love, and power, then ask, is there anything for me to do to fix this problem that is causing me angst? Perhaps you need to make a budget and spend less. Perhaps you need to pick up an extra shift. Perhaps you need to seek a promotion or search for a new job, etc.
I suppose I could set many examples before you, but I don’t think that is necessary. The point is this: we are to trust the Lord in all things. We are to depend upon him for everything. But we must also be responsible. This truth concerning our responsibility before God is found in Matthew 6 in these words: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33, ESV). In other words, the one who is anxious is to trust the Lord in all things, and they are also to concern themselves with living a life of obedience to God, for the furtherance of his kingdom, and to the glory of his name.
Mind you, the first three petitions of the Lord’s Prayer are about this. When we pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”, are we not praying that God, by his grace, would enable us to live for his glory, for the advancement of his kingdom, and in obedience to him? Indeed, we are. And it is no accident that these are the first three petitions. They are mentioned first because they are to be our highest aim.
If your soul is anxious, brothers and sisters. Please pray and remember God’s goodness. But also ask the question, is there anything for me to do here, practically speaking? Is there something that needs to change in my life? Is there some unhealthy, unwise, or even sinful thing that needs to be turned from? Is there something about my way of life that is hindering me from being at peace? Granted, sometimes the answer these questions is, no. Something is threatening me. There is nothing at all for me to do about it. I must simply trust the Lord in it. But in my experience, the answer is often, yes.
Are you living in sin? If so, then it is not surprising that you are not at peace. The Lord chastises those he loves. The Spirit is grieved within us when we sin. Turn from the sin and to Christ to be at peace.
Are the priorities of your life out of sorts? Are you chasing after money and living for the things of this world thinking that they will bring you comfort and relief? “[S]eek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33, ESV).
Or is your life cluttered and hectic so as to produce within you a cluttered and hectic mind and heart? So far as it depends on you, seek to bring order to your life so that you are able to pray, reflect upon God and his goodness, and meditate upon things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy (see Philippians 4:8).
Our age is an anxious age. There are many reasons for this, I’m sure. But I cannot help but think that one reason is this: we are distracted by many things and bombarded with many concerns. It may be that the Lord is calling you to slow down, simplify, and focus your attention on things of real importance. It may be that you need to unplug from the constant fear-mongering of the media. I’m sure there are many other practical things that could be done to alleviate anxiety – things that are within our sphere of responsibility. The most important is this: “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33, ESV).
I have two more points to make, and I will make them rather quickly.
Four, if you are anxious be sure to think about your thinking. Notice, I did not say overthink about your thinking. Some are prone to do this. No, simply think about your thinking. And ask yourself the question, are these thoughts that I am entertaining reasonable, true, and beneficial?
Jesus addresses this in Matthew 6, doesn’t he? In verse 27 he says, “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” His point is this: worrying about things that are beyond your sphere of responsibility accomplishes nothing. It only does damage. No good comes from it. Think about your thinking, brothers and sisters. If you are consumed by worrisome thoughts about things that are beyond your control, you must recognize that, and, with God’s help, put an end to it.
Jesus also addresses this in verse 33, saying, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Some have developed the bad mental habit of living in the past or in the future. They spend a lot of time asking the question, what if? What if this would have happened instead of that? What if I choose that path instead of this one? What if this happens again? What if this leads to that? What if the trouble that come upon them comes upon me? Etc.
A few years ago one of our sons fell ill and developed a high fever and pneumonia. He was even having, what we think were, high fever hallucinations. The whole thing was strange and concerning. We ended up in the hospital for many days – maybe ten. The Drs. couldn’t get the fever to break and seemed perplexed. As the days passed by, I remember having to think about my thinking. I had to work, with God’s help, to bring every thought under control, and to encourage my wife to do the same. It took real effort. But taking things one day at a time while trusting the Lord in the present and for the future, brought peace.
Perhaps you need to fight this kind of battle in your own mind. Some will error by living in the past or in the future. Others may have a habit of catastrophizing, that is to say, assuming the worst will happen. Brother and sisters, though it is true that we cannot always control the thoughts that come into our minds, we do choose which thoughts to entertain. May the Lord help us to think about things that are true, reasonable, and beneficial.
Fifthly, and lastly, those who are anxious ought to look for idols in their heart, and if they find any, they must cast them down, for anxiety thrives wherever idols are present.
As I have said, it is reasonable and natural for people to be concerned for their own well-being and the well-being of those they love. I do not think this is sinful anxiety, but natural. This was the kind of anxiety that Christ experienced in Gethsemane. But think with me – if someone loves this world and the things of this world in an ultimate and idolatrous way – then the anxiety that is felt concerning the potential loss of that thing, whatever (or whomever) it may be, will not be easily overcome.
I want to show you something in Matthew 6 before we move to a conclusion. Notice the text that immediately precedes the passage about anxiety. Before Jesus says in verse 25, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life…” he says in verse 19, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19–21, ESV). Where is your treasure, friends? In other words, where is your heart and life? Is it stored up in heaven, or is it here on this earth?
Look at verse 22, “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” The meaning of this verse is a little more enigmatic, but the basic question I have for you is this: what have you set your eye upon? What do you look to for satisfaction? What do you see as being of supreme worth? Where is your hope found? Is it the glory of the God of heaven? Or is it something here on earth? Is your eye fixed on the Creator or the creature?
And now look at verse 24: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” So I ask you, who do you serve? Is God your Master? Do you live for him? Or do you live for the treasures and pleasures of this world?
Christ’s words in verse 25, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life…”, flow straight out of what is said before. And the point is this: if our treasure is here on earth, if our hearts are set upon the things of this life, if we are living for the things of this world, then it is no wonder that we are overwhelmed with angst at the thought of losing these things, for they have become our very life, and as gods to us.
Now, I am not claiming that all anxiety stems from idolatry, but I am urging you to take a look. Examine your heart and ask, is there anything in this created world that would cause me to be utterly ruined or undone if it were taken from me? That is the question to ask while hunting for idols of the heart. If you find one, cast it down off of the throne of your heart so that God alone may sit there, and see if this does not bring you peace.
If God alone is on the throne of your heart – if he is your highest treasure, your greatest good, and your ultimate hope – then there is nothing that can be taken away from you that will leave you ruined or undone, for God is eternal, unchanging, ever faithful and true. Yes, we may find ourselves concerned about the things of this life. And yes, we will certainly grieve when we suffer loss in this life – and that is appropriate within its proper bound. But never will be undone if God and Christ are the hope and the source of our life.
Friends, Christ came to give us peace.
Through his suffering and obedience to the Father, we have peace with God.
Peace concerning death and life everlasting.
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These are the words that the LORD spoke to King David through the mouth of the prophet Nathan, promising to establish his kingdom and the LORD’s temple forever through his offspring. This promise would be fulfilled initially through Solomon and ultimately through Jesus the Messiah, the son of Abraham, the Son of David, and the Son of God. Hear now the LORD’s word to David. “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” (2 Samuel 7:12–13, ESV)
“When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.’” (John 17, ESV)
Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
I believe this will be the last sermon in this little series on the church considered in the terms of God’s temple. As you know, this series grew out of our study of the book of Exodus. In that study, we learned all about the tabernacle that God commanded Israel to make, and we also traced the theme of “tabernacle” or “temple” from Genesis 1 through to the end of the book of Revelation. In brief, we discovered that the story of creation, fall, redemption in Christ Jesus, and consummation can be told in terms of the establishment of God’s eternal and cosmic temple wherein God manifests his glory before his people, and his people worship, serve, and enjoy him forever and ever.
The heavens and the earth were designed to be God’s eternal temple. The (garden) temple was lost at the fall when the first man and women were ejected from it. And so too was the hope of entering into God’s eternal temple by way of obedience to the covenant of works (or life) that God made with Adam in the garden before sin entered the world. That way to eternal life was closed off, for Adam had broken the covenant.
But God in his mercy promised to provide salvation and redemption through the offspring of Eve. The first utterance of this promise was contained within the curse that was pronounced by the LORD upon the serpent as recorded in Genesis 3:15: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15, ESV). So then, the people of God from that day forward put their faith in this promise and in the One who, in the fulness of time, would be born of the woman. Indeed, many would descend from Eve, for she is the mother of all living. But this promise was about the One who would crush the head of the serpent, that is to say, of the Devil himself who tempted Eve, and, through her, Adam so as to become a kind of illegitimate king in this world for a time. By God’s grace, he promised that One would come from Eve who would strike the Evil One with a fatal blow to the head, and this he would do through suffering. In the process of crushing the serpent’s head, the serpent would bruise his heel.
As you know, this first promise of the gospel was like a seed that would grow and grow. The details of God’s plan of redemption grew more and more clear through subsequent revelation. More was revealed to Abraham. And much more was revealed to Isarel through Moses. And of course, this all culminated in the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. He was born of a virgin, that is to say, of the seed of Eve. He was and is God incarnate. He is the redeemer who has bruised the serpent’s head through his suffering. He is the fulfillment of all the promises, prophesies, types, and shadows of Old.
And what did Jesus Christ, the scull-crushing seed of the woman, earn when he accomplished our redemption?
One, he redeemed a people for himself. These are the ones that Jesus prayed for in the John 17 passage we read a moment ago, saying, “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world…” (John 17:6, ESV), and “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.” (John 17:9, ESV), and “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word…” (John 17:20, ESV), and “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24, ESV). You see, when Jesus the Messiah lived, suffered, died, and rose again, he bruised the serpent’s head. And having bruised the serpent’s head, he redeemed a people for himself – people from every tongue, tribe, and nation. These are the ones given to him by the Father in eternity. These are the elect of God. When Christ lived, suffered, died, and rose again, he defeated the Evil One, and he set captives free. He earned the salvation of all who were given to him by the Father in eternity. He shed his blood for “many for the forgiveness of sins” (see Matthew 26:28). He accomplished redemption for his people. As Paul says, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Colossians 1:13, ESV). He accomplished this salvation by crushing the head of the serpent to overthrow his illegitimate kingdom, to undo his work, to enter into glory, and to bring many sons and daughters to glory with him. And this salvation that Christ has earned is applied to the elect of God at just the right time through the preaching of the gospel as the Spirit works to make fallen sinners willing and able to repent and believe upon Christ.
But there is something else that Christ earned through his obedience and suffering. He did not only redeem a people for himself – those given to him by the Father in eternity – he earned an eternal kingdom when he crushed the head of the serpent. The Evil One had become the prince of this world when he rebelled against his Maker and seduced the man and the women to transfer their allegiance to him by listening to his voice by eating the forbidden fruit. But when Christ obeyed the Father, suffered and died in the place of those given to him by the Father, and rose again on the third day, he earned a kingdom. He ascended to the Father and sat down on his throne. All authority in heaven and on earth was given to him (Matthew 28:18). Through his obedience and suffering, “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9–11, ESV). Through his obedience and suffering, Christ became Lord of heaven and earth. Christ is King. He is the son of David whose kingdom will have no end. His kingdom is here now (we are not waiting for a future millennium). It will be brought to consummation when Christ returns to make all things new (As Peter says, “…according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:13, ESV)).
This is the story of our redemption in Christ Jesus, brothers and sisters. It is about the establishment of God’s eternal kingdom through Christ! Christ is the Son of David whose kingdom is here now and will have no end! And where is this inaugurated kingdom manifest? It is made visible in the church, that is, in the assembling together of those who confess, “Jesus is Lord!” Christ’s people are not of this world, as John 17:16 says, and yet Christ has not called his people out of this world in this present age. Hear the prayer of Jesus in John 17:15-19 again: “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth” (John 17:15–19, ESV).
The kingdom of Christ will be brought to consummation or completion when Christ returns. On that day, those not united to him by faith will be judged and cast out. On that day, those united to him by faith will enter the new heaven and earth in body and soul. No unclean thing will enter that realm, but only those written in the Lambs Book of life. All will be God’s kingdom, and God’s kingdom will be completed and kept secure. All of God’s enemies will be judged and banished, never to threaten again. But until then, the kingdom of Christ – which is not of this world, but is of heaven and the world to come – is manifest in this world, which is still in darkness, plagued by the effects of sin, and is under the power of the Evil One.
Indeed, Satan’s head has been bruised. He has been defeated. He has been bound so as to deceive the nations no longer (see Matthew 28:18-20 and Revelation 20). He has been bound so that Christ might progressively plunder his house (see Matthew 12:28-29). He has been banished from the throne of God so that he cannot accuse the brethren any longer, as he did before the resurrection of Christ and in the days of Job (see Luke 10:18 and Revelation 12:10). The victory has been won, brothers and sisters. Christ has dealt the fatal blow to the head of the rebel king. Christ sits on his throne. He rules and reigns now, but his kingdom is not yet consummated. He must (the reign of Christ is here now, brother and sisters. It is not off in the future. And he must rule until his enemies are made his footstool, that is to say, totally and finally defeated and judged (see Psalm 110, Luke 20:41-44, Acts 2:35, and Hebrews 1:13). This will happen on the last day when Christ returns (see Matthew 25:31ff and Revelation 20:7ff).
So why have I presented you with this overview of the history of redemption in the terms of the kingdom of God being offered to Adam in the garden, but forfeited, promised to Adam and Abraham after the fall, prefigured in Israel under the Old Mosaic Covenant, inaugurated at Christ’s first coming, and consummated at Christ second coming? Why have I presented this sweeping overview to you in the terms of “kingdom” when this is supposed to be a sermon on the church as “temple”? Well, the kingdom language is more familiar. But everything that has been regarding the kingdom of God may also be said regarding the temple of God. It is not only God’s kingdom that was offered, promised, prefigured, inaugurated, and will be consummated, but God’s cosmic and eternal temple too. God’s eternal temple, that is to say, the new creation temple of God in which righteousness dwells, was inaugurated or begun at Christ’s first coming. In Christ Jesus, you are a new creation (see 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Galatians 6:15). And in Christ you are God’s temple because the Holy Spirit dwells in you (see 1 Corinthians 3:16 and 6:19).
God’s kingdom is here now, and if you are united to Christ by faith you are citizens of that kingdom (see Mark 3:2, Matthew 28:18, Luke 19:12, John 18:36, 1 Peter 3:22, Hebrews 12:28, etc, etc, etc). Similarly, God’s temple is here now, and if you are united to Christ by faith you are stones in that temple and members of the household of God (see 1 Peter 2:5ff and Ephesians 2:19ff). All of this is in fulfillment of the promises of God made to King David in these words, “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house [temple] for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” This promise has immediate fulfillment in Solomon, the son of David. This promise has ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ and in his eternal kingdom and temple. You, brothers and sisters, are a part of the inauguration of that kingdom and temple.
If we wish to understand the church, then we cannot overlook this teaching, for in this the true nature of the church is revealed. And this is why I have taken the time to consider the church as God’s temple with you. We have considered the church in the terms of “temple”. And specifically, we have considered its foundation, its stones, its purpose, its character, its gifts and graces, its fruit, and today, in the time we have remaining, we will consider its growth.
When all is said, I want you to see that the church is not of this world. It is brought into existence by the Father, through the Son, and by the Spirit. It is heavenly and spiritual. It is an intrusion or foretaste of the world to come. It is the visible manifestation of the inaugurated new creation kingdom or temple of the living God. It is God who must build his church, therefore. And he builds his church through Christ the Word and by his Spirit. Stated negatively, the church – Christ’s true church – cannot be built by man, for the church is spiritual and heavenly. The kingdom of God cannot be furthered by governments who threaten with the sword, for it is not of this world. And neither can it be built by the craftiness and schemes of man. Again I say, the church is spiritual and heavenly. God alone can build his church. Yes, he uses us in the process, but only as servants. The church is built up by God, through His Word, and by the working of his Spirit according to the means he has established.
Here is my concern, dear brothers and sisters. Men (and women) may try to build God’s church using human wisdom and human strength. And indeed, they might even appear to the natural eye to succeed for a time. But if Christ’s church is to grow really and truly, it can only grow as God the Father works through the Word, by the Spirit, and according to the means that God has ordained. If we wish to be used by God in the building up of his church, therefore, then we had better depend upon him and employ the methods he has revealed in his word, and not our own. To ignore God’s word, and to seek to build God’s church according to our own wisdom and methods will be a waste. It may be that we build something, but it will most likely not be Christ’s true church. It will not stand the test of time. It certainly will not stand the test of judgment day.
This is what Paul warns against in 1 Corinthians 3:11-17. He speaks of the building up of Christ’s temple-church when he says, “For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” It is after this that Paul says, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple” (1 Corinthians 3:11–17, ESV). Finally, he warns, “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God” (1 Corinthians 3:18–19, ESV).
This warning against being wise according to the wisdom of this age is delivered in the context of talk concerning the building up God’s temple-church on the foundation of Christ. It is a warning to build, not with earthly material and not according to the wisdom of this age, but according to the wisdom of God. Paul says, become a fool so that you may become wise.
I think the modern church, and especially leaders in the modern church, need to heed this warning. Many, I am afraid, are attempting to build Christ’s church according to the wisdom of this world. They seem to be prosperous on the surface. But the question is, will their work stand on judgment day? Will what they have built pass through the fires of judgment unscathed, or will they suffer loss, even if they themselves are saved? It is a sober warning to all Christians, and especially to ministers of the gospel.
So how then are we to build Christ’s church? How are we to seek its growth, both numerical growth and growth in maturity? Answer: not according to the wisdom of this world, but through the faithful ministry of the Word and administration of the sacraments, in prayerful reliance upon the Holy Spirit.
First, if the church is to grow the word of God must be proclaimed, taught, and obeyed.
As you know, sinners come to faith in Christ through the preaching of the gospel as the Spirit works.
This is why Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” (Romans 1:16–17, ESV)
And in another place he says, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved… How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’ But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?’ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:9–17, ESV)
When Christ commanded his first disciples to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18), this is what they did – they went out and preached a message of good news. They announced that the promised Messiah had come. They urged sinners to turn from their sins and to trust in him. Read the book of Acts to see that this is so. The gospel message was proclaimed “as many as were appointed to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48, ESV). This is how disciples are made. This is how citizens are added to Christ’s kingdom. This is how stones are added to God’s eternal temple – through the proclamation of the gospel.
Notice that Jesus prayed for this process in his high priestly prayer as recorded in John 17. He did only pray for the ones whom the Father had given to him who were alive on earth at that moment, but “but also for those who [would] believe in [him] through their word…” (John 17:20, ESV), that is to say, through their faith evangelistic ministry.
Brothers and sisters, we must labor to expand Christ’s kingdom and to grow God’s temple-church. The scriptures command it. I do not think we can call ourselves a healthy church without evangelistic zeal and activity. We must labor to expand Christ’s kingdom and to grow God’s temple-church, for Christ commanded his church to “go and make disciples of all nations…” And we know that disciples are made, not by the threat of the sword, not through political activity, and not by attempting to attract sinners into the church in worldly ways, but by proclaiming the message of salvation through faith in Jesus the Messiah, and urging other to repent and believe.
Now I ask, how do those who believe in Christ then grow in Christ? Those who believe grow in maturity through the preaching and teaching of the word of God and by the working of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps you are beginning to see that our salvation in Christ and our sanctification in him are the work of the triune God. God the Father saves and sanctifies by the Word and through the Spirit.
When Christ prayed for those given to him by the Father he said, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17, ESV). Before that he said, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15, ESV). So then, how are God’s people kept from the evil one? How are the sanctified, or set apart from the world and made more holy? They are sanctified by the truth. God’s word is truth.
I could pile up a lot of scripture texts to demonstrate that the church grows in maturity through the preaching and teaching of the word of God. We know that the first disciples “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42, ESV). In Acts, we see that Paul and other missionaries would spend long periods of time in a given region preaching and teaching the scriptures to see to it that the church that was born there was well established. Pastors are commanded in the scripture to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2, ESV). Paul urged the Colossians to “Let the word of Christ dwell in [them] richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in [their] hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16, ESV).
I need not go on. I think it is clear to all of you that growth in maturity comes about in the life of the believer and in the church through the teaching of the word of God as the Spirit works. We overcome conformity to this world and are transformed into the likeness of Christ “by the renewal of [our] mind[s]…” (Romans 12:2, ESV). And this is why Christ said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19–20, ESV). Those who are made to be disciples through the preaching of the gospel are then to be taught to then faithfully observe all that Christ has commanded.
Brothers and sisters, do not disregard the preaching and teaching of the word of God. Prepare your hearts and minds to receive it. Give your undivided attention to it. And then “be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22, ESV).
The second point of the sermon today is that if the church is to grow, the sacraments must be faithfully administered. A sacrament is a symbol. They are signs or visible words. The gospel is preached primarily with words. But in the sacraments, the gospel is preached in a visible and tangible way. Under the New Covenant, there are two sacraments given to the church – baptism and the Lord’s Supper. And it is the word of God that establishes their meaning and proper administration.
Both sacraments are mentioned in the great commission passage that I have been referring to throughout this sermon – one explicitly, the other implicitly. When Christ gave the church her mission he said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…”. And it is these – those who are made to be disciples, learners, or followers of Jesus – who are to be baptized (that is to say, immersed in water) in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” In water baptism, the name of God is placed on the one baptized. Water baptism symbolizes cleansing in Christ and union with him in his death and resurrection. Baptism is for those who believe – disciples, or followers of Christ. It is not for the world. It is not for the infants or children of believers. It is for disciples only. This can be demonstrated from many passages in the New Testament (and Old), but it is clear enough in the great commission. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” (emphasis added).
And then we find these words, “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18–20, ESV). One of the things that Christ commanded his disciples to observe is the Lord’s Supper. In Matthew 26:26 we read, “Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Matthew 26:26–29, ESV). The Lord’s Supper is to be observed as the second sacrament of the church until we enjoy communion with Christ in his Father’s consummate kingdom. Or to use the language of the great commission, the Lord’s Supper is to be observed by Christ’s disciples as a visible reminder to the fact that he with us to the “end of the age”.
If the church is to grow, the sacraments must be faithfully administered.
Baptism must be applied to those who make a credible profession of faith. It is not to be given to those who make a questionable, uniformed, and flippant profession. It is not to be applied to the children of believers, for they are born in Adam and not in Christ, under the broken Covenant of Works, and not the Covenant of Grace. Under the New Covenant physical descent counts for nothing. It is the new birth that matters, and that by the grace of God, is faith-producing.
And the Lord’s Supper is only for those who believe and have been baptized. Covenantally speaking, baptism is the wedding ceremony that marks union with Christ, and the Lord’s Supper is the anniversary celebration. We celebrated the anniversary of our union with the crucified and risen Lord, not yearly, but every Lord’s Day, for it was on this day that he was raised.
Baptism marks union with Christ and entrance into the covenant community. The Lord’s Supper signifies abiding in Christ and continuance in the covenant community. Those who are tempted to grow the church according to human wisdom will say that we are to open wide the front door of the church. In other words, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper ought to be applied and administered liberally. Those who wish to grow the church carefully and according to the wisdom of God will administer the sacraments carefully and faithfully. In fact, a true church will even excommunicate the one who shows by their false doctrine or sinful way of life that their profession of faith was not true. This is what Paul means when he says, “But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. ‘Purge the evil person from among you’” (1 Corinthians 5:11–13, ESV). Those who have bought into worldly church growth models we say, this here is not good for church growth. But those who wish to see Christ’s church grow really and truly will simply obey God’s word. They will administer the sacraments faithfully. “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God” (1 Corinthians 3:18–19, ESV).
Thirdly, lastly, and very briefly, if the church is to grow, the people of God must prayerfully rely on the Holy Spirit.
Only the Father can build his church through Christ and the Spirit, and this is according to his decreed will. We cannot make it happen, brothers and sisters. We cannot cause others to repent and believe. Only God can do that. But we can be faithful to do what God has called us to.
We must be faithful to preach the gospel, for this is the means that God has determined to use to bring his elect to repentance and faith. We must be faithful to “in [our] hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks [us] for a reason for the hope that is in [us]; yet do it with gentleness and respect…” (1 Peter 3:15, ESV). And we must be faithful to pray. “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people [that is to say, all of these kinds of people] to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time” (1 Timothy 2:1–6, ESV). Prayer, along with the proclamation of the gospel, is a means by which God has determined to work. By prayer, we show ourselves to be dependent upon God. Salvation is of the Lord. If we are to see the church grow in number, purity, and maturity, then we must preach and teach the word of God and we must prayerfully rely on the Holy Spirit’s work.
Brothers and sisters, we must desire to see and labor for the growth of Christ’s temple-church.
The whole story of our redemption in Christ Jesus is a story of expansion and growth. From the first promise of the gospel in Genesis 3:15 to the consummation as symbolized in Revelation 21 and 22, the story of the eternal kingdom of God and the eternal temple of God is a story of expansion and growth. If we are not concerned to see God’s temple-church grow, and if we are not laboring for it, then we are out of sync with God’s purposes – we are even disobedient to the mission that Christ gave to us.
But please hear me – it cannot be growth at all costs or by any means. We must pursue growth in the way that Christ has commanded. Our task is not to be innovative or creative, but faithful. We must not attempt to appeal to sinful desires and darkened thinking of fallen men and women. No, we must preach the word and obey the word knowing that those whom God is calling to himself will love the word. And we must receive only those who make a credible profession of faith into the membership of the church, for it is those who have faith in Christ who are stones in his temple and members of his body. It is the disciples who are to be baptized, and it is those who are baptized who are to be given the Supper. Indeed, the church would appear to grow in size much more quickly if we were to open wide the door to baptism and the Table, but the growth would be in appearance only. Know this for certain, the fire of the judgment day will test each man’s work to show if it is true.
Brothers and sisters, let us be found faithful on the last day. Faithful to proclaim Christ crucified and risen. And faithful in prayer. May the Lord bless us to see a great expansion of his temple-church in out day.
"Him we proclaim,
warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom,
that we may present everyone mature in Christ."
(Colossians 1:28, ESV)
