Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No. 45 – August 1975
Lord’s Day 21 – (Q&A 54)
Sermon by Rev. A Nijhuis, B.D. on Lord’s Day 21 (1)
Silent Prayer.
“Walk about Zion, go round about her, number her towers, consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels; that you may tell the next generation that this is God, our God for ever and ever. He will be our Guide for ever.” Psalm 48:12-14. Votum & Salutation
Singing: Psalter Hymnal 281:1,2,3
Prayer
Scripture Readings: Psalm 122 & Romans 8:28-39. Text: Lord’s Day 21a (Question 54 only)
Singing: Psalter Hymnal 89 – before sermon
Singing: Psalter Hymnal 426:1,2,5 — after sermon
Prayer
Offering(s)
Singing: Psalter Hymnal 281:9,10
Apostles’ Creed
Benediction
Doxology: Psalter Hymnal 399:5
Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
We are here together this afternoon/evening to PROFESS OUR FAITH. So, in TALKING about the Church, we are not going to just express OUR opinions or voice OUR expectations.
That is what you can hear anywhere when you mention the name of the Church. Even in your own circle you may hear people say “what PEOPLE think about the Church?”
Usually, that is not very complimentary or valuable anyway. O yes, we may become very talkative when this topic is touched upon. We have our criticisms and our doubts, especially if we overlook the fact that WE belong to the Church and, therefore, in fact we are criticising ourselves.
Even if this is not the case and we do have a lot of good to say about the Church, we still may not be professing our faith, but only expressing OUR VIEWS.
I would like to say again that WE PROFESS OUR FAITH also when we are speaking about the Church this afternoon, every Sunday afternoon when we gather for worship and say “I BELIEVE a holy catholic Church…!
This means that I have listened to the Word of God and I have learned my lesson about the Church. Now I am going to say after that Word: “I BELIEVE…!” It means I will respond to the Word of God and not follow my own pet-ideas.
I hope you notice the difference between the phrases I THINK and I BELIEVE.
We are not going to concern ourselves with what people THINK about the Church; even though that may be very interesting from a certain point of view. But rather, we are here to profess our faith and to learn to profess our faith more and more.
Our Heidelberg Catechism is the song of the people who first have listened to the Lord and now together like to express their faith in that great and wonderful Lord, who is not only the Creator of heaven and earth, but also the Builder of the Church.
The psalmist in Psalm 48 sings about that Lord and invites us to walk about Zion, to go round about her, to number her towers to consider well her ramparts, and to go through her citadels.
We have to learn that, brothers and sisters, and young people, in order to be able to sing about the Church.
Therefore, let us listen to the Word of God as it is summarised in Lord’s Day 21a, question 54, where we profess through our faith,
“I BELIEVE A HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH”
The Catechism, brothers and sisters, and young people, gives you a clear answer to the question: “What do you believe concerning the holy catholic Church.” The answer is quite short: “that the Son of God gathers for Himself a Church, chosen to everlasting life.” The Catechism gives more to this answer, but I have quoted simply the main phrase.
Moreover, it is very clear from these words that the Church IS a congregation of the ELECT; or in other words, of people CHOSEN out of the whole human race by the Lord, to everlasting life.
The Builder of the Church is NOT the members, NEITHER THE OFFICE- BEARERS – not the elders or the deacons – but THE SON OF GOD, the Lord Jesus Christ. He has done and is still doing that wonderful work of gathering, defending and preserving His Church.
All of you know what the Lord Jesus Christ has done to make this work possible. Think of His suffering, His cross, His death, His resurrection, His ascension, and His sending His Holy Spirit, He rules over us, protecting His Church, defending her, guiding her, and doing everything for her.
Now we may sometimes have the idea that the Church is a shaky business. People may laugh about the Church. It may be even that we are responsible for that attitude, because we present them with a completely wrong picture by the way we talk and the way we act.
However, the Church is not a risky “undertaking” with a 99% chance of failure. That is what we may THINK; and real development may seem to confirm this idea. For all practical purposes the church would seem to be a museum-piece, and without a future. Is the Church not near to her collapse, and on the verge of her complete downfall? Is it worthwhile to belong to the Church? Is there any future for her?
In our confession we read that the Church is “a Church chosen to eternal life.”
This means that the Church has the best and the most unshakable foundation possible and that she is chosen by the Lord, even before this world came into being. So the Church has really a unique basis. She is God’s work right from the very beginning. He is her Guarantee.
Don’t forget this, brothers and sisters, and young people, when you talk or think about the Church. She is GOD’S building. HE laid her foundation. HE chose her.
We profess in the Heidelberg Catechism that the Church is a congregation of the elect.
In Art.27 of the Belgic Confession of Faith we read as follows: “We believe and profess one catholic or universal Church, which is a holy congregation of true Christian believers, all expecting their salvation in Jesus Christ, being washed by His blood, sanctified and sealed by the Holy Spirit.”
The Catechism views the members of the Church as they are known by God. They are the elect.
The Belgic Confession of faith speaks about the Church as she manifests herself in the world as true Christian believers.
Neither the Catechism nor the Belgic Confession mention a particular denomination, but they talk about the Church to which belong all true Christian believers, all the elect.
Now this Church of Jesus Christ is not limited to a certain country, or to a certain nation, or to a certain culture, or colour. She is really “ecumenical”, world- wide. Long before there were international organisations; long before people started to talk about ecumenical matters, the Church was already a world-affair. Right from the beginning the Lord was interested in His entire world. His grace was directed to the world from the very beginning.
We as His people should be interested too in this world and be willing and faithful in spreading the best News throughout the WORLD. The Church is a body with a mission, a world-wide mission.
Are you aware of this? Are you acting and praying accordingly? And is your giving such that the Church is able to continue her commission entrusted to her by her Lord and Saviour?
In that way, through you and me, our Lord is gathering His Church. Christ does not only give faith to His people, but He also knits them together into a congregation. The Bible speaks about the congregations in several cities to which Paul wrote his letters, and we hear about office-bearers and about their duties.
Art.28 of the Belgic Confession admonishes us “that no person of whatsoever state or condition he may be, ought to withdraw from it (the congregation), content to be by himself; but that all men are in duty bound to join and unite themselves to the doctrine and discipline thereof; bowing their necks under the yoke of Jesus Christ; and as mutual members of the same body, serving to the edification of the brethren, according to the talents God has given them.”
I am not permitted to say, “If I only belong to Christ, I am not interested in an organised Church with her offices, her ministry of Word and Sacraments.”
Such an attitude is disobedience to Jesus Christ. He wants it that way, and , if we love Him, should obey His voice and do His will.
I know, it is possible for a person to be enrolled as a member of the Church, even though he may not love the Lord, but then he doesn’t really belong to the Church.
It would be like a guest at the marriage feast without a wedding-garment. Don’t forget: it is not enough that your name is written in the records of a Church. What is necessary is: a living faith in the living Lord Jesus Christ.
You may ask: how do I become a living member of the Church?
The Bible answers that question and informs us that Christ gathers, defends and preserves for Himself a Church BY HIS WORD AND SPIRIT. When we turn to the book of Acts, that wonderful book about the spreading of the gospel throughout the world; we read about the apostles who preach the Word. In that way people are called to follow the Lord.
A clear example is in Acts 16:14 where we read about Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods that: “THE LORD opened her heart to give heed to what was said BY PAUL.”
The Lord does the real work but He uses Paul or John or you and me.
The Lord opens the heart but we have to open our mouth.
It is only when we sow the seed that we may expect fruit and pray for the Lord’s blessing.
At this stage it is appropriate to ask you the question whether or not you are faithful in using the means of grace which Christ has given, and in using them are you praying for the Holy Spirit so that we may become doers of the Word more and more?
The Lord uses people in His wonderful work. He also calls young men who are willing to prepare themselves for the ministry of the Word of God. He also urges us to pray continually for our College, its professors and students; that their work may be profitable for the Church of Christ.
Our Catechism does not only mention the gathering of the Church as Christ’s work. He DEFENDS and PRESERVES her as well. When you really follow Jesus Christ in your life, you will not have an easy and comfortable life. The history of the Church is a history of conflicts and wars. The Church has been constantly attacked by such deadly enemies as Satan, the world and our own flesh (Heid. Cat. Q.127). Christ knows this and He teaches us to fight (Eph.6:10-18) and to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
We do not have a chance to survive unless we turn to Him Who is able and willing to defend and preserve us so that we do not lose the battle. Our own strength is not sufficient. Our good intentions don’t help. The only One Who can make us strong is the Lord. We need Him every hour to be able to offer resistance and to obtain the victory.
“He who abides in Me (Christ), and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
The powers of hell are too much for us, but not for Him Who said that the powers of hell shall not prevail against the Church. The secret of this miracle is Jesus Christ, and His power to keep His people.
Only in this light are we able to profess “that I am, and forever shall remain, a living member thereof.”
To remain forever a living member of the Church is a wonderful thing, but we should note that there are also on this tree dead branches which are gathered some day and thrown into the fire. Those dead branches don’t bear any fruit. They are there for a while, but they have to be cut off. They hinder the growth of the tree.
The living branches on the other hand bear fruit.
Those fruits are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control and many more.
The Belgic Confession (Art.29) speaks about THE MARKS of Christians by which members of the Church are known, namely, “by faith, and when, having received Jesus Christ the only Saviour, they avoid sin, follow after righteousness, love the true God and their neighbour, neither turn aside to the right or left, and crucify the flesh with the works thereof. But this is not to be understood as if there did not remain in them great infirmities; but they fight against them through the Spirit all the days of their life, continually taking their refuge in the blood, death, passion, and obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ, in Whom they have remission of sins, through faith in Him.” My brother and sister, are these marks of true believers YOUR marks too?
If not, hear then the call of Jesus Christ and turn to Him, knowing that He is willing to accept you when you come to Him confessing your sins.
Listen to His urgent and comforting call: “Come to Me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest….!” (Matt.11:28).
A Church which consists of LIVING members is a power in the world. We need such a Church more than ever.
A Church where the members don’t ask, “What do we get out of the Church?” but rather a Church whose members ask, “What can I contribute to the Church?” and a Church where the members not only sing “O use ME, Lord, use EVEN ME, Just as THOU wilt, and when, and where; Until Thy blessed face I see, Thy rest, Thy joy, Thy glory share…”; but also act accordingly.
A living Church of living members!
Imagine that, brothers and sisters!
A Church sparkling with life, a Church where the fire of love is running high, where the altar is never empty, where prayers go up for one another, where faith is triumphant and nothing will be impossible.
A Church where Christ becomes visible in the life of her members and He is the strength and the hope of His people.
Yes, Christ gathers, defends and preserves His Church.
That is why we did not perish. That is why we can believe “a holy catholic Church” in spite of all that is going on in the world and in spite of my weakness and my shortcomings, of my failures and my sins, in spite of the devil and the world.
It is all BECAUSE OF CHRIST, Who says: “I give them eternal life, and they shall NEVER perish, and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.” Through Christ our militant Church-life here turns into a triumphant Church-life hereafter.
Once a living member of the Church I may remain so forever.
“The strife is o’er, the battle done:
The victory of life is won;
The song of triumph has begun.
Alleluia!”
Amen.