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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.
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Hemet, CA 92544
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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.
Jan 23
22
The sermon manuscript is available at emmausrbc.org/category/sermons
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Jan 23
15
“The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord GOD, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the LORD.” So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD.”” (Ezekiel 37:1–14, 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.
In this brief series, we are considering the church as it exists in the world today under the New Covenant, and we are doing so according to the theme of “temple”. As you know, the church is called the temple of God in the New Testament, and so we are taking a bit of time to consider the implications of that.
In the previous sermon, we considered the foundation of God’s temple-church. The foundation is not made of stone but is Christ. Or to say it another way, the foundation of God’s inaugurated eternal temple is the apostles and prophets with Christ as the cornerstone. God’s temple is not physical. It is spiritual. Its foundation stones are people filled with God’s Spirit. The apostles and prophets are said to be foundation stones in this temple, not because of anything in themselves, but because of the message they proclaimed. And who did they proclaim ultimately? They proclaimed salvation through Christ, the promised Messiah, the One Anointed by God with the Spirit beyond measure. The foundation of God’s inaugurated eternal temple is Christ. The clear implication is this: all who are a part of God’s temple now, and all who hope to be a part of God’s temple in the new heavens and earth, must be aligned with Christ and they must also trust in him or depend upon him, for he is the only foundation of God’s eternal temple. Stated in another way, it will only be those who are aligned with Christ and who trust in him as their eternal foundation who enjoy the glorious and gracious presence of God forever and ever in the new heavens and earth.
Today, we will shift our attention from the foundation of God’s inaugurated eternal temple, to the stones of this temple. Like with the foundation, the stones of God’s temple are not made of stone. No, they are people. This is about God’s presence, brothers and sisters. This is about God dwelling in the midst of his people. This was even the point in those days when the tabernacle, and later the temple of God, was constructed by Old Covenant Isarel. Those physical structures were not made because God needed shelter. And neither were they made in order to make communion with God possible for people. No physical structure was needed in Eden, remember? Nor was a physical structure necessary from the days of Adam to Moses. Men walked with God in those days, and they did not have a physical structure to contain God’s presence. And we know that in the New Heavens and earth, there will be no physical tabernacle of cloth or temple of stone. No, all of God’s renewed creation will be his tabernacle. There in that renewed creation, God will dwell in the midst of his people, and his people who have been redeemed by the blood of the lamb will dwell with him – we will enjoy his presence. The physical tabernacle and the physical temple of Old Covenant Israel were not needed to make communion with God possible. No, but they were graciously given to Israel, one, to facilitate the form of worship that was given to them, and two, to function as signs or symbols concerning God in heaven, the way that he had made for men to approach him, and the work that he would do through the Christ in the future to earn a new creation.
Do not misinterpret (as so many have) the purpose of the Old Covenant tabernacle and temple, brothers and sisters. To use the language of Paul in Galatians 3:19, they were “added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made…” (Galatians 3:19, ESV). The tabernacle, and later temple, along with all of the laws unique to Old Covenant Israel, were added for a time until the promised Christ was brought into the world through Israel to accomplish his work of redemption. And when he came, he declared the temple – the physical, Old Covenant temple in Jerusalem to be desolate and obsolete. Christ declared the temple to be desolate and obsolete, not because he was against the temple, but because, now that he, the Messiah, had come to accomplish redemption and to inaugurate the New Covenant, the temple of Old had served its purpose.
And listen to this: with the transition from the Old Covenant to the New there did also come a change in the law, in the priesthood, and with the temple. The temple of Old was made of cloth, stone, and precious earthly things. The New Covenant temple is spiritual. Its foundation is the Anointed Christ along with the apostles and prophets who testified concerning him. And its stones are all who align with Christ and trust in Christ who have been made alive and filled with God’s Holy Spirit .“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16, ESV).
I’d like you to imagine being a Jewish-Christian living in the days when Jesus walked the earth and shortly thereafter. Growing up, you would have worshipped at the temple in Jerusalem and lived according to all of the ceremonial laws of Moses. But when Jesus, the Messiah arrived, he set all of those things to the side, because he fulfilled them. Imagine how difficult that transition would be. And it was a transition. The Old forms slowly passed away as they gave way to the New. The book of Acts tells that story. And by the year 70 A.D. that glorious temple in Jerusalem was gone. The Romans destroyed it. They tore it down to its foundation just like Jesus said they would (Matthew 24). That must have been a very jarring experience even for the Jewish Christians. They must have wrestled emotionally with a sense of loss.
But was it really a loss? Answer: No! For something much, much greater had arrived. Christ arrived. And by his finished work, a new creation had entered in. It was then that the Spirit of God was poured out on all flesh. It was then that God’s eternal kingdom was inaugurated. It was then that God’s eternal temple was begun. No doubt, those Jewish Christians who lived during this time of transition wrestled emotionally with a sense of loss. But if their faith in Christ was true, they would have confessed that there was no loss, but only gain.
Indeed, the book of Hebrews is all about this. And Paul’s words to the Philippians definitely apply. He was thinking of everything he had left behind to as a Jew according to the flesh to follow Christ when he said, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:8–11, ESV). Once Paul saw Jesus for who he was, all of the fleshly, earthly things associated with Old Covenant Judaism seemed like rubbish to him. And this would have applied to the earthly temple too. As grand and glorious as that structure was (and it was very grand and glorious!) it was nothing in comparison to the surpassing worth of Christ, his covenant, kingdom, and temple.
I’ve asked you to use your imagination and to try to see all of this through the eyes of a Jewish Christian living in the days after Christ’s ascension so that you might enter into the struggle of considering that which is spiritual and invisible as being far superior to that what is physical and even gloriously so.
Brothers and sisters, many of these first churches were very small. They would have assembled in rather humble buildings, sometimes in homes, and sometimes in rented halls. And we know that these churches were often persecuted, sometimes severely. That would have tested the faith of many, don’t you think? I’m sure that many from amongst the Jews were tempted to turn their backs on Christ and return to the well-established and visibly glorious ways of Old Covenant Judaism. This would have been especially tempting prior to the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. But those who knew and truly believed that Christ was far superior and that he had come in fulfillment to these visible and earthly things, persevered in Christ. They, like Paul, counted “everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus [their] Lord. For his sake [they]… suffered the loss of all things and [counted] them as rubbish, in order that [they might] gain Christ and be found in him…” (Philippians 3:8ff.).
And I mention all of this, not only to encourage you to imagine how things must have been for these early Christians so that you might sympathize with them but so that you might also see that we wrestle with similar thoughts and emotions in our day. I doubt that any here are mourning over the loss of the temple in Jerusalem or longing in their hearts to see it rebuilt. No, but I’m confident that many of us have struggled with the spirituality of the church and her apparent weakness and insignificance in the world in this New Covenant era.
The church, like her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, often appears to be small, weak, and insignificant in the world. There have been times when the church has thrived both physically and spiritually, externally and inwardly. But those times have been rare in the history of the church. And in many cases, the worldly prosperity of the visible church is not a sign of inwards and spiritual health, but of spiritual sickness and compromise. Brothers and sisters, Christ’s church often suffers. She often appears to be weak and insignificant. And I would imagine that many of you have noticed this and have struggled with it, somewhat. How do we interpret the weakness and the suffering of Christ’s church? How do we interpret the church’s apparent insignificance in this world? If Christ, his covenant, kingdom, and temple are truly better than that of the Old, then why don’t we see its glory? The early church wrestled with these questions as the Old gave way to the New. And I would argue that we struggle with these questions too but in a different way. Given our sound doctrine on this point, we may not mourn the loss of the temple in Jerusalem or wish for its rebuilding. But it is possible that we have erred by equating the health and prosperity of Christ’s church with earthly prosperity, power, and glory. If this is the case, then it is our perspective that needs to change. We need to the church with eyes of faith. We need to see her as spiritual. We need to see her as the humble inauguration of something that will be consummated in glory in the future. Stated simply, the church is like her Lord. First, he humbled himself and suffered for us, even to the point of death on the cross, and then he was exalted in glory. And so too, the church will share in Christ’s sufferings, and then she will be raised to glory when Christ returns to make all things new. Those who know this and believe this will persevere in the faith. Those who do not know this or believe this sincerely will be severely tempted to turn their backs on Christ when faced with suffering, because they love this world and things of this world.
In fact, God’s temple-church is glorious. Those who have been given eyes to see can see its glory and its beauty. Christ himself is the foundation of this glorious temple, and it is those he has redeemed by shed blood who are its stones. The stones of God’s inaugurated, new creation temple are those who are aligned with Christ and trust in him. They have aligned with him in that they have received his word. And they trust in him in that they depend upon him for the forgiveness of their sins and for eternal life. These do not trust in themselves, nor in any other created thing, but in Christ alone.
This is what the Apostle Peter teaches in the passage we have read. In 1 Peter 2:4, Christ is called, “a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious…” (1 Peter 2:4, ESV). In 2:6 Peter quotes passages from the Old Testament which spoke of the coming Messiah in these terms. First, Peter quotes from Isaiah 28:16, saying, “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.’” He then remarks, “So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe…” – and here he cites Psalm 118:22 followed by Isaiah 8:14 – “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,’ and ‘A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.’” Finally, Peter makes this comment: “They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do” (1 Peter 2:6–8, ESV).
So Peter describes Christ just as the Old Testament does. He is a living stone – a cornerstone chosen and precious. But you will notice that Peter and the Old Testament Scriptures also refer to Christ as a stumbling stone and a rock of offense. In other words, he is both the chosen and precious cornerstone in God’s temple upon which some will build their lives, and he is also the stone that others will be offended by and trip over to the ruin of their souls. How can Christ be both the chosen and precious cornerstone and the stone of stumbling and rock of offense all at once?
Well, the difference is not found in Christ, but in the way that men and women relate to him. Those who see him as God’s chosen one, consider him to be precious, and believe in him, will have him as their sure and eternal foundation. As Isaiah 28:16 says,” whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” And as Peter remarks, “so the honor is for you who believe…” Those who align with Christ and believe in him will be blessed to have him as their sure and eternal foundation. These are the ones who are described in 2:4 with these words, “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…” (1 Peter 2:4–5, ESV). Those who believe in Christ and see him as precious, have him as their foundation. They are the living stones, and Christ is the living foundation.
But notice, others reject him. In fact, Psalm 118:22 predicted that the “builders” would reject him. Who is this a reference to except the Jews themselves? Some Jews believed in Jesus, but many – especially the leaders, and through them, the nation – rejected him. They crucified the Messiah, God’s Anointed One. And why did they “reject” him? Why did they consider him to be a “stone of offense”? For many reasons, one of them being that his mission was not to overthrow Rome, to restore Israel as an earthly nation, to maintain the Old Covenant, nor to prolong and promote the use of the earthly temple. No, he came to inaugurate a New Covenant. He came to inaugurate a kingdom, not of this world. He came to die, not for the Jews only, but for all peoples. He came to build, not a temple of stone, but a spiritual, eternal, new creation temple consisting of living stones quarried from every tongue, tribe, and nation. Many of the Jews were deeply offended by these things, and so they crucified him. To those who are offended by Jesus and reject him, he is not a cornerstone, but a stumbling stone, and a rock of offense. He is the very stone they trip over leading to their eternal destruction. Jesus is one stone. He is God’s chosen and precious cornerstone. But some will build their lives upon him by receiving and believing in him, while others will trip over him in their disbelief, and their fall will be very great. And then Peter adds this word of clarification: “They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do” (1 Peter 2:8, ESV).
In verse 9 we learn more about these “living stones” that come to Christ, believe in him, and are, therefore, “being built up as a spiritual house” unto the Lord. Why do these living stones align with Christ and believe in him? Why do they come? Notice that the first word of verse 9 is “but”. This verse is meant to be contrasted with verse 8, which says, “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” (1 Peter 2:9, ESV).
Those who come to Christ to receive him, believe in him, and rest on him do so because they were chosen by God in eternity. This is the doctrine of election or predestination that is found everywhere in the Bible. It is God who has chosen to save, and it is God who as chosen who he will save.
Just as God chose the bring his Messiah into the world and to preserve his precious and very great promises through the line Seth, Enoch, Noah, Shem, Eber, Tarah, Abram, Isaac, and Jacob, and just as he permitted the nations to walk in darkness in those days, so too has God chosen those he will save through faith in the Messiah while leaving the rest to walk according to their sinful ways. This doctrine is very clearly taught in the Scriptures. God chose Israel in a fleshly way. They were given the covenants and the promises. From them the Messiah was brought into the world. And Gode has chosen to save some from amongst the Jews and some from amongst the Gentiles through faith in this Messiah, for this is one mediator between God and man, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Here in our passage, Peter picks up language that was commonly used to describe Old Covenant Israel, and he applies it to all who have faith in Christ, Jew and Gentile alike. Again he says, “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). Indeed, his letter was addressed “To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you”, he says (1 Peter 1:1-2, ESV).
Many of the Jews rejected Jesus as their Messiah. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, as they were destined to do. But some believed. And we know that many Gentiles (non-Jews) also believed. Read the book Acts to hear all about that. And pay careful attention to Peter’s involvement in bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. He brought the gospel to them, he saw that they, just like the Jews who first believed, were filled with the Holy Spirit, and he was happy to report this to the church in Jerusalem. That story is told in Acts 10 and 11, and I think it is important background for the letter that Peter wrote, which we call 1 Peter.
Peter was concerned to emphasize that all who had faith in Christ – all who came to him as God’s precious and chosen cornerstone – all who believed in him and were, therefore, being built up into a spiritual house, from amongst the Jews and from amongst the Gentiles – were chosen by God. God, by his grace, chose to grant them faith in Christ so they might be his “chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession”. Of course, they were not a race, a priesthood, or a nation in the way that Old Covenant Isarel was, but Israel foreshadowed them in an earth way, and so Peter uses these terms so that we might make the connection. What God did amongst Isarel in an earthly and fleshly way, he was doing now in all the earth through Christ in a spiritual and eternal way. And Peter wants us to know it is all by God’s grace – it is all because of his choosing.
The doctrine of election is important, brothers and sisters. It was taught clearly by Christ, his apostles, and the prophets. Here is an instance where we must align with Christ and believe his word. The doctrine of election is important for many reasons. Here are two: It produces humility and it increases gratitude.
If it is true that we come to Christ to receive him and believe in him because God chose us, then there is no room for boasting, for our salvation is by God’s grace from beginning to end. That is what Paul says in Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” If the doctrine of election causes you to be prideful, then you have not understood it. Rightly understood, it produces humility. And it produces gratitude before God as well, for we come to see that salvation is a gift from God both in its accomplishment and in its application to us in time.
That leads us to the third observation about these “living stones”, and it is this: These stones are called to faith by the word and Spirit in time. There are many Scriptures texts that speak very clearly about this, but it is found here in 1 Peter 2 as well.
When did Christ accomplish our salvation and become the cornerstone of God’s eternal temple? Answer: he accomplished our salvation and became the cornerstone of God’s temple when he lived on earth in perfect obedience to the Father, suffered and died in the place of sinners, rose from the dead on the third day, and ascended to the Father’s right hand. That is when Christ became the cornerstone in God’s eternal temple. It was accomplished nearly 2,000 years ago.
And when did God choose the stones that would be set on top of this foundation? Answer: in eternity, before the creation of the world. This is stated in many places and in many ways. Paul’s words in Ephesians 1:4 are well known. There he says that God the Father “chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:4–6, ESV).
But when are these living stones added to God’s temple? When are they quarried and placed? Answer: in due time, through the preaching of the Gospel as the Spirit works. There is an external call, friends. That is the human proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And there is an inward call too. That is the Spirit working inwardly to make a dead sinner alive, to open blind eyes, and to unstop deaf ears.
We may call this being “born again”. That is what Peter calls it in 1:3 of his letter. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he 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 you, 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)
We may refer to this as a “calling”. That is how it is put in our passage for today. “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” (1 Peter 2:9–10, ESV).
How are these stones made to be “living stones”. When are they quarried and placed as stones in God’s eternal temple on top of the foundation of Christ, the apostles, and prophets? They are, at just the right time, called to faith in Christ and repentance from dead works, through the preaching of the gospel and the internal working of God’s Spirit upon the mind, will, and affections. Many of you have experienced this, and so you know what it is like.
Lastly, let us notice the purpose for which these living stones are chosen, called, and placed as “living stones” within God’s temple. These stones are being built into a holy temple to worship and serve the LORD.
Look at verse 5: “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 2:5, ESV)
Look again at verse 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)
And consider the call to holiness at the beginning and end of this passage.
Verse 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)
Verse 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)
Brothers and sisters, it is imperative that we see the church as spiritual, and not as earthly or fleshly. The way that we think about the nature of the church will have an impact on many things.
Who belongs to it? It is those who align with Christ, have faith in him, having been chosen in eternity and called to faith in time by the preaching of the gospel as the Spirit works. It is those who make a credible profession of faith, therefore, who ought to be baptized and received as members of Christ’s church.
Stated negatively, it is not those of a particular ethnicity or lineage who are stones in God’s temple-church, but those who have faith only. It doesn’t matter who your daddy is. That mattered a great deal under the Old Covenant. In fact, it made all the difference. All born to Abraham were partakers of that Covenant, citizens of that typological kingdom, and invited to worship at that typological tabernacle and temple. This was true whether or not a person had faith in the promises concerning the Messiah.
But this is not the case under the New Covenant. This covenant is pure. God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah concerning the purity of the coming New Covenant, when he said, “Behold, the days are coming… when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jeremiah 31:31–34, ESV).
Here is the great difference between the Old Covenant and the New. Many within Old Covenant Israel did not believe the promises concerning the Christ. Old Covenant Israel was filled with disbelief and idolatry. At times only a small remnant of the true Israel remained. And yet all who were born from Abraham were rightly said to be members of that covenant and nation, for the covenant was earthly and fleshy. Not so with the New Covenant. Under the New Covenant, all are circumcised of heart, all are regenerated, and all have the law written on their heart. Under the New Covenant, there is no need for one covenant member to say to another covenant member, “know the Lord”, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. This is not about ethnicity or genealogy or the flesh. No, It’s about faith.
Are there false professors within the New Covenant community? Yes, indeed. There will always be weeds intermixed with the wheat, and goats (even wolves!) amongst the sheep. The Lord will sort all of that out in the end. We are responsible to understand the true nature of Christ’s covenant, kingdom, and temple though. And we are to be careful to give baptism and the Supper to those who make a credible profession. This is what our confession says in 26.2: “All persons throughout the world, professing the faith of the gospel, and obedience unto God by Christ according unto it, not destroying their own profession by any errors everting the foundation, or unholiness of conversation, are and may be called visible saints; and of such ought all particular congregations to be constituted.”
Who belongs to the church? Those who believe in Christ. And what should the church do in order to promote its growth? We will consider this question in some detail in a future sermon. For now it will suffice to say that it will do no good to employ worldly tactics according to the wisdom of fallen man, for the church is spiritual. It will grow in depth and in size according to the will of God and the means that he has prescribed. We must be faithful, not innovative if we wish to see Christ’s church flourish.
And what should we concern ourselves with? Faith in Christ, the proclamation of his gospel, and the worship of his most holy name. For “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 2:5, ESV), “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)
Jan 23
15
Q. 50. Which is the first commandment?
A. The first commandment is, Thou shalt have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3)
Q. 51. What is required in the first commandment?
A. The first commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify Him accordingly. (Joshua 24:15; 1 Chron. 28:9; Deut. 26:17; Ps. 29:2; Matt. 4:10)
“Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel. And they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac. And to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. And I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in the midst of it, and afterward I brought you out. Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea. And the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. And when they cried to the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians and made the sea come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the wilderness a long time. Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites, who lived on the other side of the Jordan. They fought with you, and I gave them into your hand, and you took possession of their land, and I destroyed them before you. Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel. And he sent and invited Balaam the son of Beor to curse you, but I would not listen to Balaam. Indeed, he blessed you. So I delivered you out of his hand. And you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, and the leaders of Jericho fought against you, and also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And I gave them into your hand. And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out before you, the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow. I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.’ Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.’” (Joshua 24:1–15, ESV)
There is a good reason why the first of the Ten Commandments is stated first! The commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me”, is stated first because it is of supreme importance.
What good will it do if we succeed at keeping the other nine commandments (somewhat) but fail to keep the first, which, as we will soon learn, requires us “to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify Him accordingly.” Will it do us any good (ultimately) to not bow to idols, to treat the name of God with respect, and to observe the Sabbath day – will it do us any good to honor father and mother, not murder, not commit adultery, not steal, not bear false witness, and not covet, if we do not first have God as our God and honor him as such? I suppose some may say, well yes, it would be better for someone to obey God’s moral law (somewhat) even if they do not honor God as God. And I suppose there is some truth to that. A moral atheist is certainly better than an immoral one, worldly speaking. But I am asking the question in an ultimate sense. Will it do us any good ultimately, or perhaps we could say, really, truly, and eternally, to keep the other nine commandments if we do not, first and foremost, love God and live for his glory? The answer is, no.
Do not forget, brothers and sisters, that the sum of the first four of the Ten Commandments, is to love the LORD our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. If we wish to keep these commandments really and truly, we must begin and end with love for God. And this is true, not only of the first four but of the last six as well. All of our efforts to keep God’s law must be motivated by our love for him. As Christ said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15, ESV). And the aim of our obedience ought to be the glory of God. As Paul said, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31, ESV). If our obedience to God’s law is not motivated by our love for him, then our obedience is not from the heart – it is merely superficial. And if our obedience is not aimed at bringing honor to God, then it must be aimed at some other end or purpose, most likely our own honor or praise. These are dead works. This kind of obedience has no value ultimately, for it is not done for the right reason.
And so we must begin here. If we wish to live a life that is right before God, we must start by honoring God as God, and having no other gods before him. You will notice that the first commandment is stated negatively – “you shall not…”, it says. And so it is good for us to ask what it requires, positively. The negative command implies the positive requirement. What does this commandment require? Our catechism is right to say, The first commandment requires us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify Him accordingly.
Three requirements are mentioned here. One, the first commandment requires us to know God as the only true God and our God. Two, the first commandment requires us to acknowledge God to be the only true God and our God. Three, the first commandment requires us to worship and glorify God accordingly.
Let us consider each of these requirements one at a time.
One, the first commandment requires us to know God as the only true God and our God. When the first commandment forbids us (in a negative way) from having any other gods besides the one true God, it does also require us (in a positive way) to have God as our God. And to have God as our God, we must know him.
What does it mean to know God? Two things:
First, to know God is to know the truth about him. Do you know about God? Do you know that he exists? Do you know what he is like? Do you know about his nature, his attributes, and his ways with men? If we are to have God as our God we must know about him. And where must we go to find out the truth about God? Well, we know that he has revealed the truth about himself in two places. He has revealed some things about himself in nature, and he has revealed the truth about himself much more thoroughly and clearly in Scripture. And so we must study these two books – the “book” of nature, and the book of Scripture – if we wish to know the truth about God. These two “books” will always agree, for they are both from God – he reveals himself through both. If they ever seem to contradict, the problem is not with the one book or the other, but with the interpreter. And of these two books, the book of Scripture is supreme, for through the Scriptures God has revealed himself with great clarity. And so I ask you, do you know God? Do you know the truth about him – who he is, what he is like, and how he relates to man? You should! The first of the Ten Commandments requires us to have God as our God. And this means we must know about him.
Second, to know God is to be in a right relationship with him. All men and women are in a relationship with God. He is their Creator and they are his creatures. This is true even if they deny him. And they are not only related to him as his creatures. They are related to him covenantaly too, for all men and women are born under that broken covenant of works that was made with Adam, and all do also live under the covenant of creation that was made in the days of Noah after the flood. All who live are in a relationship with God. The question is, what kind of relationship is it? Answer: not a good one. By nature and because of sin, we are called children of wrath. By nature – that is to say, by virtue of our natural birth – we are enemies of God because of our sin, and we are under his condemnation. So then, all people do know God and are in a relationship with him in this sense – God is their creator, and they are his creatures. And given the fact of sin, God is the judge and they stand before him guilty and condemned (see John 3:16-18). To know God in the way that the first commandment requires is to be in a right relationship with him. The first commandment requires that we know God to be the only true God and to have him as our God.
Already, you can see that a Savior is needed. If rebel sinners are to know God as their God – if they are to be in a right relationship with him – they need someone to deal with the problem of sin. Jesus Christ is that Savior. He lived, died, and rose again to redeem us from bondage to sin and to reconcile us to God the Father. The redemption and reconciliation that Isarel experienced in the days of Moses was an earthly picture (foreshadowing) of the greater act of redemption and reconciliation that Jesus Christ, the Promised One, would accomplish. Through faith in Jesus the Messiah, we are really and truly reconciled to God so that we might know him, that is to say, be in a right relationship with him. Those who have faith in Christ do not know God as Judge, but as Father.
So then, the first commandment requires us to know God. Two, the first commandment also requires us to acknowledge God to be the only true God. What is the difference between knowing God and acknowledging him? Well, I suppose it would be possible to know God privately in the mind and heart, but not publicly. But this is not the way we are to walk before our God. If God is truly our God, we will openly acknowledge him as such. We will honor him as God by acknowledging him in all our ways (Proverbs 3:6). We will honor him by fearing him in our walk (Genesis 42:18). We will honor him by trusting in him (Psalm 25:2). We will honor him by submitting to him (James 4:7).
Those who have the LORD as their God will not be private it about. Instead, they will acknowledge the LORD as God in their thoughts, words, and deeds. With their whole life, they will say, “I am the LORD’s” (Isaiah 44:5). They will declare, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15). Those who truly have the LORD as their God will “made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (1 Timothy 6:12). They will confess with the mouth “Jesus is Lord” while believing in the heart that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9). And do not forget the warning of Jesus: “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32–33).
The commandment, you shall have no other gods before me, is negative. It forbids us from having any other god besides the one true God. But considered positively (and considered in the light of what the rest of the Scriptures say about this subject) it requires us to have God as our God. And to have God as our God, we must know him and acknowledge him to be our LORD and God.
Thirdly, and lastly, the first commandment requires us to worship and glorify God accordingly. Those who know God and acknowledge him to be their God will worship him and live for his glory.
To worship is to bow down. One may worship by bowing down physically. Certainly, we must bow down before the Lord in the mind and heart. To worship is to acknowledge that God is worthy of our obedience and praise. To worship is to give oneself up to the will of God, to surrender to him, and to serve him (2 Chronicles 30:8). We worship God individually as we bow before him in private prayer, as we contemplate his Word, and as we surrender our lives to him as his humble servants. We worship in private families as we pray, read Scripture, and sing. And we worship in public as we assemble with God’s people on the Lord’s Day to hear the word of God read and preached, as we pray in Jesus’ name, as we sing Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and as we break the bread in obedience to Christ’s command. The Old Covenant people of God had ordinances for worship; and the New Covenant people of God have ordinances too. Those who have the one true God as their God, will know him, acknowledge him, and worship him.
To glorify God is to honor and exalt him. We exalt God when we worship him in the way he has prescribed. We exalt God as we obey him. And we exalt him as we trust him, live lives of thankfulness and contentment before him, and as we testify concerning his goodness to us in Christ Jesus. We glorify God as we worship and serve him with all that we are and urge others to do the same (1 Corinthians 6:20).
Brothers and sisters, the first of the Ten Commandments does not merely forbid having other gods besides the LORD. No, when all is considered, it requires us “to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify Him accordingly.”
But let me ask you, have you kept this law perfectly? All must confess, no we have violated this law in thought, word, and deed. All must confess this, except one, Christ Jesus our Lord, who kept God’s law perfectly on our behalf, and died in our place so that we might be reconciled to God, and serve him faithfully all the days of our life. May all who hear this be found trusting in him for the forgiveness of sins and for life everlasting. Amen.
Jan 23
15
PM Service Buletin with Catechism Teaching Outline
Youth Study Discussion Questions
Jan 23
15
The sermon manuscript is available at emmausrbc.org/category/sermons
Active Listener Guide For Young Children
Youth Study Discussion Questions
Jan 23
8
“TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO JEDUTHUN. A PSALM OF DAVID. For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. How long will all of you attack a man to batter him, like a leaning wall, a tottering fence? They only plan to thrust him down from his high position. They take pleasure in falsehood. They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. Selah For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah Those of low estate are but a breath; those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath. Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them. Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God, and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. For you will render to a man according to his work.” (Psalm 62, ESV)
“But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? For when one says, ‘I follow Paul,’ and another, ‘I follow Apollos,’ are you not being merely human? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. 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 3:1–17, ESV)
Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
In the introduction to the previous sermon, I made the observation that there are many institutions in the world that call themselves a “church”. There is the Roman Catholic Church, the Mormon Church, the Church of Scientology, etc. And in the introduction to that sermon, I also said, according to the simple (etymological) definition of the word “church”, I suppose they have a right to use the word. The word “church” simply means “assembly” or “congregation”, and all of these institutions I have named do in fact “assemble” or “congregate” regularly for stated purposes. Considered in this way, I suppose it is right to say that they are churches.
But in the scriptures, the word “church” is not used in this generic way. Yes, Christ is building his church. And yes, his church will assemble or congregate, as the word suggests. But his church is not just any congregation or assembly. No, Christ’s church – the church as it is described in the Bible – is a very specific kind of congregation or assembly. It has certain characteristics, qualities, and features. It is an assembly marked by certain beliefs and practices.
So then, it should be clear to you that there are true churches and there are false churches in the world. Are they churches? Well, if the only criteria to be met for being a “church” is the etymological or definitional criteria, then I suppose they are. Church means “assembly”, and they do in fact assemble. But the scriptures have more to say about the church. The church – Christ church – is a very particular kind of assembly, congregation, or society.
If we were to describe the church of Jesus Christ as God’s “temple” (as the scriptures so often do), we must say that the church of Jesus Christ – the true church, as described in the Bible – has a very particular foundation, it is constructed of very particular stones (living stones, made alive by the Spirit of God), it has a very particular purpose (namely, the worship of God as governed by God’s Holy Word). And lastly, this temple is expanding but is expanding only in a particular way and through particular means.
I plan to explore each of these characteristics of the church in this short sermon series. We will be considering Christ’s church – the true church – as God’s temple. Today, we will consider its foundation. Next Sunday, will consider its stones. The Sunday after that we will consider its worship. And finally, we will consider its expansion, Lord willing.
And yes, all of this is a bit of a follow-up to what was proclaimed in our study through Exodus concerning God’s tabernacle, or temple. In that series, we learned that God’s worldwide and eternal temple was offered to Adam in the covenant that God made with him, but forfeited. It was then promised to Adam (vaguely) in the curse pronounced by God upon the serpent after man’s fall into sin. This promise was greatly clarified and expanded in the covenant that God made with Abraham. And in the covenant that God made with Isarel in the days of Moses, these promises were taken up, preserve, protected, and even prefigured in many ways. Under the Old Mosaic Covenant, God’s worldwide, eternal temple was prefigured, or pictured, on earth. But when Christ came into the world to accomplish our redemption and to earn the new creation, this temple was brought into being with power. It was inaugurated, we say. It was then that the Spirit of God was poured out, not into a structure of cloth or stone, but on all flesh. It was then that God began to dwell in the midst of his people in a way not known since Eden. This temple, which is inaugurated now, will come to its conclusion, or consummation, in the new heavens and earth – that is to say, in the new creation – when Christ returns. Here in this short series, we are giving special attention to this era in which we now live. It is the era of the New Covenant. It is the era of the Covenant of Grace. It is the era of God’s Spirit. God’s worldwide and eternal temple is here now with power, and according to the scriptures, you, church, are that temple, for God’s Spirit dwells in you.
Today we will consider the foundation of God’s inaugurated, worldwide, and eternal temple. The foundation of this temple is not made of stone as it was in the days of Solomon. No, the foundation is the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone.
That is what Paul says in Ephesians 2:19-22. There he speaks to Gentiles, that is to say, non-Jews, living under the New Covenant. And he says, “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19–22, ESV).
Paul says something similar in 1 Corinthians 3:9, which we read earlier. He describes himself (and other ministers of the Word) as workers in God’s temple-building project, saying, “For we are God’s fellow workers. You [church in Corinth] are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:9–11, ESV).
So then, in Ephesians 2:19ff. Paul says the foundation of God’s temple-church is the apostles and prophets with Christ as the cornerstone. And in 1 Corinthians 3:9-11, he simply says that the foundation is Jesus Christ. So which is it? Well, both are true. The short answer is that Jesus Christ is the foundation of God’s temple-church. But it is just as true to say that the foundation is the apostles and prophets with Christ and the cornerstone.
Who are the apostles? They were eyewitnesses of Christ’s resurrection. And they were those especially sent by Jesus to testify concerning all that he said and did. The New Testament scriptures were written by them or under their supervision. And who are these prophets that Paul speaks of? I think it is right to say that they are the prophets of Old who lived before Christ’s coming who testfied concerning him, and they are the prophets that lived during Jesus life and shortly thereafter. John the Baptist was one of these. He was the last of the prophets of Old and the forerunner of the Christ. And the man named Agabus, who is mentioned in Acts 21:10, is also one of these. In the earliest days of the church – in those days when the New Testament scriptures were still being written – there were apostles (the twelve plus Paul), and there were prophets who spoke and wrote the word of God authoritatively under the inspiration of the Spirit. The New Testament prophets, like the Old Testament prophets before them, spoke God’s word to the people.
And who did these – the prophets of the Old Covenant, the prophets of the New Covenant, and the apostles – speak of? Ultimately, they pointed to Christ. Those who lived before his birth pointed forwrad to his person, work, and reward. John the Baptist had the wonderful privilege of saying, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”. And the prophets who ministered after his resurrection and alongside the apostles spoke authoritatively concerning the Christ crucified, risen, and ascended.
When Paul speaks of the apostles and prophets as being foundation stones in God’s eternal temple, he does not mean that these men are foundation stones, in and of themselves, but by virtue of the word they delivered. They spoke and wrote God’s word. They testified, ultimately, concerning Christ. And so they are foundation stones, not because of anything in them, by because of their relation to Jesus Christ. They declared God’s word and proclaimed Christ with authority.
So it is clear, then, that this eternal and worldwide temple that God is building now is not made of stone. It is made of people. This is about God’s presence on earth with his people. And the foundation stones of this temple are the apostles, and prophets, with Christ as the cornerstone. Stated differently, the foundation is Christ, and it is the apostles of Christ and the prophets, of the Old and New Covenants, who have testified concerning him.
So what does it mean for Christ to be the foundation of God’s temple-church? What are the implications? Two words come to mind: dependence and alignment. The true church of God, and all who are truly a part of it, will depend upon Christ. And the true church of God, and all who are truly a part of it, will align with Christ. This talk of Christ being the foundation of God’s temple-church is about dependence (may we faith?) and alignment (may we say obedience?).
I’m sure you know that this is how foundations work. The foundations of buildings are very, very important for two reasons. One, they must be able to bear the whole weight of the building. They must be very strong, therefore. They must be strong enough to support the whole structure that is built on top of it, not only in times of ease, but also in times of difficulty (through storms, floods, earthquakes, and the rest). Buildings depend upon their foundations. Two, the foundation of a building will also establish the shape or parameters of the building. The building that is constructed on top of the foundation will have to align with it. The foundation must be level, square, and true, therefore. And the shape of the foundation will determine the shape of the building. And for this reason, I say this is about dependence and alignment. The true church of God, and all who are truly a part of it, will depend upon Christ and align with him, for he is the foundation of God’s temple.
Let us now consider these two implications in more detail.
First, the true church will depend upon Christ as its foundation. This is true of individual believers, the church universal, and of every local (visible) church.
Let of consider individual believers for a moment. In the 1 Corinthians 3 and Ephesians 2 passages that have already been read, individual believers – that is to say, all who have faith in Christ – are described as being the stones of God’s temple-church. Christ is the foundation, and the stones that are built up on top of that foundation are those who are united to Christ by faith. In 1 Peter 2:4, it is stated even more directly. Peter writes to those who have faith when he says, “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, Christ is the foundation of God’s temple-church, and all who have faith in him are the stones out of which the structure is made. We will consider the stones of God’s temple-church more carefully next Sunday. For now, let us consider their relation to Christ, the foundation. The stones of God’s temple are those who depend on him. They are those who trust in him. They are those who rest on him and have their hope built on him. It is those who trust in Christ for the forgiveness of their sins, for reconciliation with God, and for life everlasting in the new heavens and new earth, who are a part of God’s church. They are stones. Christ is the foundation upon which they rest.
This temple-church may be considered in a universal sense. In truth, there is only one church. There is only one foundation – the apostles and prophets with Christ as the cornerstone. And it is upon this one foundation that every living stone is placed. Whenever a sinner hears the gospel and is drawn to faith and repentance by the inward working of the Holy Spirit, they are added as a stone in God’s temple-church. They are placed on top of those who have gone before them. And ultimately, they are placed on top of Christ, the foundation. What unites all of these stones? It is their shared faith or dependence upon Christ. The living stones of God’s inaugurated eternal temple are quarried from all over the earth. They are people from every tongue, tribe, and nation. And these stones have been quarried for a very long time. All who have had faith in Christ who have lived before us are stones in this temple too. They worship God in their souls now in heaven as they await the resurrection. This is the universal church. It may also be called the invisible church. It is called the universal church because it is the one true church made up of all who have faith in Christ now and in the past, from every tongue, tribe, and nation. There is a universal church, brothers and sisters, and we should be mindful of it. And it is called the invisible church because we cannot see it now. God sees it. But we cannot see it. One, we cannot see it because we are limited in space. Two, we cannot see it because we are limited in time. And three, we cannot see it because we are limited in our perception of the heart and mind. Only God can now see his universal church which he has built of stones that he has quarried from across time, and from across this planet, to set them down upon the foundation of Christ, in whom they trust.
It is true that God’s temple-church may be considered in a universal sense, and that we should be mindful of it, but you will notice that when Paul and Peter wrote concerning the building up of God’s church, they were not writing to the church universal and invisible, but to churches local and visible.
It was to the church in Ephesus that Paul wrote, saying, “In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22, ESV). It was to the church in Corinth that he said, “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). And Peter wrote to churches in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, when he said, “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” (1 Peter 2:4–5, ESV).
Yes, there is a universal church. It is the church that God sees consisting of all of his elect in all times and places who have been brought to repentance and faith in Christ. But I ask you, when will this church – the universal church – assemble? I suppose we may say that she assembles each Lord’s Day in the hevenly realm as believers from all around the world, along with those in heaven now, come to worship the Father, through the Son, and by the Spirit. But I am asking, when will this universal church assemble bodily? Answer: in the new heavens and earth when all is made new. For now, Christ’s church assembles bodily in local, visible, churches. These churches are called “local’ because they are the assemblies of those who profess faith in Christ in a particular region. And they are called “visible” because we can see them. The churches are made up of people who have made a credible profession of faith in Christ. They are made up of officers and members, men and women, young and old, who have been baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These assemble in local, visible churches to hear the Word of God read and preached, to pray and sing, and to partake of the Lord’s Supper. What unites us? Faith in Christ unites us. He is the foundation upon which we all rest. And we together are stones in the eternal temple that God is now building.
The implications of this basic teaching are rather massive. Who should be received as members of our local churches? Only those who make a credible profession of faith. And what should the church be urging men and women to do? To turn from their sins, to place their faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and be united to Christ as living stones in his eternal temple, of which Christ himself is the foundation.
A true church of God, and all who are truly a part of it, will depend upon Christ, brothers and sisters. There are many institutions in the world that call themselves a “church”, but many are false. Why? Because they do not have Jesus Christ alone as their foundation. As Paul says, in the work of building God’s eternal temple, “no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11, ESV).
True churches and true Christians will depend upon Christ alone for life eternal. Secondly, the true church will align with Christ. And this is also true for individual believers, the church universal, and local, visible, churches.
When I speak of alignment I have conformity and obedience in mind. As I have said, the foundations of buildings must be very strong because the whole structure depends on them. Foundations must also be true because the whole building will have to align or conform with them. The shape of the foundation will determine the shape of the building. If the foundation is level, square, and true, the building will be true. And Christ, the foundation of God’s eternal temple is true. We must align ourselves to him in thought, word, and deed.
This may be applied to the individual believer. To have Christ as Savior, one must trust in him or depend upon him. Faith involves trust. That has already been said. But did you know that saving faith does not only involve trust, it also involves right belief? Friends, you cannot be saved from your sins without right belief, and this should be obvious to all. To trust in Christ – to depend upon him as your Savior – you must know about him. Who is he and what has he done to make him worthy of your trust? That simple question alone should make it clear that faith – true faith – involves right belief. And where is this information about Christ found? It is found in the word of God, the Holy Scriptures. There we find God’s word to us concerning himself, our relation to him, and the way that he has made for us to be right with him, now that humanity is fallen into sin. These truths about God, man, and Christ must be known before a person can possibly trust in Christ for salvation.
Now, I am not claiming that a person must be a master theologian, or a skilled interpreter of Holy Scripture, before he or she can be saved. But clearly, basic truths about God, man, and Christ must be known. And what are these basic truths? They are the scriptural truths summarized for us in the great creeds, confessions, and catechisms of the church. These documents are not authoritative for us in the way that scripture is authoritative. But they become useful and even authoritative (in a secondary way) as churches adopt them as summaries of the clear and basic teachings of Holy Scripture. Creeds, confessions, and catechisms must align with scripture. Or to state it according to the theme of the sermon today, they must align with Christ the Word, our foundation. If they do not align with God’s Word to us, they must be regected. But if they do align, and if they are useful summaries of the faith and presentations of the gospel of Jesus Christ that must be believed for salvation to be received, then it would be wise to use them in evangelism and in discipleship. Our confession is the Second London Confession (1677/89). Our catechism is the Baptist Catechism (1693). We consider them to be wonder symbols or summaries of the Christian faith, and so we use them as tools to proclaim Christ and to teach those who believe to observe all that he has commanded.
I mention creeds, confessions, and catechisms because the church has used them throughout history to urge men and women to depend upon Christ and also to align with him, for he is our foundation. Again, the Scriptures alone are authoritative in a primary and foundational way for right belief, but these summaries of the faith may be considered authoritative in a secondary way so long as they are faithful to Scripture as summaries. I also mention creeds, confessions, and catechisms because modern Christianity has grown more and more doctrine-less, and this is a major problem. Men and women, boys and girls, are often urged to trust in Christ (and even are baptized in his name) before understanding who he is, what he has done, and what he requires of them. Stated according to the theme of this sermon, in our day and age many are urged to depend upon Christ, but not to align with him. But if Christ is going to be our foundation, and if we are going to be living stones in his eternal temple, we must align with him. In fact, he cannot support us as our foundation if we do not align with him. What an absurd thought! A foundation cannot support that which is not aligned with it! And yet so many think that they have Christ as some kind of savior while holding to erroneous beliefs concerning his person and work. And no, I am not talking about minor errors (the kind of which we all entertain), but major errors which do in fact destroy the very foundation of the faith.
If you doubt that true and saving faith required right belief, listen to Paul’s words in Romans 10:9. There he famously says, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9, ESV). This verse is clearly about salvation. If you will do these things, “you will be saved”, Paul says. And what does Paul tell us to do? Well, throughout his writings, and even elsewhere in Romans, he urges us to have faith in Christ. For example, in Romans 5:1 he says, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1, ESV). We are justified, or saved, by faith. But here in Romans 10:9, he describes what true faith involves, saying, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved”. Let me ask you this, how can someone confess Jesus to be Lord if they do not know who Jesus is, or what it means for him to be Lord, or why it is that he is worthy of that glorious title? And notice further that the “belief” that is to reside within the heart is not merely trust or dependence but belief in a fact. To be saved we must “believe in [the] heart that God raised him from the dead….” That fact about Jesus must be believed, and I think it is also clear that the reasons for, and implications of, that fact must be known and believed. Jesus was raised from the dead. Do you believe that is true? Do you know why he was raised? Do you know what that fact means for those who are united to him by faith? Do you trust him personally? If the answer is truly yes, then this is saving faith. But trust without true knowledge is no faith at all. It is simply wishful and superstitious thinking.
So then, to have Jesus as your foundation and to be a part of God’s eternal temple does not only involve trust or dependence. It also involved alignment. Or to put it another way, to truly depend upon Jesus – to trust in him unto salvation – you must also align with him. You must believe God’s word concerning his person and work. You must confess with your mouth that he is your Lord, which will involves submitting to his will in thought, word and deed.
Please allow me to say just a word or two about the universal church and alignment. To be a part of the universal church, one must confess the faith. Notice, I did not say, one must have faith – that is also true! Here I am saying that one must confess the faith – “the faith” being, essential Christian doctrines.
The Scriptures often use the word “faith” in a subjective way referring to personal trust. But sometimes the Scriptures use the word “faith” in an objective way referring to the collection of Christian doctrine. When used in this objective way, the word “faith” is typically preceded by a definite article. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 16:13, “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” That would be a wonderful life verse, wouldn’t it!? “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” When Paul mentions “the faith” he does not merely mean, personal trust, but sound doctrine. In Colossians 2:6-7 Paul says, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” Again, “the faith” refers, not merely to personal trust, but sound doctrine too.
My point is this: there are damnable heresies, brothers and sisters, which, if believed, will set a person outside of Christ’s temple-church. You cannot have Christ as your foundation if you do not trust in him, and neither can you have him as your foundation if you do not align with him doctrinally, and we know that right doctrine will also produce to right practice.
As was said earlier, we all harbor wrong beliefs concerning God, man, Christ, and our salvation in him. I’m sure of that. If we knew what they were, we would confess them and correct them, by God’s grace. Not every error is a damnable heresy though, for most of them do not disturb the foundation, which is salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. But some errors do. Some errors do not only cause us to be slightly misaligned with Christ and his Word, but set us off the foundation entirely.
In God’s universal temple-church, every stone is, if considered in a human way, misaligned from Christ the cornerstone, slightly. Christ, the master builder sets us straight over time, and where misalignments remain, he covers those defects by his shed blood and by imputing his perfections to us. But there are some errors that destroy the foundation, and if believed, set a person off of the foundation of Christ entirely. Listen to Paul in 1 Timothy 4:1: “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared…” In 6:10 he says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” And in 6:11 he says, “But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:11–12, ESV)
What are the implications, then, for the local church? Not only must ministers and members urge one another to trust in Christ, we also must be concerned to align with him in thought, word, and deed. There can be no dependence upon Christ as our foundation without substantial alignment with him. And so Christ must be proclaimed, and the Scriptures must be taught.
Pastors must teach, brothers and sisters. This is what Paul told Pastor Titus: “But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine… “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned…” (Titus 2:1, 7, ESV). And it will do no good for a Pastor to teach in Christ’s church if the members are not hungry to learn.
Perhaps we should close with a verse that has become a kind purpose statement for Emmaus. It is Colossians 1:28: “[Christ] we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ” (Colossians 1:28, ESV).
Jan 23
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Q. 48. What is the preface to the Ten Commandments?
A. The preface to the Ten Commandments is in these words; “I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” (Exodus 20:2)
Q. 49. What doth the preface to the Ten Commandments teach us?
A. The preface to the Ten Commandments teacheth us, that because God is the Lord, and our God and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all His commandments. (Deut 11:1)
“And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good? Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. Yet the LORD set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn. For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. You shall fear the LORD your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen. Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven. You shall therefore love the LORD your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always.” (Deuteronomy 10:12–11:1, ESV)
In the weeks and months to come we will be learning all about the Ten Commandments. We learn what they are, what they require, and what they forbid. As you know, the Ten Commandments contain a summary of God’s moral law. God’s moral law is for all men living in all times and places. All men have this law written on their hearts. All men are bound to keep it. And all men will be judged by this law on the last day, if not in Christ. More was said about this in previous sermons. But I hope you would also agree with me that God’s people – those who have been redeemed by God, and who bear his name – have a special kind of obligation to obey their God.
Really, this is what the preface, or the introduction, to the Ten Commandments teaches. All people have an obligation to obey God’s revealed will, that is to say, his moral law. Why? Because God is our Creator, and we are his creatures – we were made in his image, to know, worship, and serve him. But if we are in Christ – if we have been rescued by him and washed clean by his blood – then we have a special kind of obligation to keep God’s law, for God is not only our Creator, but is also our Redeemer. This is true for all who have faith in Christ, and this was pictured in an earthy way amongst the Hebrews in the days of Moses when they were redeemed from Egyptian bondage.
Question 48 of our catechism asks, “What is the preface to the Ten Commandments?” A preface is an introduction that sets the tone for what will follow. And the answer to question 48 is simply a quotation of Exodus 20:2: “The preface to the Ten Commandments is in these words; ‘I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” (Exodus 20:2). That is how the Ten Commandments are introduced in Exodus 20:2.
By the way, you have probably noticed that the English found in our catechism is Old English. That is because this document was written a long time ago, originally in the 17th century. Parents, you are free to modernize the language for your children if you’d like. As a church, we have decided to retain the original because altering documents foundational to an institution such as catechisms and confessions can be tricky business. If you wish to memorize the preface to the Ten Commandments, or the Ten Commandments themselves using the language of the ESV or some other modern Bible translation, that would be fine. The point is that we learn what these questions and answers mean, for the Christian faith is summarized here – the gospel of Jesus Christ is proclaimed in this document. Hopefully, we can also put these questions and answers to memory, for that will help us in our learning.
But let us think about Exodus 20:2 for a moment and the preface to the Ten Commandments that is found there. What was the setting? Who was speaking? And to whom? These are important questions.
Well, if you know the story of the Exodus you know that it was God who was speaking. Moses had gone up on Mount Sinai and received the Ten Commandments from God. The scriptures tell us that these words were written on tablets of stone by God. And Moses brought these tablets down to the people of Israel who, not long before this, were rescued from Egypt. If you wish to know more about that story, you should read the second book of the Bible, called Exodus.
So these words that we are considering are God’s words. And they were delivered in this form to Israel. These were the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The small clan of Jacob had grown to a very large multitude over the span of hundreds of years as they lived, and eventually, suffered, in Egypt. When the time was right, God rescued them. He brought them out from Egyptian bondage through Moses his servant. He brought them out by sending ten plagues. He led them into the wilderness. And when they were trapped with the Red Sea on one side, and the army of Egypt on the other side, God led them through the Sea by parting the waters. The Hebrews walked on dry land through waters of judgment. As the Egyptians pursued them, the waters of judgment fell upon them and consumed them. Finally, God lead them through the wilderness and brought them to Mount Sinai where he entered into a special, national, covenant with them and give them his law. First, he gave them a summary of his moral law in the Ten Commandments. And afterward, he gave them civil and ceremonial laws which, though they were based on the moral law, were additions to it, and were unique to Old Covenant Israel as a nation.
So this is the setting. In brief, this law – the summary of God’s moral law – was given by God to Israel, after he rescued them from Egypt to be his special people on earth. The first words spoken were, “I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” (Exodus 20:2).
The words, “I am the LORD thy God” were meant to remind Isarel that God is their Creator. In other words, this phrase would have reminded them of the story of creation that is told in Genesis 1 and 2 where God is first revealed by the names God (ʾelohiym) and LORD (YHWH). And the words, “which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” would have reminded them of the marvelous work of redemption that the LORD had just accomplished to free them from Egyptian bondage.
So then, the preface to the Ten Commandments effectively communicates the relationship that exists between God and Isarel: God said, Israel, I am the LORD your God. I am your Creator and your Redeemer. Obey me, therefore. Here is my law.
Question 49 of our catechism communicates this by asking, “What doth the preface to the Ten Commandments teach us?” Answer: “The preface to the Ten Commandments teacheth us, that because God is the Lord, and our God and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all His commandments.”
Brothers and sisters, young and old, if I were to ask you the question, why should we obey God’s law? What would you say?
If your response is this: we ought to obey God’s law to earn God’s love, to earn his favor, or to earn eternal life from him, then you have not understood the message of the Bible, nor the gospel of Jesus Christ contained within. We cannot earn anything from God by obeying his law. Why? Because Adam broke God’s law and the covenant of works that God made with him, and we are born in Adam, and in Adam’s guilt. Also, we ourselves have violated God’s law in thought, word, and deed, all stand guilty before him, therefore.
This is what Paul means when he says, “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in [God’s] sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:20, ESV). And a little later in that same passage, he says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, ESV). And in another place, he says, “For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23, ESV). Ever since the fall it is impossible for men and women to earn God’s love, to earn his favor, or to earn eternal life through obedience to the law for the simple reason that we are all born in sin and do ourselves sin. The law condemns us as lawbreakers, therefore.
As we study the Ten Commandments in the months to come I will remind you of this truth often. Is the law good? Yes, it is! Should we strive to keep God’s law? Yes, indeed. But not to earn God’s love nor our salvation. That is impossible. And one way that I will remind you of this limitation of the law is by taking you to the catechism questions that immediately follow the section on the Ten Commandments.
After a prolonged study of the Ten Commandments, Q. 87 will ask, Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God? A. No mere man, since the fall, is able in this life, perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but daily break them in thought, word, or deed. Q. 89 asks, What doth every sin deserve? A. Every sin deserveth God’s wrath and curse, both in this life, and in that which is to come. Q. 90 asks, What doth God require of us, that we may escape His wrath and curse, due to us for sin? A. To escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin, God requireth of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption. And finally, Q. 91 asks, What is faith in Jesus Christ? A. Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation, as He is offered to us in the Gospel.
Why should we keep God’s law? Not to be saved! Now that we are fallen, salvation can only be received as free gift from God through faith in Jesus Christ the Savior. Notice, the duty which God requires of man “to escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin” is not obedience to the moral law, but “faith in Jesus Christ” and “repentance unto life”.
Back to the question. Why should we keep God’s law, then? Answer: because God is our Creator and our Redeemer. It is only right for creatures to obey the law of their Creator – it is their natural duty. And it is only right that the redeemed obey the law of their Redeemer out of gratitude for all that has graciously been done for them.
Brothers and sisters, young and old, if it was right for Old Covenant Israel to obey their LORD and God who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage (Exodus 20:2), how much more should we obey the LORD our God, now that we have been redeemed, not through Moses, but by Christ; not from Egypt, but from the power of sin, the fear of death, and from the kingdom of Satan itself; and not unto the land of Canaan, but unto the new heavens and earth in which righteousness dwells. Indeed, our motivation to keep God’s revealed will should be greater, because our redemption is greater. And more than this, the summary of the moral law which was written on stone in the days of Moses, is written on the heart of all who have faith in Christ by the working of the Spirit. So then, our motivation is greater because our gratitude is greater, and so is our ability, for in Christ we have been renewed in the mind and heart and set free as it pertains to our will.
Q. 48. What is the preface to the Ten Commandments?
A. The preface to the Ten Commandments is in these words; “I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” (Exodus 20:2)
Q. 49. What doth the preface to the Ten Commandments teach us?
A. The preface to the Ten Commandments teacheth us, that because God is the Lord, and our God and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all His commandments. (Deut 11:1)
Jan 23
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Click here for the teaching outline.
"Him we proclaim,
warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom,
that we may present everyone mature in Christ."
(Colossians 1:28, ESV)
