Today we are going to be talking about the church. Who we are, whose we are, and the importance of joining the church. In 2017 Barna group, a reputable research firm in the United states did a study on the growing amount of people that “love Jesus, but don’t Go to church.” The exact thing that this article in the Belgic Confession warns against. And for good reason. The study ended with these words, “[These peoples] spirituality is deeply personal—even private—with many preferring to keep spiritual matters to themselves.”
The question is Christianity private. Or public. Does it belong in the public sphere, or something you just practice in the privacy of your own home?? Is Christ really king of all, or not. And if so, do all people have the duty to join the church? These people that “love Jesus, but don’t go to church,” don’t seem to think so.
As the article states, “Fewer than three in 10 of the “love Jesus but not the church” group agrees strongly that they have a responsibility to proselytize (28%) …So, while “spiritual” topics may often or sometimes come up, the actual act of trying to convert someone is a low priority for this group.”
Does the Christian and the church have a moral obligation to the world, and do ALL people have a obligation to join the church? Especially I might add those who claim to love Jesus. I would say so.
God establishes a holy assembly. Join her.
- God saves a holy assembly
- Everyone’s duty to this assembly
- Everyone’s duty to commit
God saves a holy assembly
Before we go to the beginning of the article I just want you to notice a line in the second paragraph that is vitally important, and flows from out of article 27. There we read that, “…all believers [must] join this assembly wherever God has established.” This is an institution that God as established. The VGK Bellville is not here because of man's ingenuity or the leadership of the elders and deacons. We are here because God has allowed the Gospel of Jesus Christ to take root in the hearts of people in this place, and that word working in the people here has given birth the church in Bellville. And now the promises of this gospel is being passed on covenantal from generation to generation.
This is not the church of Johan. Or the church belonging to the people, it is the Church of God. This is what Paul says to the church in Corinth, “to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints tighter with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
It is not just a club, but a holy assembly. A people devoted to God. As Paul said, “Called to be saints.” In other words, called to be holy. If you want to be holy you must belong to this body, because it is the workshop of the one who makes men holy, namely the Holy Spirit.
And he does not just save holy individuals, but a holy assembly. God saves a community! This is vitally important, and crystal clear throughout the scriptures. And in our individualistic world this needs to be preached. He saves a people. Not first of all individuals, but a body.
The church is a visible body that one can join. It is not an online community. It is not virtual. The church is made visible when she gathers for public worship. This does not mean she is not the church when she is scattered in the world. She remains the church. Just as the stormer remain the stormers when they are not together for a game. But at the game you can point to them and say there are the stormers.
We are created in the image of God. We are created as social beings, entangled with the lives of others and with the things of this world in such profound ways that it is often difficult to know where one ends, and the others begins. Because of the way humans are made, sin damages our relationship with each other and the world, as much as it damages our relationship with God. As sinners we employ all our tools not to fulfill the creation mandate and build, but rather to destroy.
Given the way that God created us, salvation for humans must take a social form, the form of a community. Because that is just how we are created. If he just saved lone individuals and not a community, he would not be saving humans as he created them. He would be saving egos but not creatures who are able to say “we”. If he delivered us from individual sin, without delivering us from the sinful ways we treat others and the world, he would not be saving us from sin. If God is going to restore humans to right order, he must form a society or community of the saved. And this is exactly what he has done in the church.
You see this powerfully illustrated at Pentecost. Where the gathered people get together daily, and “the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Who is the “their”? it is the people who were gathering as a visible community.
This world celebrated the I. You do what you want. No one can tell you what to do. There is no we there is only the I. This is the brainchild of early 20 the century philosophers like Jean Paul Satre whose philosophy “rests upon the complete denial of “we” as a subject, the complete denial of communion.”
But God calls all people: no, he commands all people to join this holy assembly. It is he says the only way to find our true self, as human. Truly reflected the image of God, united together in Christ Jesus. No longer all clamoring to be God, but united in one God. No longer looking to climb the hills of popularity through the help of online platforms but considering others better then ourselves. No man is an island. As Calvin so succinctly states, “To those whom [God] is a father, the church must also be a mother.”
Or in the words of our confession, We believe, since this holy assembly and congregation is the assembly of the redeemed and there is no salvation outside of it.” Just a quick note before we move on. When it says there is no salvation outside the church what is meant is not that no one will ever be saved that did not attend a church. But it means the church is the vessel of salvation. God has ordained the church to make salvation available to all. To preach the good news. So, if you want to be saved you don’t go to the bush, the beach, or the flock of a false shepherd. You to the place where the voice of the good shepherd is heard.
Its just like when you get a vaccine to some deadly illness. You do not go to the casino, or the beach or the bush, you go to pharmacy or doctor. Just so for the words of eternal life you join yourself to the body of Jesus Christ this holy assembly established by God.
Everyone’s duty to this assembly
We read, “but all and everyone are obliged to join it and unite with it, maintaining the unity of the church. They must submit themselves to its instruction and discipline, bend their necks under the yoke of Jesus Christ, and serve the edification of the brothers and sisters, according to the talents given them as members of the body.”
When I read this, I think four things stand out. You are to join, unite, submit, and serve, and they are all related. Let’s look at these briefly. First of all, you have to take the first step in this process, and that is simply to join. How do you know whether you are joining the holy assembly, well we will get to that next time? here all I would like to say, is you can take so long deciding that you never join. Satan would love to have you on your own. He loves sheep that are not gathering with the flock. It is easy prey. The longer one goes without spiritual food the more malnourished one will be.
There are so many saying I am a Christian, but I don’t go to church. I am not sure whose definition of Christian they are using, but one of the ways Jesus defined his followers is that they would obey all that he has commanded us, or at least want to. Joining a church is the first step in following Jesus, in being a disciple. It is the first step in losing yourself, and in doing so finding yourself as part of something greater and far more beautiful.
Once you have joined you can start the process of uniting. And I use that word “process” on purpose. You do not feel united to the church on day one of joining. Just ask someone who has recently joined this community. Even with the greatest intentions it takes time. It is not for nothing that in 1 Corinthians 13 one of the first marks of love is that it is patient. Uniting also requires humility. It says the I is no longer the central it is the we – the body of Christ that stands central. Her wellbeing is inextricably linked to my wellbeing. Her pain becomes my pain now.
Uniting is a process just like drawing away is a process. No one withdraws their membership officially in a day. It was many events that led to it. Just like uniting is a process, so drawing way is process. It happens slowly. When you realize all your friends are moving on, and you found your identity not so much in the community but your friends in that community. Or you had a breakdown in relationship with a few people and never reconciled. Or you feel like you voice is not heard. Or you think you are not being noticed. Then the choice is before. What was it about in the first place? Was coming here about your preferences, enjoying fellowship with your kind of people, being heard, or about hearing the voice of the Shepherd, laying down your life for others, and loving those who are not like you.
Withdrawing starts with those little decisions we make. It comes with those little thought that come to us like We are too tired to go to bible study. It's too much effort to have people over. It's not worth it, because no one notices, and no one shows up.
Dear brother and sister. Those people at that Bible study feel the same way, and they need you to encourage them. To say yes this is worth it. This is life. This is not about me. It is about Christ. He is my life. Do not listen to that voice. Be faithful. Be regular. There is nothing that excites an elder or pastor more than people that are present, and actively using their gifts. If you feel like you have nothing to contribute, please talk to your deacon or elder. You have talents. Every single one of you. Not to stand out on TV in America Got Talent, but to allow the name of Jesus to shine brighter in this community.
When you withdraw you are saying I do not want to be part of the eternal family, the holy assembly, the body of Christ, the temple of the Holy Spirit, the pillar of truth. And that sentiment is nothing less than contrary to ordinance of God.
To unite is stronger than joining. To unite means you lay your own preferences aside. Your likes and dislikes. Your kind of people. This is a unity where you will have to start the process of losing your life, so that you might gain your life. Where you will meet people that think so completely different than you that you would otherwise never have met or talked. People that you will now love and serve. It is no longer wall about what I want, but what does God who established this institution require of us?
And this process of unity is related to submission. How is the unity made visible, through obedience to Jesus Christ through the instruction and discipline of the church? This is what it means to bend your neck under the yoke of Jesus Christ. It is to learn from him. to attend to the worship services. To attend to the grace communal bible study. It is to attend classes offered by the church. It is to allow the elders into your home and listen to them and share your burdens with them as those who have keep watch over your souls. It is to submit to the elders in so far as they follow Jesus. Even if you don’t agree.
And finally, one must your talents that God has given. No longer for yourself but for the sake of the community. God has blessed each one of you with talents. And these talents were gifted to you for a specific purpose. To be used. Not just for anything, but for the church. In order to use your talents, you need to have joined, united, and submitted yourself. You cannot use your talents if you are never in church.
The church, yes, this church of Bellville is the household of God, the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. This is what Paul writes to Timothy who is pastor in Ephesus, and just as it was true of the church in Ephesus, so it is true of us. . When orphans are adopted, they do not keep living in the orphanage, they go to live with their family. So, it is with us, when we are adopted into the household of God we move in with the family. And just like you can’t choose your family, so you cannot choose the family which you join.
And it does not just matter who you are – you are commanded to join. It does not matter what obstacles stand in your way. In de Bres’ time it was death that could have stood in the way of joining and uniting to the church. This is why he writes, “they should do so even though the rulers and edicts of princes were against it, and death and physical punishment might follow.”
And in order to join it means you will have to let other allegiances go. As we noted above, we are all social creatures. We all have our connections, our community. When we come to Christ, there are certain ties that must therefore be cut, certain allegiances that must be let go. This is what Jesus does when he says, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” and pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
And our confession ends this article with one more carefully worded warning. All therefore who draw away from the church or fail to join it act contrary to the ordinance of God.
Dear brother and sister, listen. Yes. This community is broken. It is far from perfect. Its messy. But can I ask you humbly, is this then not the place where you fit in. Among the broken, imperfect saints of God, who are being made holy. Maybe you have been hurt, in the very place where you thought there would be healing. But that hurt cannot be healed by starting away. It comes by being confronted with and confronting others with that hurt in Christ, so that there can be healing and restoration. Come to me, you who are weary says the Good Shepherd. Will you heed his voice today, and come to him?
Today?
Amen.