Art 42-45 Ecclesiology

This is our study of our church confession earlier this year we Rewrote our church Constitution for the first time and it was the first update in four years. But it was the first major revision that we had done in ten years.

Because last time we did a major revision was in 2011. Then we added a couple lines in 2016, but this year we reformatted our Constitution and if you're if you're not yet a member and interested in it And that'll be happy to give you a copy to look at so you know what it is.

But one of the things that we did and adopting the new Constitution was Becoming a church that would recognize a historic confession. We thought that that was an important thing to do. It ties us historically to the reform Baptist movement.

That was. Yeah, you're excited. Yeah, yeah, it ties us to the reform Baptist movement and Many reform Baptist churches hold to the 1689 London Confession. We chose the 1646 confession which was the earlier confession and As I've said over the for several weeks there was there were reasons for us doing that.

We felt like we were in better agreement with the older confession and The only thing that I would say that the older confession probably doesn't do as well is the 1689 confession is a little more organized in regard to Headings and keeping things categorized.

If you go through the 1646 confession Which is our confession you'll realize very quickly that it wasn't it wasn't organized as as precisely. Because it wasn't dealing in the same vein the 1689 confession 1689 drafts a lot from the the Westminster Confession of Faith and there uses a similar organizational template.

But the.

1646 does not so it may seem odd where we are where we are in the confession is we are really dealing with the subject of Ecclesiology and For a thousand points. What is ecclesiology? That's right the doctrine of the church and So I don't forget because I'll get to talking and forget let's stop and pray.

Church Discipline and the Marks of a True Church

Father I thank you for your word. I thank you for this opportunity to study your word. I pray that as we look at the confession and look at the scriptures which underlie the confession Lord that we would be used of you to better Grow in our faith and Lord to become more conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ but that is the very reason for which we come together and gather together is that is to be sanctified to be to be built up in this most holy faith, and we do thank you Lord for the men of the 17th century who Saw it as their task to make statements Regarding the truth and that they were precise in their statements and Lord We pray for such precision in our day where there is so much looseness and so much error Which is abounding?

Let us Lord seek to be Accurate in our proclamation of the truth in Jesus name. I'm in We're going to be looking at articles 42 and 43 for my portion and brother Andy and I split this time so I get about a half hour.

He gets about a half hour. So we're going to be looking at two confessional statements. The first one is 42 now in your in your book. It gives headings those headings were added later. They were added by the writers of that book.

They were not written by the original confessors of this statement, but I think that they are helpful article 42 Is the article that says church discipline. So by the way If you're if Roman numerals are difficult as you're going through once you get past him with Roman numerals my eyes sort of go across.

So if you if you're trying to find the one that we're looking for it's article 42 church discipline and article 43, which they have defined as caution in Such discipline so I'm just going to say caution and church discipline.

One of the claims of the Roman Catholic Church is That it is the true church of the Lord Jesus Christ. When they say that statement when they make the statement, we are the true church. They are making the Additional affirmation that All other churches are in a sense false churches.

We're the true church and you're not with us then obviously you're false now that has softened over the centuries and especially as of late Within the last few generations. We are now no longer a false church.

But if you ask the Roman Catholic They will say we are separated brethren. Meaning Protestants or Reformed churches there were no longer considered to be false churches but still if you ask a Roman Catholic who is a Person who imbibes the teachings they will say the Roman Catholic Church is the true church.

But when it comes to the Reformation There was division right away among the Reformers. Luther had the Germans Calvin and Zwingli had the Swiss and of course there were Scottish Reformations. There were Reformations going on all around.

So to say that the true church of the Roman Catholic Church was replaced with a true church would be kind of difficult to Come to that conclusion because there's no one true church and the Reformers said we're not trying to be the true church.

We're trying to be a true church. I'm saying I'm building up to something. So please stay with me when I say here what I just said. The Reformers said our goal is not to be the true church as if to say we're the only one but to be a true church one true church and Another church can be a true church as well.

And another church can be a true church as well. So the the question then became well, if that's the goal that every church be a true church. What are the marks of a true church? What are the things that would make a church?

Qualified for the category of church. Because don't you know some people who would say well, hey, we're two or three are gathered. That's the church. I meet with my buddies on Friday night and we read the Bible.

We are at church. I mean don't you know folks do that right or they'll say Sure, we meet with three or four families in our home. We read the Bible. Therefore. We have a church now I'm not opposed to house churches.

We'll be very clear. But is that all it takes to be a church? Is that all that is required is that two or three people gather together and read the Bible. Well, that's not all it takes to be a church and the Reformers in their attempt to try to clarify What a true church is Said there were three marks of a true church any church That would be a true church must have three marks.

The first mark was that the word Must be preached. The word must be proclaimed. If you go to a church and there's no preaching, there's no proclamation of the word. It's not a church. Now you think what kind of church wouldn't preach the word a lot of them.

I remember one time I was doing music at a church and it was for a revival meeting and I Finished doing the music and the revivalist came forward. He walked up behind his Bible opened his Bible. Closed it.

Stepped out from behind the pulpit and he said, you know, I came I was going to preach. But I the Lord told me somebody needs a touch and this lady Wow stands up runs to the front. He smacks her and she's down and now it's on no preaching.

Just a lot of smacking. But that's all it was what there was no proclamation of the word now I'm not saying that's all they ever did. But we know that there are churches that don't preach the word and therefore according to the Reformers They're not a church.

They don't proclaim the gospel. They don't proclaim the word. So that's number one number two Would be what they would call the sacraments. In Baptist's life. We tend to more define them as the ordinances, but whatever word you want to use.

We're referring to what when we talk about the sacraments.

And.

Baptism and the Lord's Supper and and that's where I get that's a big issue I take with a lot of people who meet in their houses, you know, because a lot of times there's no practicing of the ordinances Within that group and there's no administration in that regard not always again.

I'm not like I'm saying I'm not against house churches, but I see a lot of time. It's just like a Bible study, but there's no administration the ordinances and typically there's no preaching. It's just a lot of discussion a lot of talking back and forth and the Bible does Actually elevate the idea of proclaiming the word not just discussing it.

You know, we have times for discussing the word, but on Sunday morning, the word is not discussed. It's not dialogue. It's a proclamation of the word. All right, and that's so so so. Are there groups that don't practice the sacraments?

Well, for instance like the Salvation Army. They don't claim to be a church mind you but they. There are a Christian group that doesn't practice baptism or the Lord's Supper. So that's an example of one group at least that would not practice the sacraments or the ordinances.

So there's two that the reformers would say you this must be the third one. Is that is the one that often loses people as they say? I don't know if I agree with this third one. This this seems like a bridge too far.

This is the one I can't agree on they may know what it is. Church discipline. I thought you might know that Mike the third one is The practice of church this. Because the Reformers basically said this.

They said that if a church is willing to allow That sin be named within Without any discipline to follow that sin or to address that sin. Then it's really not operating as the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I want to read a quote from dr. Robert Godfrey. If you're not familiar with dr. Godfrey. He's he does a lot with Ligonier ministries, which is RC scrolls ministry. He says this about the three marks of the church.

He says in focusing on the marks of the church. The Reformers were not saying that all a good church needs to have are the marks of the church. They focused on the marks because these marks make the church recognizable.

The Church of Christ has many more characteristics than these three marks, but these characteristics we might mention prayer. Fellowship devotion and the rest are not as easy to observe. These marks are important because they display the faithfulness to a church if you walked in the church was a church that refused to preach.

The word.

You know.

If you walked into a church that refused to exercise or practicing the sacraments, it wouldn't take long before you know. And if a church was allowing for sin to go on unaddressed. Then you know, it wouldn't take long before you would see That the church was out of the will of God in that area.

So it's this third quality That we're going to talk about tonight and I want to say it is this third quality. Which many churches are missing. In fact, if this list is correct if the Reformers got it, right, this isn't scripture.

This is just a Reformers opinion, right? This is a Reformation principle opinion. So it's not gospel, but if they're right and these three things make up the minimum of what a church must have to be a church Then many churches are not churches.

They need my nine marks, haha. Yeah mark Dever, of course. Yeah, the nine marks are the healthy church. But he would agree with these three at least yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. So with all that being said now, I want to read to you what the confession says about church discipline.

It says in article 42 Christ has likewise the reason why it says likewise is often these build on the last one and the last one was about the Person being able to administer the sacraments the ordinances.

So he has the power to do that. So it goes on to say Christ has likewise given power to his church to receive in and pass out Any member that deserves it just stop right there. I just we're going to deal with that phrase, but I just love how simple They deserve it.

It's like they deserve. Okay, and this power is given to every congregation and not to one Particular person either member or officer but in relation to the whole body in reference to their faith and fellowship.

So.

That is how the confession expresses the authority of the church to exercise church.

Discipline.

They say that the church has the power to bring in and to cast out. Anyone any member that deserves it? So let me ask you this question and I'm going to erase the board when it says deserves. Who is it talking about?

Well has to be a member. That's a good thought. Yeah person has to be a member of the church can't discipline non-members. We've had that conversation before we've actually had the conversation. Well, what if you had somebody in the church who was engaging in sin?

But they had not committed or submitted to the to the church in any way. Well, we would we maybe have a conversation with that person, especially if they were like being overt with their sin. But we would not have any ecclesiastical authority to do anything other than address them.

You know as a person who maybe because they may not even be a Christian. Let's say on a Sunday morning. We had Two homosexuals coming they're not claiming to be Christians and they're sitting there as long as they're sitting there.

Listen the word. That's fine now if they start kissing or something like that when they have a Conversation about we don't want our children to see this that might be a conversation that has to be had.

But as long as they're just sitting there listen to the word, you know, if they're not members Then then we want them to hear the word. So that would be but yes, if they're members then they're subject to Church discipline.

So right that would be the first thing. But I want to but when we say the person deserve it who deserves church discipline. Can I ask you this question? Is everybody in here still a sinner? How long you been saved.

20 years several. Okay, so we've all been saved for a while at least a few years. For those of us. Hopefully everybody understand again. I haven't gone through taking everyone's testimony. But if you are safe, hopefully it's been for a little while, but you're still sick.

All right, you still struggle with sin. So a lot of times people would say How can I discipline somebody else? I still sin. How can I even exercise? How can I be a part of church discipline when I myself know that in all reality I struggle myself with Sin, and I think that the important thing to realize is there's only one sin only one sin.

That can bring about church discipline. They may know what it is. Well, I would say impenitence but not non repentance, okay. Impenitence or like you said Non-repentance because that's the point of church discipline if you go to Matthew 18 where Jesus outlines this process.

He doesn't give a specific sin like adultery or fornication. Or something. He says if a brother sins against you and you go to him and you tell him his fault and he repents. Then you've restored him case closed nobody else needs to know and by the way tomorrow night in our academy class.

We're going to be talking about conflict resolution. I think that's the best Example of a Christian conflict resolution that we have in Scripture. Is that if a person sins against you you go to them privately and have a conversation?

Because most of us don't do that. Most of us go to somebody else. And we time I was just airing my grievance I was just venting my anger, you know. We go talk to something now. We got two people angry at person three rather than having that private conversation, right?

It's really is built-in conflict management if you got an issue with somebody talk to that person, right and. But if the person is sinning and you go to them and they refuse to hear what you're saying.

What does it say to do then go and get two or three. Others two or three witnesses because the Bible says every case must be tried on the basis of two witnesses or more, right? So you go and get other people you take them and you have that conversation.

And one of the things I like to point out when I'm teaching on this is the reason why Jesus said go get two or three. More it's because you might be the one that's wrong. You might I might be saying Matt you're in sin.

And then I go get Jerry and Chuck and Jerry and Chuck look at me and say but you're wrong. Matt's not wrong. You're wrong. Well now I got a pro because I went to Matt and I was the one who was wrong so it's a opportunity for a little bit of Not gossip.

It's not about getting two or three people to talk. It's about accountability. Right, but let's say I do go to Chuck and Jerry and and we go to Matt. I'm sorry to use you as an example. But we just happen to be right there.

So I go to Matt we talk to Matt and Now we're in a conversation and Matt says, you know what? I know it's a sin. But I enjoy it. Or I know it's a sin, but I'm not gonna stop. I'm not going to repent I'm not even going to recognize that it's a sin and I love it.

So That would be an example of impenitence. They'd be at that moment. It's not the sin that's causing the discipline. It's the refusal to recognize that it is sin and that it means repentance because if I went to Matt or to Mike or to this Mike or to that Mike and I said brothers You're struggling with this or if I gave you I said here's something that you're doing whatever you've sinned and you say this is my Struggle.

Okay. Well, then let's work on this together. Let's let's let's be accountable to one another. Let's pray for one another. Let's call each other. It wouldn't move the church discipline if the man struggling it wouldn't move the church discipline if the woman is having a struggle.

That's the difference right? It would only be moving to the next step if they say we're not stopping. We don't care or I'm not stopping. I don't care that so it's it's it's the heart of impenitence that leads to the next step and the final step of church discipline according to Jesus is that the issue be brought before the church.

Oh heavens. You mean they're going to name their name in front of the church. It's a hard thing. To even consider that somebody's name be brought before the church and I'll tell you a story there was a church here in Jacksonville made.

National news.

Because they exercise discipline. It was Church on the south side and I knew the pastor and actually we have some members here who were members there so we I know a lot about this church and. They exercise discipline and.

And.

The lady sued the lady who was under discipline sued the church and made it on Fox News. This was probably 10 15 years ago. It's been a while. But so it does so so it's it's a heavy thing to move forward with church this.

Again there's I can throw a stick and hit 15 churches. All of which would say we are nuts for even thinking to do something like this. That we would be wrong. I mean, don't you know Jesus said he was without sin cast the first stone.

Right, so they said they always jump back to John 8 and they want to make that their argument. So you can't do this. So they pit Jesus against Jesus, right? Because if Jesus was the one who said Cast the first stone he's also the one who says Cast them out from among them because that's what he goes on to say.

He says once you bring them before the church, he says if they refuse to listen even to the church let them be as.

A.

Gentile or textbook. Now why those two things. Gentiles were not allowed in the temple and tax collectors have been Excommunicated because they had turned against the Jewish people and they were supporting their oppressors over the Roman government.

So the picture of excommunication Is given by Jesus. But notice it's not an immediate thing. It's not like Mike makes me mad and I say Mike get out of here by the way, the confession deals with that too because it says.

It says no person has the unilateral authority to do this on his or her own. Even the pastor no officer even the elders can't gather together and say that we're going to discipline somebody. No, we the person is brought before the church and we lay out the case before the church.

This is what has happened they refuse to repent and until they do so they will be. Not no longer a part of this body. However, you want to say Most of the time they do. Most of the time by the time it gets to that part.

They were kind of already gone. But they have every right to come and make their case if they feel like they have been mistreated. And this is the thing I do want to point out. I know of churches that have done this wrong.

I know one in particular where there was a man who was. He was he was going to be an elder. But then he decided he didn't want to be an elder because he got his job changed and he was going to have more hours At work, so he didn't have the time to commit to being an elder.

So he removed his name from the eldership and the church disciplined him for being agreed. They said because he took the job that I was gonna pay more money rather than becoming an elder that he was denying God's call and that he was greedy and the church Excommunicated him and his family and that church.

I don't want to go too far into the particulars, but that is an example that even the pastor this morning said it. So can churches air. Yes churches can air and. And yet. That's why I think the next part is so important.

That's I got to get on so you can have this portion. But the next part says that very thing it says that there needs to be caution and discipline. Right there it has to be done. It's one. It shouldn't be done all the time.

Shouldn't be like every week. We're coming in now this week. It's Vince's turn. This week, it's you know, brother brother and Paul's turn. No, it's you know, even when I would say that there's a time in history.

I read a book on Baptist history earlier this year and even at the height of Baptist Excommunication that sounds like a weird thing when they were actually keeping records and they and and like back in the 1800s.

There was actually it was happening. But even then it was only like 2 or something. It still wasn't a huge amount, you know, I've heard some as high as 10 But as far as a general rule, it wasn't something that was being done every week all the time just to clarify.

But it but it must be a part of the church's understanding that. Let's let's look at 43 it says every and every particular member of each church how excellent great or learned so ever is. Subject to this censure and judgment and that the church ought not without great care and tenderness and do advice.

But by the rule of faith to proceed against her members. Now, what's that saying one? It's saying there's no person who is outside of the reach of this particular Authority within the church, I'll read to you but one of the one of the passages it cites is 1st Timothy 5.

This is what it says in 1st Timothy 5 about an elder. It says do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. Well, they have to do that for anyone. But here's the point it goes on to say first 20 as for those who persist in sin, that would be elders.

Rebuke them in the presence of all. So that the rest may stand in fear see in a position of Authority you're also in a position of responsibility and the rebuke would be a public Serious business. And it goes on to say in the presence of God and in Christ Jesus and all the elect angels.

I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging doing nothing from partiality. No elder gets a free pass. No deacon gets a free pass. No longtime church member. Sorry Paul you longest one here. Maybe Pat.

Well, who's who's longer pattern? Oh, oh, yeah, just because you've been a member for so many years. We don't we we don't have what will you pass the point? You know, you've got your tenure and you can't you know.

It's we're all subject whether elder whether Deacon no matter who and that and I like the way they say it no matter how excellent how great or how learning. Nice doesn't matter. Everybody's subject to the same discipline and it goes on to say and the church ought not to Without great care and tenderness and do advice but by the rule of faith proceed against her members.

The church has to be careful in the exercise of discipline. For those of you who have not been with us or maybe you're new, you know. This is something that we talked about and we have talked about. But it is something that has only happened a few times in the history of our church where we've actually had to have this.

Go to where we bring something to the congregation. I can only think of twice. But it is something that is a real thing and When I'm preaching on this subject, I often it's not a passage that they cite here, but I often cite the story of Remember Aiken from the Old Testament.

Aiken was part of the nation of Israel and when they went to battle and They were supposed to leave all the spoils of war. But he took some of the spoils back and hid them in his tent and he buried them.

So no one would know. Well the next time they go to battle they lose. Moses goes before the Lord. What's happening here? Why did we lose and the reason was you have this man who is a sinner and he's not been dealt with.

We didn't even know. Okay, so they deal with. Sin is a cancer and Impenitence is a dangerous. Because as long as sin is allowed to go on address. We simply are not in God's will and this again doesn't give us the right to become what's the word Nazis well, that's a good harsher than I was thinking.

But yeah, I was gonna say nitpickers, but Nazis is good. It doesn't give us the right to go around. Pointing our fingers at everyone because again, none of us want people doing that to us. But but we are a brother speaker, right?

We.

Encourage. Correct.

When the times are necessary and I have had times in my life where the rebuke of a brother was Hard at the time, but was later very sweet when I realized how much that person loved me. Yes, ma 'am.

I just wanted to say that along with that, there has to be a lot of love and prayer for that person because you want him to be forgiven. So the church should be in prayer, hoping that he would come back to where he should be and ask for forgiveness.

That's right.

Very important part of it.

And that's the whole, if you read 1st Corinthians 5, which we didn't get to read tonight, but 1st Corinthians 5, what does Paul say? We deliver them over to the Savior for the destruction of the flesh so that they can be saved.

We don't want them to be lost. We pray for their salvation.

Absolutely.

Alright, well I'm going to turn it over to Brother Andy, let him do his portion.

I was thinking of that proverb that says, open, rebuke, and better receive your love. Certainly that is true, and also how it says that the wounds of a faithful friend heal. Versus just the words that people speak at us at times.

Church Oversight, Gifts, and Orderly Ministry

Alright, so my portion is the 44th and 45th article. And as we look at it tonight, I want to kind of follow in Brother Keith's steps. But at the same time, I want us to think about something that I think is mentioned in these two articles.

And so if you've read these articles, articles 44 and 45, they're really kind of housed together within this whole idea of the church and the government of the church. In other words, we read article 41, which was baptism, and then article 42 was church discipline.

Article 43, as Brother Keith brought up, was caution in such discipline. And now we come to 44 and 45, and it talks about oversight responsibility and oversight gifts. And I wanted to kind of follow along a little bit in the area of the government of the church, but I also would like us to think a little bit tonight about how we ought to use our gifts within the church, and within the framework of a local body of believers.

Because I think that is an essential truth that we need not only to have, but it needs to grow. In other words, if we are going to grow as a body, and I'm not just talking about numerically. I'm talking about spiritually.

If we're going to grow as a body, then we need to have these things such as the right understanding of church discipline, but we also need to have the right understanding of who is to govern the church and what's the goal for the church.

In other words, is it just that we come here, check the box, sing a couple songs, and then go our way? Or is there something that we are responsible to contribute to the overall welfare of the body, and ultimately to the glory of God, because that's what's behind it all.

So, I want to say a couple things, but I want to ask us to think about two things as we read these two articles. And we'll get to the articles, and I'll deal with them separately, and I'm going to talk fast, just for the sake of time.

So, I want to ask us to think about two things as we go through these two articles. One, everything in the church is to be done in decency and in order. In other words, God is not the author of confusion.

And if we are going to exemplify the Lord Jesus Christ and his work of redemption and sanctification in us by the Spirit, then we are responsible to do things decently and in order. And in order to do things decently and in order, we have to follow God's pattern.

I think that's one of the biggest errors that happens to churches, is they go off the rail and begin to think that they can insert their own understanding into the functionality and the government of a church.

And my friends, that's most dangerous. In other words, once we move away from God's Word, we open ourselves up to so many errors and so many dangers. So, that's one of the things I would ask you to keep in the back of your mind as we go through this.

And then the second one is this. That as we go through these two articles, and as we go through this whole confession as we have been, that anything that we do is to be done with a single purpose. And that single purpose is to glorify God.

If you and I find any other reason than that, then we're here for the wrong reason. If you and I think that, and I remember seeing a billboard. Boy, it was this gigantic billboard, and they put it up.

And they had just started a new church, and I think they had just built a new building. And the billboard said, this church was built for you. And you know, I thought about that. To me, that's not doctrinally correct.

The church is God's house. The church is God's people, and if our sole purpose is not to glorify God as a body of believers, then I think we've missed the mark. So, don't underestimate what can happen if we don't follow those two principles of doing everything in decency and according to God's Word, and then having a sole purpose, which would be to glorify God, and to show forth the work of salvation in our lives.

So, with that in mind, to me, these two articles are similar, and yet they're different. In Article 44, I believe what the emphasis is on is on the oversight that is to be done by the offices of the church, and how that is to function, and why.

And then in Article 45, the responsibility of the body of believers for governing the church, how that is to work, and why. In other words, it deals with both. It deals with, if you will, the pulpit and the pew.

And I've always said it that way. I went to a conference a long time ago. It was the Sovereign Grace Baptist Association. This was up in Pennsylvania. And one of the speakers was, his message was, the view from the pew.

And what it was, was he was presenting, if you will, a review of what was presented from the pulpit, and how he saw it as being in the pew. And it was really interesting, and it was well done. So, I want us to think about that.

I want to look at some scriptures. I don't think we'll have time to look at them all, but I'm going to deal with 1 Corinthians 12, 1 Corinthians 14, Romans 12, Ephesians 4. Those are all the chapters and sections of scriptures that you could look at, especially in 1 Corinthians and Romans 12 and Ephesians 4.

If you just were to look at those four sections, you would have ample instruction on it. So, let me ask you a question before I read off of 44. Would I be correct to say that nobody should teach except officers in the church?

Would I be correct in saying that the only ones who should teach in the church are officers of the church? That's not correct? Does anybody think that that is correct? I don't have any partakers.

Do you?

No, I don't think so. As long as I'm understanding your question correctly, then I would say no.

Okay. All right.

So, that is a very specific answer.

Yes.

The Daily Dollar.

You got the Daily Dollar.

There you go.

Got a dollar.

So, would I also be correct if you're saying to me that there is opportunity and there is scriptural warrant for others to teach in the church besides the officers of the church?

Let me ask you a second question.

Would I be correct to say that the elders, in particular, must be able to teach and govern in the church? Nobody would disagree with that, right? Because, in essence, if you were to look at the qualifications of an elder and the qualifications for a deacon, you will find from characteristics or traits, individual traits, they're identical, pretty much.