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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 (SUNDAYS)
10:00am Corporate Worship
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)
In the Chapel
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43430 E. Florida Ave. #F329
Hemet, CA 92544
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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.
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A fourteen-week Bible study in which we consider “what man ought to believe concerning God, and what duty God requireth of man” (Baptist Catechism #6).
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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.
Feb 23
12
PM Buliten and Catechism Sermon Outline
Feb 23
12
“The LORD said to Moses, ‘See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent…’” (Exodus 31:1–7, ESV)
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.’ (In saying, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (Ephesians 4:1–16, 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 pray that you have benefited from this little series on the doctrine of the church. I’ve said it many times. It is so important that we know what we are, and what God has called us to do, as a church. There are so many misconceptions about this in our day, so it is especially important for us to pay careful attention to what the Scriptures say. And after we know what the Scriptures say concerning the church – what it is, and what God has called us to do – we must have the faith and courage to obey God’s word. It is one thing to know God’s word. It is another thing to obey it. Obeying God’s word is much more difficult than merely knowing it, but it is possible with God’s help.
In this series, we have been considering the church as God’s temple. As you know, the New Testament scriptures describe the church in this way. Under the Old Covenant Isarel built a portable tabernacle and later a permanent temple. The temple was built in Jerusalem. It was grand and glorious. It was made of stone and adorned with many precious things. The Old Covenant people of God were blessed to worship there according to the command of God. But we must confess that those structures were not meant to last forever. No, they belonged to the Old Covenant order of things, and they pointed forward to the coming of the Messiah. When Jesus the Messiah came, and when he instituted the New Covenant in his shed blood, the Old Covenant temple became obsolete, and it eventually passed away.
But this did not mean that God was without a temple on earth. No, a greater temple began to be built. The New Covenant temple is greater because its material is greater. Its foundation stones are not really stones, but are the apostles and prophets with Christ himself as the cornerstone. And the stones out of which the walls of this temple are built are greater too. They are “living stones”, Peter says. They are the people of God who have been made alive by the Spirit of God. They are those who trust and rest upon Christ, the foundation. They are those who align with him and with his teaching. And what is the purpose of the New Covenant, new creation, temple of God? Worship. And what is its character or quality? Those who are stones in God’s temple have been made holy by the blood of Christ. And those who are stones in God’s temple are pursuing holiness. God’s temple is marked by holiness. The New Covenant temple is greater because its material is greater, and it is also greater because it will last forever. The temple that God is now building by his Word and Spirit, is eternal. It will find its culmination or end in the new heavens and earth that will come into being when Christ returns at the end of the age. The church of God is the temple of God. As 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 3:16–17, ESV)
All of that is review. Today I wish to shift gears a little by talking about the gifts and graces that God has given to his people for the building up of this new creation temple. Do you remember the Exodus story and how God did not only give instructions for the building of the tabernacle but also appointed gifted craftsmen from within Israel to oversee and accomplish the work. And do you remember how the people brought in contributions of gold and silver so that the work could be finished? And do not forget how the Lord set the sons of Levi apart to serve as priests in the tabernacle (and later temple) to maintain its worship. The point is this. God did not only command Israel to build his tabernacle (and later temple), and to maintain the worship of his holy name there. He also provided for the accomplishment of this work through his people. God gave gifts to men, and the people we commanded to build and maintain the tabernacle with those gifts. The same is true for God’s New Covenant, new creation temple. We are called to build this temple. And we are called to maintain the worship of God within. God has given us instruction. And God has also given us gifts.
The Ephesians 4 passage that I read just a moment ago is a very interesting one. This sermon is topical or doctrinal more than exegetical and so we will not be considering every detail of this text. But I want you to notice a few things about this text before we focus on the gifts that God has given to his people for the building up of his church.
One, Paul is here addressing the church. Specifically, he was writing to the first-century church in the city of Ephesus, but his words apply to all local church churches in all times and places. He is concerned that Christians walk together in a worthy manner within the church. Look at verse 1. There Pauls says, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love…” (Ephesians 4:1–2, ESV).
So then, to “walk in a worthy manner” means that we will walk with others in the church. Walking is often used as a metaphor in the scriptures for living the Christain life. And here I am saying that to live the Christian life in a worthy way involves living it with others within the church. We must walk with others in the church. Specifically, Paul urges us to be humble, patient, gentle, and longsuffering in love. And notice how often love is mentioned in this passage. In verse 2 we are urged to “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bear “with one another in love”. In verse 15 we are commanded to speak “the truth in love”. And in verse 16 Paul insists that the church is to “build itself up in love.” What is the one thing that is to characterize our life together in Christ Jesus? Love.
Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35, ESV). Peter wrote, “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God…” (1 Peter 1:22–23, ESV). And Paul warned, “If [we] speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, [we are] a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if [we] have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if [we] have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, [we are] nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1–2, ESV).
So here in Ephesians, 4 Paul is writing to the church, and he urges us to love one another. In love, we are to be humble, gentle, patient, and longsuffering.
Two, notice that Paul is especially concerned with the church’s unity. In verse 3 he urges us to be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3, ESV). I like the word “eager”. It means to do something with intense motivation. We are to be deeply committed to maintaining unity. We are to strive for it. We are to work hard at it. Why? Because of what the church is!
Now, Paul does not use the imagery of “temple” here in this passage. Instead, he uses the imagery of a “body”. So yes, we are mixing metaphors a little in this series, but the truth is the same. We must be eager to maintain unity in the church because of what the church is. The church is the body of Christ! Will we allow the body of Christ to be torn to pieces? I suppose we could also say, the church is God’s temple! Will we allow the stones of God’s temple to be knocked to the ground and divided because of our pride, impatience, harshness, and lack of love?
No, we must be eager to maintain unity within the church because of what it is. The church is the body of Christ. And, verse 4, “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4–6, ESV).
In reality, Christ’s church is one. If we consider the church from God’s perspective, there is one body, not many. There is one Spirit who has called us, regenerated us, filled us, and is sanctifying us. All who belong to God share in the same Spirit. And we have the same Lord, Jesus the Christ. We share the same faith. We have been baptized with the same baptism. And we have the same God and Father. This is the reality. Now Paul is urging us to maintain that unity that is ours. Sin threatens to divide us here on earth. We must be zealous for unity. We must work hard at it. For we are the body of Christ. He is the head and we are all members united to him by faith! And we are God’s temple. Will we destroy the temple that God is building on earth by our sin, or will we labor to promote its unity and build it up? Paul commands that we maintain its unity and build it up.
Three, Paul teaches that God has given grace and gifts to each one of us for the building up of the body or (to use the theme of this series) the temple of Christ.
Look at verse 7: “But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, [now Paul cites Psalm 68:18] ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.’ [And then Paul comments:] (In saying, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth [some translations say “of the earth”]? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ….” (Ephesians 4:7–12, ESV).
Earlier I warned that this is more of a topical sermon on the doctrine of the church than an expositional sermon on Ephesians 4. I said that mainly because I knew I would have to leave a lot riches unmined here in verses 7-12. This is a marvelous passage. I acknowledge, there is a lot that could be said from this passage concerning the doctrine of the descent, the incarnation, and the accomplishment of our redemption by the incarnate Son. Someday I will work through this text slowly with you, Lord willing.
For now, let us focus our attention on the theme of “gifts and graces”. Here in this passage, Paul teaches us that Christ descended to earth (and even into the lower regions of the earth), to accomplish our salvation and to set captives free. And when he ascended to the right hand of the Father he gave gifts to his people. In other words, when he sent forth his Spirit from on high, he gave gifts to his church.
So, according to Ephesians 4, what are the gifts that Christ gave to the church when he ascended? The gifts that Christ gave to his church are the apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers. Now, before you get all up in arms, saying, but has not God given spiritual gifts to all of his people? Yes, he has. And we will get to that. But Paul is emphasizing something else here. He first wants us to see that Christ has given the church the gift of the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers. This is what verse 7 so clearly says. After teaching that Christ gave gifts to men when ascended, he says, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers…” (Ephesians 4:11, ESV).
Notice, he does not say that he gave some people the gift of apostleship, prophecy, evangelism, shepherding, and teaching. No, he says that he gave “the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers” as gifts to the church. In other words, it is those who are gifted and set apart to these offices who are themselves the gifts.
The apostles and prophets were gifts to the church. To employ temple language, they are the foundation upon which the church is built. Christ is the cornerstone, and the apostles and prophets point to him! The apostles and prophets were gifts to the church.
Evangelists are also gifts to the church. Evangelists are ministers of the word of God who are sent by the church to proclaim the gospel to the world and to plant new churches. Evangelists are ministers of the word on the move. Evangelists must be careful to build upon the foundation of Christ, the apostles and prophets only, “For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11, ESV).
And finally, shepherds and teachers are said to be gifts to the church. Elders, or pastors, are called to shepherd God’s people. Elders are to be able to teach. 1 Timothy 3:2 is clear about that. But some elders may be more gifted in teaching than others. And some elders may be set apart to the ministry of teaching more than others. Paul hints at this in 1 Timothy 5:12, saying, “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching” (1 Timothy 5:17, ESV). The point is this: Here in Ephesians 4 shepherds and teachers are said to be the gifts that are given to the church.
It feels a bit strange to say this given that I myself am a shepherd and teacher in Christ’s church, but it must be said, for the Scriptures say it. There is no boasting or pride in this. After all, this is by the grace of God alone – there is no room for boasting, therefore. Brothers and sisters, if the church is to be healthy it must have a proper view of evangelists, shepherds, and teachers. The church must see them as gifts from Christ. The church must pay them proper respect. The church must also support them in their work and highly value the service that they render to the people of God. I’m afraid that many in our day have little appreciation for the work of pastors. And this may be, in part, because pastors themselves have not taken seriously the work that they have been called to perform, but have been negligent in their work.
What then were the apostles and prophets called to do? And what are evangelists, shepherds, and teachers called to do today? Answer: they are to, one, equip or perfect the saints, two, devote themselves to the work of ministry, and three, build up the body of Christ. This they are to do through the preaching and teaching of the word of God and prayer in full reliance upon the Holy Spirit.
This interpretation might seem strange to you because there is another faulty interpretation of this text that has taken hold in our day. The common interpretation of Ephesians 4:12 is this: Shepherds and teachers are to equip the saints, and it is the saints who are then called to do the work of ministry and build up the body of Christ. The ESV and other modern translations do not help the problem by not including a comma after the phrase, “to equip the saints”, in verse 12. The old King James version captures the meaning best when it renders the Greek like this: And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, ‘For the perfecting of the saints [comma], for the work of the ministry [comma], for the edifying of the body of Christ…” (Ephesians 4:11–12, KJV). These commas help to clarify that the calling of evangelists, shepherds, and teachers is one, the to equipping or perfecting of the saints, two, the work of ministry, and three, the building up the body of Christ.
I walk you through this not to be nitpicky, but because I have grown thoroughly convinced that a lot of the problems in the modern evangelical church stem from this misinterpretation and misuse of Ephesians 4:12. Pastors often neglect the work of the ministry that God has called them to, and they view themselves as facilitators instead. Like good CEO’s they have been taught that one of the keys to good leadership within an organization is delegation. You, Pastor, are to equip the saints, and they in turn are to do the work of the ministry. The trouble is this: the church is not a business. Also, “the ministry” is not something that all members have been called to enter into – only pastors have. Brothers and sisters, there are some things that pastors simply should not delegate to others. Pastors should be pastors!
I’m not opposed to delegation, brothers and sisters. But there is such a thing as over-delegation, or inappropriate delegation. Think of the nuclear family for a moment. Is it appropriate for a father to delegate the task of taking the trashcans to the curb to his teenage boys (as I do)? Yes, indeed that is appropriate. But now I ask you, is appropriate for a father to delegate the task of disciplining his children, and teaching them the things of God to another man or to some other institution? I say no, not ultimately. Others may help, but a father needs to be a father to his children. A husband needs to be a husband to his wife. There are some things that simply cannot be delegated. And so it is with pastors. Pastors must shepherd. They must labor faithfully to move the members of the church along to maturity. They must do the work of ministry. They must labor to build up the body of Christ, over whom God has made them overseers.
Colossians 1:28-29 has become dear to me. In this text, you can clearly see that Paul the Apostle understood that this was his calling. “[Christ] we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me” (Colossians 1:28–29, ESV).
Let us move rather quickly now through the remainder of our text. Evangelsts, shepherds, and teachers are to be viewed as gifts to the church. And what is their calling? They are to, one, equip the saints, two, do the work of ministry, and three, build up the body of Christ.
How long are they to do this for? Verse 13: “until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…” When will this happen? When Christ returns to make all things new, or when he calls us home through death. So then, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers will serve in Christ’s church throughout this New Covenant era.
We will not reach perfection until we pass into glory. But will we make progress in this life? Yes, we should! Pastors should labor to help the members of their churches to mature – look with me now at verse 14 – “so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (Ephesians 4:14–16, ESV)
Earlier I asked if it is true that God has given spiritual gifts, not only to evangelists, shepherds, and teachers, but to all of his people. And I said, yes, indeed! And then I said, we will get to that. So where in this passage do we find this teaching that all of God’s people have spiritual gifts which are useful to the building up of the body (or temple) of Christ? Not in verses 11-12! Paul is addressing something else there! But this truth is hinted at in verses 15-16. Let me read them again: “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love” (Ephesians 4:15–16, ESV, emphasis added).
In the body of Christ there are many parts. Does that teaching sound familiar to you? If you were to go to that famous spiritual gift passage in 1 Corinthians 12 you would see that Paul uses this metaphor there. As he teaches about the variety of gifts that were present in the first-century church when the apostles and prophets were still ministering (many of which are still present in the church today) he reminds the Corinthians that they are members of one body. In 1 Corinthians 12:12 he says, “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body’”, etc. (1 Corinthians 12:12–16, ESV).
There in 1 Corinthians 12 Paul urges members of the church to be content with the place that God has given to them within the church. We are to be content with our place and with our particular giftedness, brothers and sisters, and we are to be faithful to use the gifts that God has given to us for the building up of the body of Christ. And if we are faithful to use the gifts that God has given to us, who knows if he will not add to our giftedness and call us to other forms of service within Christ’s temple-church?
But notice this: God gives these gifts – the apostles, prophets, evangelists, shep[herds, and teachers and also, spiritual gifts to each and every member of the body – so that the body of Christ would be built up! That is the purpose. When each part of the body is working properly, the body builds itself up in love. The gifts that we have – whether they are speaking gifts like teaching or encouragement, or serving gifts, like service or hospitality – are to be used to build up the body. Each one of us must use the gifts that God has given to us to build God’s church, and to further his kingdom.
Notice also that the key ingredient is love. That is stressed here in Ephesians 4. It is also stressed in 1 Corinthians 12 and 13. Without love, we are nothing, brothers and sisters. True love – God’s love – must motivate all of our speaking and all of our doing.
May the Lord bless this congregation faithful ministers and with mature members who know what it is to serve one another in love. May we “ walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which [we] have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1–3, ESV).
Feb 23
12
Q. 54. Which is the second commandment?
A. The second commandment is, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or the likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me: and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.” (Exodus 20:4-6)
Q. 55. What is required in the second commandment?
A. The second commandment requireth the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances, as God has appointed in His Word. (Deut. 32:46; Matt. 28:20; Deut. 12:32)
“Be careful to obey all these words that I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God. When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations whom you go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.’ You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the LORD hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. ‘Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.’” (Deuteronomy 12:28–32, ESV)
As we continue our study of the ten commandments and come now to the second of the ten, I wanted to remind you of what 1 Timothy 1:8 says. There Paul tells Timothy that “the law is good, if one uses it lawfully…” (1 Timothy 1:8, ESV). The law is good, brothers and sisters. It is good in and of itself – it must be, for it comes from God’s hand. And it is good for us. The law shows us our need for a Savior. It is also a light for our feet as we sojourn in this dark world. So then, The Christian must know God’s law and strive to obey it.
But as we study God’s law do not forget how Paul qualified his statement. “Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully”, he says. There is a warning here. The law is not good for us if we misinterpret and misuse it. And how do people misuse the law? Well, stated very simply, men and women misuse the law when they see it as a way to gain holiness and right standing before God through the keeping of it. As we continue with our study of the ten commandments, please do not make that mistake. The law is good, but do not forget that we are sinners. We have violated God’s law in thought, word, and deed. We are guilty, therefore, in and of ourselves. No amount of law keeping – no amount of good deeds – will take away that problem of guilt.
Only Christ can remove our guilt. Only Christ can cleanse us from our sins. Only Christ can renew us. Only Christ and make us right before God. The law can’t fix this problem. Only Christ can, for he kept God’s law for his people and died in their place. We must trust in him for the forgiveness of our sins.
In this sermon, we will begin to consider the second of the ten commandments, which is, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image…” (Exodus 20:4, ESV).
Before we go there, you should probably be aware that the Lutheran and Roman Catholic traditions include this commandment in with the first, which is “you shall have no other God’s before me.” So then, they count the ten commandments differently. According to them, the first commandment is “you shall have no other God’s before me”, and “you shall not make for yourself a carved image.” They still have ten commandments though. They get back the one they lost by dividing the last commandment, which forbids covetousness, into two. I believe that our numbering is more natural. For one, the last commandment forbidding covetousness does not need to be divided into two parts. It is more natural to see it as one. And two, commandments one and two (according to our numbering) clearly distinct. The first commandment teaches us who we are to worship, and the second commandment teaches us how we are to worship.
In fact, you would do well to remember that the first four commandments are all about the worship of God. The first tells us who we are to worship. The second tells us how we are to worship. The third instructs us concerning the attitude of our worship – we are to have reverence for his name. And the fourth tells us about the time of worship – one day in seven is to be devoted to him as holy.
Who are we to worship, brothers and sisters? God alone. How are we to worship? Not with images, but in the way that he has prescribed in his word.
Next Sunday we will ask “What is forbidden in the second commandment?” And it will be then that we talk more directly about the prohibition of images in worship. Today we are asking, “What is required in the second commandment?” Clearly, the second commandment forbids something: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image…” But what does this commandment require? That is our question today. And our catechism is right to say that “The second commandment [requires] the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances, as God has appointed in His Word.” (Deut. 32:46; Matt. 28:20; Deut. 12:32)
Think of the implications, brothers and sisters. When God says, no graven images, he is saying, you are to worship only me. And no, it is not up to you to decide how you are to worship. But you are to worship in the way that I require. When God says, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image… Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them…” He is claiming not only the right to be worshipped but the right to determine how. This is what our catechism is getting at. It is drawing our attention to what is implied in the second commandment. God not only demands our worship, he demands that we worship in a particular way, and this way of worship is revealed in his holy word.
Here in the second commandment, graven images are forbidden, but as we continue reading the law of Moses we find that God was even more specific. He revealed to Old Covenant Israel how they were to worship with great precision. And as you know he has also revealed how we who live under the New Covenant are to worship. The point is this, we are not free to determine for ourselves how God is to be worshipped, but are bound to “[receive, observe, and keep] pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances, as God has appointed in His Word.” (Deut. 32:46; Matt. 28:20; Deut. 12:32)
This principle is implied in the second commandment itself, but it is explicitly stated in that Deuteronomy passage that was read earlier. There God spoke to Israel through Moses saying, “Be careful to obey all these words that I command you…” And “do not inquire about their gods [the false gods of the nations], saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.’ You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way…”; and “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.”
Brothers and sisters, God’s law establishes that we are not to go beyond what God has commanded nor are we to take away from what he has commanded regarding the worship of his most holy name. Notice that our catechism teaches we are to receive what the word of God says regarding the proper worship of God. And having received his word, we are to observe or obey what the word of God says regarding the proper worship of God. And having obeyed his word regarding worship, we are to keep it purely and entirely.
All of this might seem obvious to you and rather inconsequential. But I will tell you, it is not obvious to all. And it is certainly not inconsequential. This doctrine informs everything we do when we assemble together as Christ’s church for worship. Why do we assemble for corporate worship every week and on Sundays and not more or less frequently, or on some other day? Answer: God’s word. And why do we do what we do when we assemble? Why do we pray, sing, read and teach the scriptures, baptize, and observe the Supper? Answer: God’s word.
Now, are we free to make certain decisions based on preference or prudence? Of course. We meet at 10am and not at 6am because 6am would be unnecessarily burdensome to the people of God. The sermon is typically 45-50 minutes long in the morning service, and not three hours long. Again, this is a matter of wisdom. People (at least people in our culture) have a difficult time listening to a sermon that is longer than 45 minutes. The specific time for worship (assuming it is on the Lord’s Day), the place, the language spoken, and the particular order in which we do things are called circumstances of worship. The circumstances may change, but the elements of worship may not. When the church assembles for worship the word of God is to be read and explained, the people of God are to pray and to sing, baptism is to be applied (occasionally as the opportunity arises), and the Lord’s Supper is to be observed. These are the elements of worship under the New Covenant. Not more, and not less. The circumstances may change; the elements must not.
You should know that Christians and churches have different opinions about this. What has just been described to you goes by the name, “the regulative principle of worship”. This is the Reformed view, and it is our view. It is our belief that the scriptures regulate our worship. In Christ, we are free to worship as God has commanded only. And we are forbidden from adding anything to our worship not commanded in the Holy Scriptures.
There is another view, and it goes by the name, “the normative principle of worship”. According to this view, the church is to do what God has commanded in worship but is also free to do whatever is not expressly forbidden. In other words, the only things off-limits are those things that God’s word directly forbids.
Do I need to tell which view is more common today? I think you know. When churches include as elements of worship things like drama, poetry, painting exhibitions, dance, musical performances, and the like, they show that they have adopted the normative principle of worship. They imagine that they are free to do whatever they wish, provided that the scriptures do not forbid it. Think of where that will lead. In fact, the situation is far worse in some churches. Some do incorporate into their worship things forbidden — things like images. And others neglect to do what God has commanded. The reading, preaching, and teaching of God’s word is neglected in many churches. And so too is the proper observation of the Lord’s Supper, to mention a few things. These have forgotten God’s law, which says, “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.” (Deuteronomy 12:32, ESV)
Brothers and sisters, we are not immune from this. We must as a congregation be resolute to “[receive, observe, and keep] pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances, as God has appointed in His Word.” We must be on guard lest we neglect or go beyond what God has commanded. Man has this awful tendency to think that his ways are better than God’s ways. Some have called it “will worship”. We are prone to bow before the altar of our own desires and creativity. We must resist this, brothers and sisters. Instead, we must be eager to submit to God, to receive his word, and to be found faithful in the keeping of it, knowing that his ways are best.
Q. 55. What is required in the second commandment?
A. The second commandment requireth the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances, as God has appointed in His Word. (Deut. 32:46; Matt. 28:20; Deut. 12:32)
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Youth Study Discussion Questions
Feb 23
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Q. 52. What is forbidden in the first commandment?
A. The first commandment forbideth the denying, or not worshipping and glorifying the true God, as God and our God; and the giving that worship and glory to any other, which is due unto Him alone. (Joshua 24:27; Rom. 1:20,21; Ps. 14:1; Rom. 1:25)
Q. 53. What are we especially taught by these words, “before me,” in the first commandment?
A. These words, “before me”, in the first commandment, teach us, that God, who seeth all things, taketh notice of, and is much displeased with the sin of having any other god. (Deut.30:17,18; Ps. 44:20,21; Ps. 90:8)
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, 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. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.” (Romans 1:18–25, ESV)
We have already learned what the first commandment is: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” And we have learned what the first commandment requires. It requires us “to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify Him accordingly.” Now we ask, what does it forbid?
I do love how our catechism handles each of the Ten Commandments with care. First, we are taught what each commandment is, and then with each one, we ask, what does this commandment require?, and finally, what does this commandment forbid?
It’s as if the authors of this catechism took each of the Ten Commandments, set them down on a table, and then walked around them to examine them from multiple vantage points. When you read our catechism you get the impression that those who wrote it considered the Ten Commandments to be very important and worthy of careful consideration. After all, of the 114 questions in our catechism, 41 are devoted to teaching about the Ten Commandments (questions 46-86). That’s almost 40%.
Brothers and sisters, the moral law of God is very important.
By considering it we come to see that we are sinners who need a Savior. In other words, the Spirit of God uses this law to convict us of sin and to drive us to faith in Jesus Christ through the preaching of the gospel.
Furthermore, this law – the moral law – functions as a light to our feet as we walk in a world filled with darkness. It is this law – the moral law – that is written on the hearts of God’s people by the Spirit. And it is this law, written also in Holy Scripture, that shows us the path we should take.
Also, we can also say that God uses this law – the moral (or natural) law – to restrain evil in the world generally. Though there is much evil in the world, men and women are not as evil as they could be, for God is restraining evil now. He restrains evil in many ways. One way is this: a sense of this moral law remains within the hearts even of the unregenerate, who continue to be image bearers of God even after the fall (see Genesis 9:6; Romans 2:12ff).
My point is this: God’s moral law is very important. It remains im[ressed upon the heart of man even after the fall. Though men and women in their sin twist, suppress, and rebel against it, it cannot be extinguished or erased entirely. This moral is written anew and afresh on the hearts of all who have faith in Christ. And those who receive the Holy Scriptures as God’s word have his law in writing. We had better pay attention to what God has said.
So then, what does the first commandment forbid? In other words, what does it tell us not to do? Well, our catechism identifies three things:
One, the first commandment forbids us from denying God. In fact, to deny, or to refuse to acknowledge him as God, is a very great sin.
The scriptures teach us that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight” (Proverbs 9:10, ESV). Wisdom is the art of living life well. And to live well, we must live according to the truth. And here is the most important truth of all: God is. If we wish to be wise – if we wish to live according to the truth – we must start with the fear of the LORD. This means that we must acknowledge the LORD to be the one true God, and to honor him accordingly.
Two, the first commandment forbids us to not worship and glorify God, as God and our God.
I’m afraid that some assume they are keeping the first commandment, which is, “you shall have no other gods before me”, so long as they do not bow to another god besides the LORD. Do you see what I am saying? They assume that as long as they keep themselves from bowing down to another God, then they are guiltless as it pertains to the first commandment. But no, the first commandment does not only forbid us from worshipping other so-called gods, it also forbids us from failing to worship and glorify the one true God. When God says, “you shall have no other God before me”, he must also mean, you shall have me as your God. So then, we sin against him when we fail to acknowledge him, worship him, and glorify him as he has prescribed in his word.
Thirdly, our catechism rightly teaches that the first commandment forbids us from “giving that worship and glory to any other, which is due unto [God] alone.”
Brothers and sisters, please consider how prone we are to do this very thing. It is very, very easy for us to love the things of this world in a way that only God should be loved, to labor for the things of this world and not for God, and to trust in the things of this world instead of God. Think of how prone we are to give the “worship and glory… which is due to God alone” to created things rather than the Creator of all things seen and unseen.
We should remember that this is the human tendency described in the Romans 1 passage that was read earlier. Though God has revealed himself generally to all men, so that all know him (in this general sense – he exists, is powerful, and worthy of worship), men in their sins do “not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts [are] darkened.” They live in sin. “Claiming to be wise, they became fools, [exchanging] the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things…” And here is their fundamental error: the have “exchanged the truth about God for a lie and [worship] and [serve] the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.”
Friends, if you have faith in Christ, you have been washed by his blood, you have been renewed by his Spirit, you have been reconciled to the Father by his finished work, and you have been freed from this bondage to sin. But I think you would agree, we do still struggle with this propensity. Because of the corruptions that remain in us, the temptation that comes from the world around us, and from the Evil One himself, we are still prone to “[worship] and [serve] the creature rather than the Creator…”
Christians stumble when they love their children, their spouses, or their comfort supremely with the kind of love that should be reserved for God alone. Christians stumble when they make money, possessions, a career, and good health their ultimate hope. Christians stumble when they place trust, not in God supremely, but in government, in family, in investments, and in their own plans for the future.
As I set these examples of misplaced faith, hope, and love before you I hope that you can see how easy it is for us to go astray, and to begin “giving that worship and glory… [other people and things], which is due unto [God] alone.”
I’d like to now briefly consider Baptist Catechism 53 with you, and I think it will also give me an opportunity unity to make some clarifying remarks about what I have just said.
Question 53 asks, “What are we especially taught by these words, ‘before me,’ in the first commandment?” This is a great question. The first commandment is, “you shall have no other god’s before me”, and here our catechism is asking, what is meant by the words “before me”.
The word “before” can be interpreted in two ways. First, it can mean “above” or in a “higher position or place”. If I say that Sally finished the race before Jimmy I mean that Sally finished in a higher place than Jimmy – maybe in first place! And if that were the meaning of the word “before”, then the first commandment would have this sense: you shall not have any gods above me or in a higher position than me. And if this were the meaning of the word “before” then some might think it is OK to have other gods besides the LORD, so long as they are placed under or beneath him somehow..
But the word “before” can also mean before my face, or, in front of me and within my view. If you go to a restaurant and order a meal, at some point the waiter or waitress will bring out your meal and set it before you. Used in this way, the word “before” does not mean above, or in a higher position, but in front of, or within your sight and presence.
Clearly, this second sense is the sense in which the word “before” is used in the first commandment. The Hebrew original is more clear than the English. Also, the rest of the scriptures make it quite clear that the LORD is not merely to be honored as the highest of many gods, but rather he is to be honored as the only true God, the Creator of all things seen and unseen. Isaiah 46:9 states the matter clearly. There the LORD says, “remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me…” (Isaiah 46:9, ESV).
Our catechism is right to answer the question, “What are we especially taught by these words, ‘before me,’ in the first commandment?” in this way: “These words, ‘before me’, in the first commandment, teach us, that God, who seeth all things, taketh notice of, and is much displeased with the sin of having any other god.” Deuteronomy 30:17-18, Psalm 44:20-21, and Psalm 90:8 are listed as proof texts, and they clarify that this is the sense of the word “before” in the first commandment.
Now for a word of clarification. The first commandment forbids us from having any other gods except the one true God, the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth. We are to love him alone, as God. We are to worship and serve him alone, as God. We are to trust in him alone, as God. We are to delight in him and glorify him alone, as God.
But let me ask you this. Does the first commandment require us to love God only, to serve God only, to trust God only, and to enjoy God only? Answer: Clearly, no. We are to love one another, are we not? Husbands and wives are to love one another – the Scriptures are very clear about this. And the Scriptures also command us to serve one another. Are we not to trust one another? And are we not also permitted to enjoy the good things of this life – food and drink, family and friends, along with every other good thing in this world, within its proper bounds? Yes, we are.
So how then can we love our spouse, our children, and our brothers and sisters in Christ without slipping into idolatry? The answer is twofold: One, we must love them with the right kind of love – we must love them as creatures and not as if they were the Creator. God is to be loved as God. And things of this world are to be loved in an appropriate way, as creatures. Two, when we love the created things – our spouse, children, family, friends or any other things – we must love them to the glory of God. The same can be said about service, trust, and the enjoyment of earthly things. God is to be served, trusted, and enjoyed supremely as God, and the things of this earth are to be served, trusted, and enjoyed as creatures and to the glory of God.
I say this because I want you to know that loving God and loving other people and things are not in conflict with each other. God alone must be loved, worshipped, and served, and everything else must be loved in its proper way as creatures, and gifts from God, and to the glory of God.
Q. 52. What is forbidden in the first commandment?
A. The first commandment forbideth the denying, or not worshipping and glorifying the true God, as God and our God; and the giving that worship and glory to any other, which is due unto Him alone. (Joshua 24:27; Rom. 1:20,21; Ps. 14:1; Rom. 1:25)
Q. 53. What are we especially taught by these words, “before me,” in the first commandment?
A. These words, “before me”, in the first commandment, teach us, that God, who seeth all things, taketh notice of, and is much displeased with the sin of having any other god. (Deut.30:17,18; Ps. 44:20,21; Ps. 90:8)
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“For I am the LORD who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” (Leviticus 11:45, ESV)
“So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.’ So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,’ and ‘A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.’ They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” (1 Peter 2:1–12, 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.
Brothers and sisters, this little sermon series on the doctrine of the church is very important. If we are going to thrive together as a church on into the future, then we had better know what we are.
In this brief sermon series on the church, I am not focusing on the particulars. The particular do matter. How, specifically, is the church to be governed? How is discipline to be done? How is the church to worship? These are important questions that need to be addressed. But in this series, we are considering the nature, purpose, and characteristics of Christ’s church in a more generic way, and we are doing so utilizing the imagery of the temple.
Christ’s church is God’s temple. Its foundation is the apostles and prophets with Christ as the cornerstone (Ephesians 2:19-22). It stones are people, chosen by God, and made alive by his Spirit. These are graciously brought to faith in Christ. The rest upon him as their foundation for the forgiveness of sins and for eternal life. They align with his teaching and way of life (1 Peter 2:4-5). And the purpose of this spiritual, inaugurated eschatological temple of God is to worship God and to “proclaim the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9, ESV).
Today we turn our attention to the character or quality of Christ’s temple-church. And what is the character or quality of Christ’s temple-church? She is holy. To be holy is to be set apart unto God. To be holy is to be free from the defilement of sin. To be holy is to be morally upright and pure. God is holy, and only those who are holy are able to draw near to him in his holy temple. This was true under the Old Covenant in an earthly and typological way. Only the priests who were set apart unto the service of God were invited to draw near, and only after washing in water and not with animal blood. If the Old Covenant tabernacle and temple were holy, and if no unclean thing was permitted to enter in, how much more must we consider the New Covenant temple of God, which is the inaugurated eschatological new creation temple of God, to be holy? To enter in, you must be holy. To be placed as a living stone within this temple, you must be pure. Paul alludes to this truth in 1 Corinthians 3:16. Speaking the church in Corinth he says, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys [defiles, corrupts] God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple” (1 Corinthians 3:16–17, ESV).
This presents a problem, for no human being is holy, in and of themselves with the exception of Christ.
To understand how sinful people (like you and me) can possibly be set as stones in God’s holy temple, two things must be said.
Firstly, the stones of God’s new creation temple are those who have been made holy by the shed blood of Christ. If we are in Christ – that is to say, if we are united to him by the grace of God through faith – then we have been made holy.
We are not holy in and of ourselves. Paul testifies to this when he quotes a slew of Old Testament passages including Psalms 14 and 53, saying, “‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.’ ‘Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.’ ‘The venom of asps is under their lips.’ ‘Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.’ ‘Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.’ ‘There is no fear of God before their eyes’” (Romans 3:10–18, ESV). He then remarks, “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:19–20, ESV). Stated in the terms of holiness, no one is holy. All are unholy. And if we really understood God’s moral law, we would see this clearly.
So then, by nature and because of our sinful corruption and sinful thoughts, words, and deeds, we are not worthy, in and of ourselves, to be set as stones in God’s holy temple. Now that man is fallen into sin, we are not worthy by nature to draw near to God in his holy temple. Like Adam and Eve after they rebelled, we deserve to be cast out, banish, and barred from God’s temple forever. But we know that God has made a way for us to be cleansed so that we might draw near.
This cleansing was typified under the Old Covenant at the tabernacle and later temple by the water of the bronze laver and the blood of bulls and goats. The people of Isarel were invited to draw near to God in his holy temple through the priesthood. These priests were washed with the water. These priests had their guilt atoned for by the blood of animals. They drew near to God as representatives of the nation. But we know that that water did not actually wash away sin. The blood did not actually remove guilt. Yes, it cleansed the people ceremonially and on earth, but really and truly before God in heaven. Pick up the book of Hebrews and read if you need to be convinced of this! No, but the water and the blood of the Old Covenant did point forward to the water and blood which flowed from Christ’s side. It is through faith in him that we have true and eternal cleansing, for his blood was poured out for the forgiveness of many (Matthew 26:28).
The living stones out of which God’s eternal temple is being built are not naturally holy. Adam and Eve were holy when God created them, but they rebelled. In that moment they lost their original righteousness. And all who descended from them are not holy but are born in sin (Psalm 51:5) and are by nature children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3). We are naturally holy. No, instead we are defiled and impure.
How then can a sinful, defiled person draw near to the Holy God in his holy temple? How can one who is corrupted be set as a living stone in the holy temple of the LORD? They must be made holy. They must be cleansed. Friends, the blood of Jesus is the only thing that can remove the scarlet stain of sin and make us white as snow before God.
This cleansing was offered to sinners in Old Testament times through the promise of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the types and shadows of the Old Mosaic Covenant, and also prophesy. For example, the LORD spoke through Isaiah the prophet, saying, “Come now, let us reason together… though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool” (Isaiah 1:18, ESV).
The New Testament Scriptures plainly declare that this cleansing is available through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
I think of 1 John 1:5ff. “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:5–10, ESV).
I think also of 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. Here Paul reminds the Christians in Corinth of their past life of sin before placing their faith in Christ and of the cleansing they have received. He says, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9–11, ESV).
Here Paul reminds the Corinthian Christians of what they once were and what they now are. You used to be all of these vile things, “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” When were they washed, sanctified (set apart positionally), and justified (declared not guilty by God in heaven)? The moment they were drawn to faith in Jesus through the hearting of the gospel and by the working of the Spirit of our God.
Brothers and sisters, the stones of God’s new creation temple must be holy and pure, free from the defilement of sin. And the only way for these stones to be holy is for God to make them holy by applying the blood of Christ to them. If we are to be holy before God, we must be cleansed. We must be washed. We must be justified and renewed. Our filthy defiled garments must be removed, and we must be clothed with Christ’s righteousness. All of this is received by faith in Christ alone. It is a gift freely given by God, and as a gift, it cannot be earned but must be received.
So then, the first thing that must be said is this: the stones of God’s new creation temple are those who have been made holy by the shed blood of Christ. Secondly, the stones of God’s new creation temple will pursue holiness in their way of life. Stated differently, they will strive to be holy because they have been made holy.
Brothers and sisters, the order is very important. We do not strive to be holy in order to be made holy before God. No, having been made holy (by God’s grace and through faith in Christ) we do then strive to live a holy life before him. To state the matter in different theological terms, justification leads to progressive sanctification flows out of justification, not the other way around. Or, to quote John, “We love because [God] first loved us” (1 John 4:19, ESV). God does not love us because we took the initiative to love him. No, it is God who takes the initiative. It is God who first does a work in us to cleanse and renew us. And then we worship and serve him in response to his love and grace and in the power and freedom of the new life that he has given to us through our Spirit-wrought union to Christ Jesus.
We must get the order right. To get the order wrong means that we do not understand nor believe the gospel. The gospel is not be holy to be made right with God. The gospel is that God makes all who trust in Christ holy. This is by his grace. This gift is received by faith. And those who are made holy will certainly strive to be holy in their way of life, because God has cleansed them, renewed them in the mind, will, and affections, freed them from bondage, and empowered them with his Spirit.
With this clarification stated (so as to protect the gospel and to guard against the error of legalism) it must now be stressed, that God’s people will indeed strive after holiness. Consider seven things about striving after holiness.
One, the Scriptures command God’s people to strive for holiness. We need not leave 1 Peter to see this. In chapter 1:3-5, Peter blesses “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! [Who] According to his great mercy… has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for [us], who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3–5, ESV). Notice the emphasis is first placed upon what God has done for us. And then in 1:13 he says, “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:13–16, ESV).
And consider also 1 Peter 2, which have been considered together in this series. It is here that the church is described in “temple” language. And at the beginning and end of this passage, holiness is urged. Look at 2:1: “So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:1–3, ESV). And look at 2:11: “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:11–12, ESV). As I have said, those who have been made holy (by God’s grace) will strive for holiness. The Scriptures command it.
Two, the Scriptures warn those who would claim to be Christians who do not pursue holiness. These ought not to have confidence that they are children of God, for their deeds contradict their profession of faith.
Consider Jesus’ words as recorded in Matthew 7:21: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:21–23, ESV). Does this passage teach that we must earn our way into heaven through law-keeping? No! But it does teach that there are some (even many), who call Jesus “Lord” and do not mean it. Tell me, if Jesus is truly a person’s Lord and Savior, will they strive to obey their Lord, or not? Yes. Those who truly have Jesus as Lord will long to obey him. They will pursue holiness, that is to say, obedience to Christ’s commands.
1 John 2:3-6 also comes to mind: “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” (1 John 2:3–6, ESV)
Three, though it is true that God’s people will strive after holiness, it is also true that they will not reach perfection until the life to come. Corruptions remain within us. The world tempts us from with out. The Evil one also works against us. Sanctification is a process. Those who have faith in Christ will pursue holiness. They ought to progress in holiness. But sinless perfection will be enjoyed by us only in the life to come.
Our confession of faith speaks to this beautifully in chapter 9, which is entitled, Of Free Will. Paragraph 4 stays, “When God converts a sinner, and translates him into the state of grace, he frees him from his natural bondage under sin, and by his grace alone enables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good; yet so as that by reason of his remaining corruptions, he does not perfectly, nor only will that which is good, but does also will that which is evil.” Paragraph 5 then says, “This will of man is made perfectly and immutably free to good alone in the state of glory only.”
Romans 7 proves the point true Christians still struggle with sin. There Paul the apostles talks about his own struggle with sin. At one point he says, “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (Romans 7:19, ESV). And then he says, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24, ESV).
Four, a believer’s confidence that they are indeed a child of God and have been forgiven by him must first be grounded in Jesus Christ and in the truth of the gospel. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, ESV), the Scriptures say. Do you trust in Christ truly? Do you look to his shed blood for cleansing? Well, here is the objective and unshakable foundation for our sense of assurance. It is the work of Christ! It is finished. But there are two other things that testify in a subjective way to the fact that we are indeed children of God. One, God’s Spirit testifies to our souls. That is Paul speaks of in Romans 8:16, saying, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God…” (Romans 8:16, ESV). And the fruit of our obedience is also a sign of our genuineness. This is what John speaks of in 1 John 2:3: “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments” (1 John 2:3, ESV).
So then, if I were to approach you, Christian, and ask you, how do you know that you are saved? How do you know that your sins are forgiven? What should your first response be? I know that I am right with God because of what Jesus Christ did for me? He lived for sinners, died for sinners, and rose for sinners. God’s Word says that I’m forgiven if I trust in him. I trust in him indeed. And more then this, God’s Spirit is in me and reminds me that I am God’s child. And more than this, I am growing in holiness. I am progressing in sanctification. And when I sin, God’s Spirit convicts me and calls me back. And I know that God disciplines those he loves.
This issue of confidence or assurance is an interesting one. There are some who are confident that they are God’s children when they should not be, for they are hypocrites. There is no fruit or evidence that they are a child of God. And yet there are others who ought to have assurance who do not. Perhaps these are plagued by a tender conscience or by some other thing. These need to be reminded of the truth of the gospel – “whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. These also need to be reminded that true Christians do sometimes fall into sin. No one is perfect. It is our ongoing pursuit of holiness, our progress, and our positive response to the discipline of the Lord in repentance, that are pieces of evidence that we are indeed children of God. Indeed, it is through this pursuit of holiness and through progress that we make our calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10).
Five, believers are to strive after holiness but not with their own strength alone. No, we must strive with the strength that God provides. And we are to strive making use of the means that God has provided for our growth in grace. We must abide in Christ to produce godly fruit. And we must partake of the ordinary means of grace – the word of God read and preached, prayer, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper. These are all to be administered when the saints assemble to fellowship with one another. Strive for holiness with everything that is in you, but not in your strength alone. Paul wrote to the Philippians, saying, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling…” (Philippians 2:12, ESV).
Six, Christians are not to strive after holiness alone but must pursue it within the church. There Christians are to encourage one another and stir one another up. “[S]ince we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And 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 10:21–25, ESV).
Seven, as we strive after holiness in the church we must not despise discipline. Discipline is such an important part of the Christian life. And please hear me: before discipline is formal and corrective (Matthew 18, 1 Corinthians 5:11, etc.), it is organic and formative. God disciplines his people continuously because he loves them. And God’s people are to exhort, encourage, and correct one another continuously, because they love God and one another. Paul wrote to the Thesolonian church, saying, “Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all” (1 Thessalonians 5:13–14, ESV). To the churches in Galatia he said, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1–2, ESV). Formative discipline is not the job of the elders only. Every member should be concerned to encourage others in the temple of Christ in their pursuit of holiness.
God’s temple is holy, brothers and sisters, and you are that temple. The stones of God’s new creation temple are those who have been made holy by the shed blood of Christ. These will pursue holiness in their way of life, for God has cleansed them, renewed them, freed them, and is sanctifying them still.
Feb 23
5
The sermon manuscript is available at emmausrbc.org/category/sermons
Sermon Notes And Worship Guide
Active Listener Guide For Children
Youth Study Discussion Questions
Jan 23
22
“In you, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame! In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me, and save me! Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man. For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth. Upon you I have leaned from before my birth; you are he who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you. I have been as a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge. My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day. Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent. For my enemies speak concerning me; those who watch for my life consult together and say, ‘God has forsaken him; pursue and seize him, for there is none to deliver him.’ O God, be not far from me; O my God, make haste to help me! May my accusers be put to shame and consumed; with scorn and disgrace may they be covered who seek my hurt. But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge. With the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD I will come; I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone. O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come. Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you? You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. You will increase my greatness and comfort me again. I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed. And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long, for they have been put to shame and disappointed who sought to do me hurt.” (Psalm 71, ESV)
“So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.’ So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,’ and ‘A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.’ They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” (1 Peter 2:1–12, 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.
Brother and sisters, I want you to see that Christ’s church is glorious.
From an earthly and unbelieving perspective, the church of Jesus Christ does not seem to be glorious. Christ’s churches are often small, poor, powerless, and even persecuted in the world. Those who look in upon the church with natural and unbelieving eyes, will not see her glory but will consider her to be weak, insignificant, and even foolish. But those with eyes to see – that is to say, those who can see how things really are with eyes of faith – will perceive that the church of Jesus Christ is in fact glorious.
The church is glorious because her builder is glorious. And who is the builder of the church except for God the Father himself. He is building his church through Christ his Son, and by the Spirit. The church is glorious because her builder is glorious.
Two, the church is glorious because her foundation is glorious. And what is the foundation of God’s temple-church? It is not made of stone or precious metal. No, Christ himself is the foundation. He is the cornerstone. And alongside him are set the apostles and prophets who have testified authoritatively concerning him. The church is glorious because she has a precious and glorious foundation.
Three, the church is glorious because her stones are glorious. And what are the stones of God’s temple-church. They are not literal stones, but living stones. The stones of God’s temple-church are people made alive through the hearing of the gospel of Jesus Christ and by the working of the Spirit. The stones of God’s temple-church are those who have believed in Christ. These are those who have aligned with him. These, by the grace of God, and by the working of the Spirit, have faith in Christ and have been washed by his blood. The church is glorious because her stones are glorious. They are living stones made alive by the Spirit.
Four, the church is glorious because her destiny is glorious. The tabernacle and temple of Old were grand and glorious structures. Indeed, the glory of God did fill them. And indeed, they were used by God in a glorious way, for a time. But they were designed to pass away. Those earthly structures were designed to give way to Christ, his new covenant, his finished work, and his eternal reward. There is no physical tabernacle or temple under the New Covenant. There will be no tabernacle of cloth or temple of stone in the new heavens and earth when Christ returns. Those structures will have no purpose or place there. But God’s spiritual temple-church is here now and she will be present in the new heavens and earth too. Christ, our cornerstone will be there. The apostles and prophets will be there. And every living stone that God has chosen and called to faith in Christ will be there too. Then, the glory of God will fill all, and we will behold his glory. And so I say, the church is glorious, for she is eternal. The temple-church that God the Father is now building through the Son and by the Spirit is eternal for it will be brought to completion in the new heavens and earth, which is the eternal state.
Five, the church is glorious because her purpose is glorious. And that is what I would like to talk about today – the glorious purpose of God’s inaugurated temple-chruch.
And what is the purpose of the church? Why does she exist? Or better yet, for what reason does she exist?
I hope you can see why this is an important question. Every institution exists for a purpose. And those who wish to understand the institution, or to be a part of it in a meaningful way, or to see to its flourishing, had better understand its purpose.
A man and a woman would be wise to ask the question, what is the purpose of marriage?, before entering into the institution of marriage. I would argue that a lot of marriage troubles stem from a misunderstanding of what the purpose of marriage is. Our confession speaks to the purpose of marriage when it says, “Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of husband and wife, for the increase of mankind with a legitimate issue, and the preventing of uncleanness” (2LCF 25.2). That simple statement is true and helpful.
Similarly, a person would be wise to ask the question, what is the purpose of government?, before entering into public service. Our confession speaks to the purpose of government with these words: “God, the supreme Lord and King of all the world, hath ordained civil magistrates to be under him, over the people, for his own glory and the public good; and to this end hath armed them with the power of the sword, for defence and encouragement of them that do good, and for the punishment of evil doers. A great deal of the problems that exist in government would be cleared up if men and women would first ask the question, what is the purpose of this institution?
Of course, when I speak of the institutions of marriage and family, and of the civil government, I am speaking of things that have been instituted (created, established, set into motion) by God. God instituted marriage and the family in the beginning. And God has instituted civil authority (see Genesis 9:5-7, Romans 13:1-7). Ultimately, these are not institutions created by man, but of God. And so it is he, and not we, who has established their purposes. We, as his creatures, are to receive these institutions and submit to God’s design for them, as revealed in nature, and much more clearly in Scripture. When we ignore God’s word concerning his design and purposes for these institutions, we ruin them because we misuse them.
Now, the institutions of marriage and the family and of the civil authority are common to all men and women living in all times and places. The leaders of nations and all who live within them ought to be concerned to maintain these common institutions and to encourage their flourishing. They will flourish only when we submit ourselves to God’s design for them as revealed in nature, and much more clearly in Scripture. But the church is not common to all. No, it is only those who trust in Christ and who are aligned with him as their foundation who are a part of the church. And the government of the church has not been entrusted to civil authorities. Ought the civil authorities to leave men free to worship God? And ought they to even desire to see God worshiped in their realms? Yes! But they have not been entrusted with church power. No, the church has Christ alone as Head and Lord. And he has given authority to his churches. In brief, elders are to lovingly rule, lead, shepherd, and oversee. Deacons are to serve. And members are to freely submit to the loving rule of the elders as they use their various gifts for the building of the body of Christ in love. But who, I ask you, is head of the church? Answer: God is. And he rules the church through Christ.
Listen to our confession on this point: “The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church, in whom, by the appointment of the Father, all power for the calling, institution, order or government of the church, is invested in a supreme and sovereign manner…” (2LCF 26.4) Who is the Lord and Head of the Church? Christ is. Who is building the church? Christ is. Who has instituted the church? Christ has. Who orders and governs the church? Answer: God, through Christ the Lord.
To state the matter very directly, it is not up to us to decide what the church is. No, God has revealed it. He has told us who the only foundation of his church is: Christ the Lord, and the Apostles and prophets who have testified concerning him. God has revealed who the stones of his temple-church are: they are those that trust in and align with Christ. And he has told us what the purpose of his church is. One, the purpose of the church is to worship God. Two, the purpose of the church is to proclaim the excellencies of him who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Let us now consider the purpose of the church under these two headings.
One, the purpose of the church is to worship God.
The fact that the church is called God’s temple makes it clear that she exists for worship. God redeemed Israel from Egypt, he entered into a covenant with them, and then he commanded that they build his tabernacle, which was a portable temple. Temples are for worship. And so we may say that Israel was redeemed to worship the Lord.
And the same is true for all who have been redeemed by Christ, but in a much greater way. Christ has redeemed his elect from the domain of darkness. He brings them to faith and into the Covenant of Grace by the preaching of his word and by the working of his Spirit. He then adds these as living stones to his ever-expanding eternal temple. Temples are for worship. You have been redeemed to worship, brothers and sisters.
This is what Peter says in that passage we read earlier. 1 Peter 2:4: “As you come to [Christ], a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:4–5, ESV).
So then, those who come to Christ and receive him by faith are both being built up into a spiritual house and they become a holy priesthood. And for what? “…to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
What are these “sacrifices”, are what makes them “acceptable to God?”
Let us address the last question first. What makes these sacrifices “acceptable to God”?
One, they are acceptable to God when they are offered up “through Jesus Christ”, that is to say, through faith in him and by his mediation.
Two, these sacrifices are acceptable to God when they are offered up by the working of the Spirit. That is what “spiritual” means here. It does not mean “invisible”, though it is true that these sacrifices are often invisible, especially when compared with the physical and tangible sacrifices of the Old Covenant. No, spiritual does not mean invisible here, but Spirit empowered.
Three (and this is somewhat related to what was just mentioned) these sacrifices are acceptable to God when they are offered up to God up from the heart.
Do you remember how Cain’s sacrifice was rejected while his brother Abel’s was received by God? What was the difference? It was the heart. Cain’s heart was far from God, as his actions proved. But Abel’s heart was true. As Hebrews 11:4 says, “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks” (Hebrews 11:4, ESV).
And do not forget King David’s famous words in Psalm 51. He sang to the Lord, saying, “For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:16–17, ESV).
To worship God in an acceptable way is to worship him, one, through faith in Christ, two, having been made alive by the Spirit, and three, from a heart filled with love and thanksgiving.
And what are these sacrifices that we are to offer up now under the New Covenant? Not the blood of bulls and goats, not an offering of grain, drink, or incense. No, we are to offer ourselves up to God as living sacrifices, as Paul famously says in Romans 12:1ff. This means that we are to worship God with all that we are. We are to love him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.
In particular, when God’s people assemble, they are to, one, worship the Lord by listening attentively to the word of God read and preached. We are to receive God’s word by faith. We are to examine ourselves by the light of the Scriptures. And we are to resolve to obey the Scriptures in thought, word, and deed.
Two, God’s people are to worship him through prayer. “Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God, by the assistance of the Holy Spirit, for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, believing, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of His mercies” (Baptist Catechism, 105). Prayer, alongside the reading and preaching of the Scriptures, is an element of New Covenant worship.
Three, God’s people are to worship him by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Listen to what Paul wrote to the church in Colossae. “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:15–17, ESV). Notice two things about singing. One, there is a sense in which we sing to one another in the church. We sing to one another because we are to sing the Word of God, that is to say, the truth of Holy Scripture. One of the ways that “the word of Christ [will] dwell… richly” in a congregation is through the singing of songs that are true to Scripture. Two, there is a sense in which singing in the church is prayer, for we sing to God the Father through faith in Christ the Son, and by the Holy Spirit. I wonder if you have thought of our singing in this way. When we sing we encourage one another with the word. And when we sing, we pray to God in unity in a melodious and harmonious way. Singing is an element of New Covenant worship.
Four, God’s people are to worship him by observing the sacraments, or ordinances, that Christ has given to the church. There are two: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper ought to be observed weekly (Luke 24:35, Acts 2:42, Acts 20:7, etc.). Baptism ought to be administered whenever the Lord blesses us with an opportunity. The administration of baptism and the observance of the Lord’s Supper are elements of New Covenant worship.
The Old Covenant had its elements for worship. And the New Testament has elements of its own.
Second London 22.5 identifies these elements of worship when it says, “The reading of the Scriptures, preaching, and hearing the Word of God, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord; as also the administration of baptism, and the Lord’s Supper, are all parts of religious worship of God, to be performed in obedience to him, with understanding, faith, reverence, and godly fear…”
You have been redeemed to worship, brothers and sisters. And yes, it is true that we are to worship God always and with all that we are as individuals privately, in families, and as we go about our lives in society. But here in this sermon our concern is the corporate. God has not redeemed you to worship merely as an individual, nor merely as a family, but corporately, Lord’s Day after Lord’s Day. This is why the scriptures warn against neglecting the assembly. This is why so much ink is spilled in the New Testament concerning the church. And this is why the church is described in corporate terms: the church is God’s kingdom, God’s flock, and God’s temple – you, brothers and sisters, are the living stones, and you were made to worship.
The second purpose of the church is to proclaim the excellencies of him who has called us out of darkness and into his marvelous light.
I have not left much time to elaborate on this point. Lord willing, we will return to this idea in a sermon in the not-too-distant future. For now, let us simply acknowledge that this is what Peter says in 2:9: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9, ESV).
The purpose of the church is to worship. And the purpose of the church is also to proclaim.
To proclaim is to declare or announce. To proclaim is to publish abroad.
And what is the church to proclaim? Answer: “the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9, ESV)
What is meant by “excellencies”. One who is excellent is great, glorious, good and praiseworthy.
And who is this excellent one? It is God. The purpose of the church is to worship. And the purpose of the church is to proclaim the excellencies of God. In particular, we are to proclaim the excellencies of the work the Father has done through Christ his Son and by his Spirit, to call us out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
To whom is this proclamation to be made? We are to proclaim the excellencies of God the Father and of the redemption he has accomplished through his Son and applied by his Spirit, to one another, to our children, to those who do not yet believe who are in our midst, to our friends, family and neighbors, and even to the ends of the earth.
Those who are in Christ have been called “out of darkness into God’s marvelous light.” And we are to be a light in the darkness, therefore. As Paul says, “for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8, ESV)
I began this sermon by saying, I want you to see that Christ’s church is glorious.
In order to see her glory and her beauty, you will need eyes of faith. Natural eyes will not do.
I pray that God would give you eyes to see the church is glorious because her builder is glorious, her stones are glorious, her destiny is glorious, and her purpose is glorious. I pray that God would give you the wisdom to see that the glory of Christ’s church is not superficial – no, it is spiritual and substantial. There are many counterfeit churches, brothers and sisters, that for one reason or another appear to be glorious on the surface. But if its builder is not God – if its foundation is not Christ – if its stones are not living stones made alive by God’s word and Spirit, and if its purpose is not worship and the proclamation of the excellencies of God and Christ, then its destiny is not eternal life, but eternal condemnation.
Christ’s church is glorious to the extent that she possesses these characteristics, qualities, and purposes. She is glorious to the extent that she trusts in Christ, submits to God and to his word, and lives for his glory. May the Lord help us to think with clarity concerning the church, and may we grow to love her more and more. Indeed, Christ loved the church and gave up his life for her. May we love the church because we love our Savior and all that he loves. May we love the church because we love our God who has called “us out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9, ESV)
"Him we proclaim,
warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom,
that we may present everyone mature in Christ."
(Colossians 1:28, ESV)
