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You can turn to chapter 26 of 
the church, a very large chapter, 15 paragraphs in it. The paragraphs 
are quite small. I'm actually not going to read 
it to start. We're going to read some of it 
as we move along to do a sort of a glance, a quick glance at 
the chapter in its whole. We'll do a little bit of introduction 
and then read through it as we do a little bit of an outline 
of the chapter and the content of the paragraphs. But when we 
come to a study of the Church, we obviously come to a study 
of a very important topic, a very important doctrine. You'll see 
as we work through this chapter that The contents of the previous 
chapters find a resting place here. The doctrine of God, the 
doctrine of the scriptures, the doctrine of salvation, the doctrine 
of Christ. All of the previous chapters 
come in here. They come forth in these paragraphs, 
and it shows the high importance of the doctrine of the Church, 
because the Church is the Church of God. The Church is the Church 
that is built upon the word of the living and true God. The 
Church, in fact, is the pillar and ground of the truth. The 
head of the church is Christ. The church is constituted by 
those who have been called from darkness to light. And so the 
doctrine of the church is a very important topic. It is within 
the church that we observe peculiar and particular ordinances ordained 
by God for the good of his church. And so far from being just a 
a chapter that we should breeze through, though in a sense we 
will be doing that this morning in the way of an introduction. 
Jim's going to do a little bit more in upcoming Sundays in this 
chapter, but it is a very important topic, the topic of the church. Now, when people hear the word 
church, there's a number of things that often come to mind. We can 
think of the building, when we hear the word church, we can 
think of the service, I'm going to church. We can think of the 
whole body of Christians, the universal church. We can think 
of a local expression of that body, the church, the church 
visible. We could think of the Christendom 
at large, oftentimes church can carry within it that aspect of 
definition where we include, unfortunately, unbelievers in 
a sort of a definition of it, or a local expression even of 
that. Now the word itself, just very briefly, comes from or finds 
its etymology in the Scottish word kirk, which I think the 
Dutch word is also kerk, K-E-R-K, transliterated. The German word 
kirche, and it comes probably from the Greek word kuriakon, 
which means of the Lord. places in the scriptures where 
we find that word or a rendition of it, a variation of it, in 
1 Corinthians and Revelation, the Lord's Table and the Lord's 
Day. The church, the word church, the English word church, very 
often translates the Greek word ekklesia, which means gathering 
or assembly. And so when we are in the scriptures, 
whenever we see the English word church, that's usually what it 
is translating, ecclesia, which means, which doesn't necessarily 
mean called out ones. You'll see that in sort of treatments 
of the church, that they'll say that it means called out ones. 
There is an element of that in it. In the Septuagint, the Greek 
translation of the Old Testament, it's often used to translate 
a word that means a gathering by appointment, but it means 
more peculiarly assembly or probably more clearly assembly or congregation 
or gathering. When we come to this chapter, 
it's very different than the Westminster Confession of Faith, 
considerably different. There are, I believe, only six 
paragraphs in the Westminster Confession of Faith, their Doctrine 
of the Church. Now, they take up the Doctrine 
of the Church in two subsequent chapters additionally, or by 
supplementation. They have chapters which are 
of church centers and then of synods and councils, which of 
course the Baptists don't have. But the doctrine here is different 
than the Presbyterians. Why? Because it's a Baptist document. 
Presbyterianism is a form of church government that is different 
than Congregationalism and different than Baptist ecclesiology or 
Baptist church government, the Baptists being more closely related 
to the Congregationalists. For example, one of the differences 
most notably that you'll see, the Westminster Confession of 
Faith in paragraphs 3 says that the Church consists of, or paragraph 
2, that the Church consists of all those throughout the world 
that profess the true religion together with their children. 
Of course, Baptists would deny that a definition of the church 
includes the children of believers, that is, the unbelieving children 
of believers. And so the Presbyterians have 
that definition of the church, that it includes all those who 
profess the true religion together with their children. The Baptists, 
of course, disagree and do not repeat that language. And then 
of course, not of course, but at the point of church centers, 
there may be many things that the Baptists could have included 
there. but they chose not to include that chapter. But there 
is a chapter of synods and councils in the Westminster Confession 
of Faith that the Baptists didn't include, though some elements 
of it are included in paragraphs 14 and 15 of chapter of our chapter 26. Okay, so just 
working through the confession then, this particular chapter, 
a larger outline, three-fold outline, could be this, of the 
15 paragraphs. Paragraphs 1 to 3, the universal 
church. You've often heard that also 
defined as the Catholic church, that is the small C, Catholic 
Church. You see, we shouldn't allow that 
idolatrous and apostate institution to hijack a good word, Catholic. Properly used and properly understood, 
it simply means that what we have here, the Catholic or Universal 
Church, which may be called invisible, consists of the whole number 
of the elect. that have been, are, or shall be gathered into 
one under Christ. So that is a good definition 
of the Catholic Church properly and according to its biblical 
nature understood. So paragraphs 1 to 3, the universal 
church, and we have in that the constitution of the church and 
the perpetuity of the church. And that's again paragraphs 1 
to 3. Paragraph 4 is the head of the 
church. And that would be sort of a connecting 
paragraph, if you will. Certainly an all-encompassing 
paragraph that could be placed on top of all paragraphs to see 
and to understand that Christ alone is the head of the church. 
But it brings together the universal church and the local church, 
bringing into view who the true and only head of the church is. 
So paragraphs one to three, the universal church. Paragraph four, 
the head of the church. Paragraphs 5 through 15, we could 
outline that as the local church, and we'll get to that in distinction 
from or in comparison to the universal church when we work 
through these paragraphs. So now, first off, the Constitution 
of the Church. Notice in paragraph one, and 
this is more of an extensive now outline of each paragraph, 
the Constitution of the Church. We've already noted, but let's 
repeat again, paragraph one, the Catholic or Universal Church, 
which, with respect to the internal work of the Spirit and the truth 
of grace, may be called invisible, consists of the whole number 
of the elect that have been, are, or shall be gathered into 
one under Christ, the head thereof, and is the spouse, the body, 
the fullness of him that filleth all in all. Hopefully, just from 
paragraph one, we can see the importance of the study of the 
doctrine of the Church. It is connected to Christ. It is connected to the Spirit. 
It's connected. There is a triune reality to 
the Church. We're called from out of darkness 
by God to marvelous light through the Spirit under Christ, the 
head thereof. The Church is a triune doctrine. Notice as well then secondly 
the perpetuity of the church in paragraph 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 
of it by any errors averting the foundation or unholiness 
of conversation here and may excuse me are and may be called 
visible saints and of such at all particular congregations 
to be constituted excuse me paragraph 3 is the is perpetuity. This 
continues the constitution of the church. And notice that the 
constitution of the church is believers only. That's what we 
have being brought out, not exclusively, but in paragraphs one and two, 
more particularly paragraph two, that the church universal is 
comprised of those who are believers and they alone. Notice what it 
says. 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 
averting the foundation or unholiness of conversation, are and may 
be called visible saints, and of such ought all particular 
congregations to be constituted. And so there is the reality brought 
forth here in contrast to the Presbyterians and the Congregationalists 
that churches are to be constituted of believers only. It is believers 
that constitute churches. And then now the perpetuity of 
the church, that simply means the abiding nature of it, the 
fact that it will never disappear. The purest churches under heaven, 
paragraph 3, are subject to mixture and error, and some have so degenerated 
as to become no churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan. Nevertheless, 
Christ always hath had and ever shall have a kingdom in this 
world, to the end thereof, of such as believe in him, and make 
profession of his name." You see, that ought to come as a 
boost of courage to our souls, to our hearts. When we look about 
on the landscape of Christianity, and as it ebbs and flows, as 
it goes through the vicissitudes of purity, error, mixture, and 
all these sorts of things, when we can see the gospel not being 
preached in some circles, but rather a simple message of humanism 
or a message that simply comes with empty motivation and a little 
bit of a kick to the shorts rather than the whole counsel of God 
and the bloody and glorious gospel, we can nevertheless take heart 
or be encouraged by the reality that Christ always hath had and 
ever shall have a kingdom in this world. to the end thereof, 
of such as believe in Him and make profession of His name." 
Whatever happens to the church, whatever we can see, whether 
downgrade trends and all these problems in the church, we can 
always be assured that Christ will have a body of believers 
that profess His name, that believe in Him. He always has a kingdom 
in this world. Remember, we have that promise 
of Matthew 16, I will build my church in the the gates of Hades 
shall not prevail against it." And we have a, you know, sometimes 
a building, you know, a building with a cornerstone, a foundation, 
and bricks can have some bricks taken away. It can incur, you 
know, it can incur some damage. A fire can affect a building. 
But you see, it constantly is there. It gets rebuilt. It gets 
renovated. It gets refreshed. And so, too, 
the Church of Christ The purest churches under heaven, the Confession 
says, are subject to mixture and error. We ought never to 
have this idea of the church that it is always going to be 
perfect in our eyes. People can have too high an expectation 
of the church for their own demands and their own proclivities and 
their own likes. The church will always be there, 
and the church is to be seen as glorious, but we must understand 
that the purest churches under heaven are subject to mixture 
and error. So we ought not to be those who 
have an ecclesiastical wanderlust that go from church to church 
and just can't find the church. that they want and they end up 
at their 17th church and they're still miserable because they 
have these expectations that can never be met. It's still 
an earthly institution, an earthly institution that is heaven-bound, 
that is protected and guarded and built by the King of heaven, 
but nevertheless the purest churches under heaven are subject to mixture 
and error. If you find a church that preaches the gospel, find 
a contentment there and don't don't seek to find perfection 
because the gospel is coming to you through cracked pots in 
order that the glory of God might be prime. the head of the church. We move to paragraph 4 then. 
We have the head of the church. Now what's in view here? Not 
only positively the exclusive reign of Christ as head of the 
church, but also the exclusion of the Pope of Rome from any 
claim of primacy in the Church of Christ. Notice the language 
of paragraph 4 here. The Lord Jesus Christ is the 
head of the Church in whom by the appointment of the Father 
all power for the calling, institution, order, or government of the Church 
is invested in a supreme and sovereign manner. Neither can 
the Pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof. But is that 
Antichrist, that man of sin and son of perdition, that exalteth 
himself in the church against Christ, and all that is called 
God, whom the Lord shall destroy with the brightness of His coming? 
You see, it would have been at this time, as it still is, and 
as it was prior to the the penning of the confession, that the Pope 
claimed his reign over the church. He would claim to be the head 
of the church on earth and throughout the ages would have and would 
always be marked by a pomp and circumstance and even a tyrannical 
reign over the institution and the people. The confession comes 
up against that and comes up against it with some harsh words 
and with some right and true words. It is the case positively 
that only Christ himself is the head of the church. The Lord 
Jesus Christ is the head of the church by the appointment of 
the Father. If you were to back up to paragraph 
to paragraph 1 of chapter 8, you see that in the doctrine 
of Christ the Mediator, it pleased God in His eternal purpose to 
choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, His only begotten Son, according 
to the covenant made between them both, to be the Mediator 
between God and man, the Prophet, Priest, and King, Head and Savior 
of the Church. You see, it is, Crier, it was 
an element of Christ. It is an element of Christ's 
role as mediator to be the ruling and the reigning and the glorious 
and the merciful and the loving and the powerful head of the 
church. And he is the soul. He is the only head of the church 
in whom by the appointment of the Father, all power for the 
calling, institution, order, or government of the church is 
invested in a supreme and sovereign manner. He is exclusively, supremely, 
and sovereignly the head of the Church. And then again, negatively, 
neither can the Pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof. 
whether in an exclusive sense, or in a partial sense, or in 
a vicarious sense. He is called the Vicar of Christ. Some Roman Catholic apologists, 
even extreme, mind you, would go to those passages in, for 
example, John 15 and John 16, that speak of another comforter, 
and they'll try and maneuver and do exegetical somersaults 
to find the Pope somehow in there, even though the Holy Spirit is 
clearly being referred to by the Apostle John, but they see 
the Pope of Rome as a vicar of Christ, a vicarious Christ on 
earth. Christ is in heaven, but the 
Pope is the Christ on earth, and is to be treated as such, 
is to be loved as such, even as Christ is supposed to be loved. Rightly and harshly, the Baptists 
come against that, and say neither can the Pope of Rome be in any 
sense the head thereof. Not only that, they bring out 
the reality of the condemnation of God upon the Pope of Rome. But is that Antichrist, the man 
of sin and son of perdition? that exalteth himself in the 
church against Christ, and all that is called God, whom the 
Lord shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." No doubt that 
reality would have been a boon to the souls of those under the 
iron and heavy fist of the Pope who were true Christians who 
would fall under the persecution of the Roman Catholic Church, 
the reality that this Pope is no head, there is one head, he 
is Christ, and this false vicar of Christ will be destroyed by 
the brightness of the Lord's coming. So all of that ultimately 
and by summary to say it is the Lord Jesus Christ alone who is 
the head of the church. And then we move into paragraphs 
5 to 15 where we have now the local church. So the universal 
church is primarily in view there in paragraphs 1, 2, and 3. Christ 
as head over both universal and local to be sure in paragraph 
4. Now we move to the local church 
and we want to notice first off the sovereignty of Christ in 
the Constitution of the local church. Paragraph 5 comes right 
after paragraph 4, and we see Christ in the execution of the 
power referred to in paragraph 4, brought out in paragraph 5 
here. Notice, in the execution of this 
power wherewith he is so entrusted, that is, being the head of the 
church by appointment of the Father, the Lord Jesus calleth 
out of the world unto himself through the ministry of His Word 
by His Spirit, those that are given unto Him by His Father, 
that they may walk before Him in all the ways of obedience 
which He prescribeth to them in His Word, those thus called 
He commandeth to walk together in particular societies or churches 
for their mutual edification and the due performance of that 
public worship which He requireth of them in the world. We see 
some glorious doctrine brought out here connected to the doctrine 
of the local church. We see the doctrine of salvation 
and the doctrine of the primacy and the utility of the word of 
God. Doctrine of Salvation in view 
here. Notice, the Lord Jesus calleth out of the world unto 
himself by his Spirit those that are given unto him by his Father. 
The Doctrine of Salvation is intimately connected to the Doctrine 
of the Church. Why? Because the Church is constituted 
of the saved. The church is constituted of 
those who have been brought out of darkness into marvelous light 
by the calling of the sovereign head of the church, the Lord 
Jesus Christ, by the appointment of the Father. And notice as 
well the primacy of the word, the Lord Jesus calleth out of 
the world unto himself through the ministry of his word those 
that are given unto him by his Father. So the importance and 
the glorious utility of the word of the living and true God is 
in view with regards to the doctrine of the church. Of his own will, 
he brought us forth by the word of truth. We have that blessed 
reality of the power of the spirit, but also the inerrant and infallible 
and inspired word of God. It comes to the souls of men 
darkened and dead in sin and brings them to light and life 
in Christ Jesus the Lord. The importance of the Word of 
God is so often repeated here and it should so often be repeated 
by the Church of Christ. The Word of God. We've been born 
again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible through the 
Word of God, which lives and abides forever. The Apostles 
talk about the new birth when the Apostles, not always, but 
of course it's in view, but when they talk about the new birth, 
when they talk about regeneration, when they talk about being born 
again, very often connected to that is the acknowledgement that 
that is through the Word of God, which lives and abides forever, 
through the Word of Truth. And so the Confession rightly 
brings that out, that the head of the church calls to himself 
those who have been given to him by the Father through the 
Spirit and Word. And notice that it is unto a 
particular end First, it's unto obedience, that they may walk 
before him in all the ways of obedience, which he proscribeth 
in the word, again, the importance of the word. And then notice 
as well, with regards to the church more pointedly, those 
thus called, he commandeth to walk together, this is paragraph 
five, still right at the end, in particular societies or churches. for their mutual edification 
and the due performance of that public worship which he requireth 
of them in the world." It is by the commandment of Christ 
that we are to join ourselves to churches. And you see, when 
we despise the church or when we become lazy with our churchmanship 
or when we think lightly of the church, not only do we despise 
then God and think lightly of God, but we also jip ourselves 
of mutual edification. Notice the obligation that we 
have and hopefully a cheerful obligation to be part of this 
economy of mutual edification. We come to church and there is 
a blessed reciprocity, there's a blessed reciprocal relationship 
between believers. We're to love our brothers and 
sisters and we get to be loved by them. We come into church 
and when we sing hymns, remember that we're not just singing hymns 
to God, though we are doing that and doing that first and foremost. 
But as the Bible says and as our confession says in chapter 
22, we're singing songs and hymns and spiritual songs to each other. 
we're singing to each other, and that is wherein we find one 
of these elements of mutual edification. Remember when you're singing 
a hymn later in worship today, that you're not just singing 
to God, you're singing to me. You're singing to each other. 
You're repeating blessed biblical words strung together in blessed 
harmony in order to edify, in order to instruct even, in order 
to encourage those who are beside you in the pew and those who 
are everywhere in the gathered assembly. It is, the church is, 
not unto this end alone, but it is unto the end of mutual 
edification. And that should be something 
that we ought to strive, to nourish, to grow, and to encourage. Paragraph 
6 is the character and obligation of the local church. Notice paragraph 
6. We have some more of the mutual 
obligation, but notice the language there. by the will of God in professed 
subjection to the ordinances of the gospel." We have more 
of that language giving themselves up one to each other. We have 
that continuing and abiding obligation to the members of the churches, 
to the members of our church, to walk together with them. We 
have covenanted to walk together with others in this local assembly. 
And notice again that the Members of these churches are saints 
by calling. Members of churches are not those 
who profess the true religion and their children, whether baptized 
or not, but rather the members of these churches are saints 
by calling. It is Christians who constitute 
the universal church. It is Christians who constitute 
the visible church. We won't get into it now, but 
there's differences with regards to those who do subscribe to 
covenant theology largely. Of course, between Presbyterians 
and Baptists who hold to covenant theology, those Presbyterians 
would argue that the Visible Church is constituted by believers 
and their children. Baptists, of course, subscribing 
to proper covenant theology, affirm and confess that only 
saints constitute the local church. But perhaps that would come in 
the study on baptism or another study on chapter 7 covenant theology. Not all that to say churches 
are to be constituted by believers. And notice again this obligation 
that we have. We are to be one to each other 
in professed subjection to the ordinances of the gospel. Hopefully there isn't this prevailing 
attitude where we can leave or take the Lord's Supper. You know, 
where it's sort of just an optional thing that's, we're observing 
the Lord's Supper tonight. The Lord's Supper isn't an optional 
ordinance. It's not something like, you 
know, a birthday celebration for a third cousin that, you 
know, doesn't really matter if you don't go. Lord's Supper is 
absolutely vital and with cheerful compliance Christians ought to 
come to that table. It is something that is commanded 
by our Lord and it is something where we are neglecting our duty 
and we are neglecting our, not only are we being disobedient 
to God, but we're neglecting our duty to one another. by absenting 
ourselves from the Lord's table, by absenting ourselves from church 
to be sure, but with all of those things that come with proper 
churchmanship, obedience to the ordinances of the gospel. And 
remember, oh, the heavy hand, the tyranny of the the king who 
gives us these things to obey? No, the blessed mercy, and the 
kindness, and the love, and the grace of God to give us ordinances. The confession calls them means 
of grace, sort of. They are means of grace, but 
in chapter 14, paragraph 1, It talks about how we are strengthened 
by particular means, the means of grace, the preaching of the 
Word, prayer, baptism, and the Lord's Supper. We come to church 
and that is where we find those things. That is the place that 
God has ordained that we avail of, and the Confession uses this 
phrase as well, the means of our preservation. Do you understand 
that the means that church, Sabbath day church attendance, and all 
of the attendant ordinances of the gospel therein observed are 
the means of our preservation as Christians. God has given 
these things to us, the church and the ordinances, not as optional 
things, not as occasional things that we can leave or take, but 
rather as blessed commandments to be cheerfully obeyed and they 
are the means of our preservation. If anyone ever complains of, 
you know, I just don't seem to be growing as a Christian, but 
they're lazy with churchmanship and they don't attend unto the 
Lord's Supper, then we with Hansard Nullus should say, why should 
you cry, oh my leanness, when you avoid and you absent yourself 
from the means God has given for your preservation? The church 
is absolutely vital and the ordinances therein observed are absolutely 
vital to our souls. Paragraph 7, the autonomy of 
the local church. Notice what we have here. When 
we say autonomy of the local church, maybe we should observe 
a few things that we're not saying. Very often autonomy can come 
with a definition that just means self-rule or no rule at all. 
What do we mean when we say the autonomy of the local church? 
Well, let's read paragraph 7 first. To each of these churches thus 
gathered, according to his mind declared in his word, he hath 
given all that power and authority which is in any way needful for 
their carrying on that order in worship and discipline, which 
he hath instituted for them to observe, with commands and rules 
for the do and right exerting and executing of that power. 
Church autonomy. That doesn't mean that we are 
under no rule whatsoever. From outside of ourselves, we 
still have the general rule of the living and true God and the 
specific ecclesiastical rule that God has placed over us and 
under shepherds and in pastors and elders. But nevertheless, 
to each of these churches thus gathered, he hath given power 
and authority. It rubs against other forms of 
church government, Episcopalianism, which is Roman Catholic Church, 
the Episcopalian Church and the Church of England and other such 
churches where there is a hierarchy of ecclesiology. There's a governing 
body, an individual or a governing body set over all of the churches 
with various levels of under-hierarchical positions that rule over the 
church at large and the individual churches. The Baptists, of course, 
are coming up against that and saying, no, this is how the Bible 
and how Christ tells us churches ought to be ordered. It comes 
against Presbyterianism. We don't have the chapter on 
synods and councils. Why? and we don't have some of 
the elements of their chapter 26. Why? Because we don't have 
a Presbyterian structure of government. There are other forms of government, 
but what does it mean then, this autonomy of the local church? 
It means that we are free from any human civil lordship, and 
it means that we are free from any human ecclesiastical lordship, 
whether one man or a council of men. That doesn't mean that 
we are not under some measure of ecclesiastical rule, that 
we are not under some form of ecclesiastical leadership, but 
we're not under some sort of human lordship, whether political 
or ecclesiastical. The form of government And I 
would commend you to Jim Renahan and his book, Edification and 
Beauty, on this. There's other books that are 
available. But Baptist church government is the particular 
Baptist church government that surrounded the document that 
was in the 17th century and that they were running with, with 
some nuances, is plural elder-led independent congregationalism. 
In other words, you have, hopefully, a plurality of elders that rule 
over one church. Not to the exclusion of communion 
with other churches, and we'll note that in a moment. So it's 
not independent fundamentalism, but nevertheless, the form of 
government should be, and is, to be plural elder-led congregationalism, 
independent congregationalism. It would take more time to flesh 
that out, but this is Jim Renahan. Church government in the independent 
ecclesiological system, that just simply means independent 
system of church government. Church government in the independent 
ecclesiological system was a carefully balanced interaction between 
elder rule and congregational democracy. An attentive reading 
of the confessional statement will bear this out, and we'll 
note that when we get to a paragraph forthcoming, the congregational 
democracy aspect of church government. But paragraph 7 speaks to the 
autonomy of the local church. Paragraph 8 is the ecclesiastical 
constitution of the church. Notice briefly, a particular 
church gathered and completely organized according to the mind 
of Christ consists of officers and members. And the officers 
appointed by Christ to be chosen and set apart by the church, 
so called and gathered, for the peculiar administration of ordinances 
and execution of power or duty which he entrusts them with or 
calls them to, to be continued to the end of the world, are 
bishops or elders and deacons." So we have two offices that are 
in the church abidingly until Christ comes and those two are 
elders and deacons. In this church, we have elders 
and deacons. You don't have to, nor would 
we probably ever want you to call us bishop, but we can't 
bind your consciences. You have confessional warrant 
to call him Bishop Butler. There you go. But there are two 
abiding offices, elder and deacon. And a church is constituted of 
those officers and the members under their trust and their care. 
And so that is the simple structure of New Testament church. Simple 
structure. We have elders and deacons and 
members. Saints by calling, and they are 
elders and deacons and members of churches. We don't have Pope, 
Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, and that sort of thing. There's 
no Magisterium in the Church of Christ. There's no Bishop 
and Archimandrite in the Eastern Orthodox Church. There are elders 
and deacons. and members, again, under their 
spiritual and physical care. Paragraph 9. Again, we're just 
sort of breezing through these things to note some of the nature 
and character of the the various paragraphs and the doctrine itself. 
We're going to try and breeze through to 15 and then just look 
briefly at some of the things that pertain to the importance 
of the topic. Paragraph 9, the procedure for the calling of 
church officers the way appointed by Christ for the calling of 
any person fitted and gifted by the Holy Spirit unto the office 
of bishop or elder in a church is that he be chosen thereunto 
by the common suffrage, that is voting procedure, of the church 
itself and solemnly set apart by fasting and prayer, with imposition 
of hands of the eldership of the church, if there be any before 
constituted therein, and of a deacon that he be chosen by the like 
suffrage, and set apart by prayer, and the like imposition of hands. And so we have the procedure 
for the calling of church officers and it is the same for elders 
and deacons. It's church recognition, a church 
affirmation, common suffrage, a voting of the congregation. That's wherein we find congregational 
democracy. there, is that it is a church, 
an act six type of thing, where the church recognizes an individual, 
an individual is set before the church to be considered, and 
the church engages in that common suffrage. But the two officers, 
elder and deacon, are chosen by like suffrage and set apart 
by prayer in the imposition of hands. Paragraph 10, the obligations 
of the church to her pastor or pastors. Notice what we have, 
and this is very important to consider as well, all these things 
are, but notice Paragraph 10, the work of pastors. Now, this 
isn't just the obligations of the church to her pastor or pastors. 
It is primarily that in the way Paragraph 10 presents itself, 
but it starts with the obligation of the pastor or pastors to the 
church. Notice the work of pastors being 
constantly to attend the service of Christ in His churches, in 
the ministry of the word and prayer, with watching for their 
souls as they that must give an account to Him. It is incumbent 
on the churches to whom they minister, not only to give them 
all due respect, but also to communicate to them of all their 
good things according to their ability, so as they may have 
a comfortable supply without being themselves entangled in 
secular affairs, and may also be capable of exercising hospitality 
towards others, and this is required by the law of nature. and by 
the express order of our Lord Jesus who hath ordained that 
they that preach the gospel should live of the gospel." What it's 
saying is that your pastor should never starve, if we could sum 
it up. Your pastor should never be hungry. 
Your pastor should never be in want of anything necessary for 
his comfortable supply. In other words, the pastor should 
be paid. The congregation is not only 
to give them respect, generally speaking, and in even those specific 
and biblical areas that have a peculiar nature, but also they 
are to provide him with a comfortable supply. They are to give money 
so that he may live comfortably, so that he might not be, as the 
Confession says here, entangled in secular affairs. Now in some 
cases with church planting and in certain circumstances it's 
impossible because it's a small church, it's growing, hopefully 
it'll get to that point where we can do this paragraph 10 stuff, 
but it is the general and normal rule and it ought to be regular. that the pastor of a church need 
not be entangled in secular affairs in order to gain a comfortable 
supply, but that the church provides him with that comfortable supply, 
as it says that they that preach the gospel should live of the 
gospel. A pastor, perhaps you don't know, 
But Jim does do it. He doesn't just show up on Sunday 
and slap together a couple sermons and then take Monday, you know, 
the rest of the week off. Jim's doing a lot. A pastor does 
a lot throughout the week. Not only in preparation for Sunday, 
two services. the things that need to go on 
in the Church of Christ on a Lord's Day Sunday, but also throughout 
the week with visits, with study, with ensuring that he can do 
the stuff of attending under the service of Christ, the ministry 
of the word and prayer, watching over your souls as those who 
must give an account. And so there are those obligations 
of the church to her pastor or pastors. Paragraph 11 is the 
unofficial yet permitted category of preaching men. Notice paragraph 
11, although it be incumbent on the bishops or pastors of 
the churches to be instant in preaching the word by way of 
office, yet the work of preaching the word is not so peculiarly 
confined to them, but that others also gifted and fitted by the 
Holy Spirit for it, and approved and called by the church, may 
and ought to perform it. You see, it is the case that 
the pastors of the church are to be instant in preaching the 
word. That's their peculiar calling. That is what they have been called 
by God to do. Yet, the confession is acknowledging 
that there may be those in the congregation, perhaps you know, 
perhaps seminary students or just generally gifted men who 
are able to preach and teach, that the church can recognize 
as those who perhaps can fill the pulpit when a pastor is ill 
or away, you know, those sorts of things. Perhaps, you know, 
something, you know, Jim and I go away on a conference and 
there's a There's a gifted man who's been identified, who's 
able to preach and teach. We see here that the confession 
says that they are approved, being approved and called by 
the church, may or not to perform those particular tasks of preaching 
and teaching. And so they are unofficial, yet 
permitted by God and by the church to preach and to teach. Paragraph 
12. we have the submission of members 
to the church. Notice a short paragraph, but 
still a vital one, as all believers are bound to join themselves 
to particular churches when and where they have opportunity so 
to do. So all that are admitted unto 
the privileges of a church are also under the censures and government 
thereof according to the rule of Christ. Now, that sounds it 
might sound first to the ears, you know, sort of heavy. Well, 
it is heavy, but, you know, heavy-handed, if you will. Censors and government 
thereof were under that. That isn't a bad thing. That's 
a very good thing. You know, Christ has given his 
people, the church, in order that they might, you know, positively 
have the word preached, be in an environment of mutual edification 
under the subjection to the ordinances of the gospel, but also in a 
sense where we are hedged in and kept and protected by discipline 
and censure. Church discipline is a good thing. It might hurt at the time, you 
know, chastisement hurts at the time, but as it flushes itself 
out in due time, it ought to be seen and appreciated as a 
good thing, because it's Christ, the ruler and head of the church, 
conforming us on to the image of His very self. In paragraph 
13, the demanded peace and patience of the membership. Notice paragraph 
13, again, the demanded peace and patience of the membership. No church members, upon any offense 
taken by them, having performed their duty required of them towards 
the person they are offended at, ought to disturb any church 
order, or absent themselves from the assemblies of the church, 
or administration of any ordinances, upon the account of such offense 
at any of their fellow members, but to wait upon Christ in the 
further proceeding of the church. Now, I think that is something 
that church members ought to read every week. Because, you see, in the history 
of the church, I'm not just saying this church, but in the history 
of almost any church, you're going to get people... I think 
hopefully some of you who have been in a church for a long time 
can appreciate paragraph 13, because it usually is the case 
that people do not operate that way, and they should. That they 
are to be marked by a peace and a patience. Too often it is the 
case that they fly off the handle and figuratively bring out their 
Uzis and then just shoot. Instead of, upon any offense 
taken by them, at the person they are offended at, they ought 
not to disturb any church order or absent themselves, and they 
are to wait on Christ in the further proceeding of the church. 
It's a sad indictment of the nature of even a redeemed individual 
when paragraph 13, the opposite of it, is so often done within 
the life of the church. we are to be marked by a peace 
and a patience. Not a cowering or not some sort 
of just letting, being a rug under the feet of brutal people, 
but when we are offended, we're not to fly off the handle, but 
we're to peacefully still attend church, sit in the pew, take 
the ordinances of the gospel, take the Lord's Supper, and patiently 
wait upon Christ in the further proceeding of the Church. Let's 
be peaceful. Let's be patient individuals. 
Paragraph 14, the expected and blessed communion of churches. 
The expected and blessed communion of churches. We're not to be 
isolationists. We're not to be, you know, independent 
to the point where we have no contact with other churches or 
with persons from other churches. Notice paragraph 14, as each 
church and all the members of it are bound to pray continually, 
for the good and prosperity of all the churches of Christ, in 
all places and upon all occasions, to further everyone within the 
bounds of their places and callings, in the exercise of their gifts 
and graces, so the churches, when planted by the providence 
of God, so as they may enjoy opportunity and advantage for 
it, ought to hold communion among themselves for their peace, increase 
of love, and mutual edification. It's something that Jim and I 
have talked about with Lynn Bladson down in Seattle. It would be 
nice to have a communion of churches up here in this Pacific Northwest 
area, an association of churches. We're part of an association 
which sort of brings into view paragraphs 14 and 15 here. We're 
part of an association, ARBCA, not a denomination, an association, 
the Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America. And so there 
is that aspect of communion, if you will, but it would be 
nice, congregationally speaking as well, to have something of 
that paragraph 14, so as they may enjoy opportunity and advantage 
for it, hold communion among themselves for the peace, increase 
of love, and mutual edification. That's something, no doubt, churches 
can certainly work on. And then lastly, paragraph 15, 
the support of advisory proceedings. The last paragraph, paragraph 
15, the support of advisory proceedings. Notice what the paragraph says, 
and this sort of comes, if you will, as kind of a balance to 
paragraph 13. It shouldn't be the case that 
your pastors are tyrannically ruling over you and they're just 
being jerks in their appointment, in their office. Of course, doctrinally, 
if Jim and I were up there and we moved away from Trinitarianism 
and started to preach modalism and or we denied the deity of 
Christ or something like that, the churches have a recourse 
here. We're not under the absolute sense of loss of an independent 
fundamentalist church, but rather we have paragraph 15. And notice 
what it says, in cases of difficulties or differences either in point 
of doctrine or administration, wherein either the churches in 
general are concerned or any one church, in their peace, union, 
and edification, or any member or members of any church are 
injured in or by any proceedings and censures not agreeable to 
truth and order, it is according to the mind of Christ that many 
churches, holding communion together, do by their messengers meet to 
consider and communion together, excuse me, and give their, let 
me back up, it is according to the mind of Christ that many 
churches holding communion together do by their messengers meet to 
consider and give their advice in or about that matter and difference 
to be reported to all the churches concerned How be it these messengers 
assembled are not entrusted with any church power properly so 
called, or with any jurisdiction over the churches themselves, 
to exercise any censures either over any churches or persons, 
or to impose their determination on the churches or officers. So you see the support that can 
be brought and sought after from other churches for advisory proceedings. As it says here, if there's any 
injury in censures not agreeable to truth and order, or if there 
are any doctrinal aberration, not aberration, any doctrinal 
errors. I'm not talking if the congregation 
was largely post-millennial and The pastor switched to a historic 
premillennial position that you have to call for some sort of 
a church council and advisory committee to come and help. It's 
the stuff of heresy. If the pastor departs from the 
body of doctrine commonly received and accepted, by the church, 
in this case the confession, if a pastor was to depart from 
that and start preaching a Unitarianism or a Christology that denied 
the deity of Christ or started preaching justification by faith 
plus works and those sorts of things, then there is recourse 
for the church to go and to call and to go about those advisory 
proceedings. So that's a very brief work through 
the confession as it pertains to the 15 paragraphs in chapter 
26. The doctrine of the church is 
absolutely important, and just in one minute to close, here's 
a list of things very quickly why it is so important. The doctrine 
of church, studying it, not just in these contexts, but even yourself, 
and no doubt as in the life of the church, we have opportunity 
to study it. First, the church is an important 
topic, first, because God loves the church more than any other 
earthly and heaven-bound thing. God loves the church more than 
your family and more than your dwelling place. God loves the 
church, according to Psalm 87, more than all the dwelling places 
of Jacob. Secondly, Christ gave his life 
for it, Ephesians 5, 25. That ought to be, you know, The first one ought to be, but 
certainly the second one ought to be a reason why we appreciate 
the church and why we ought to study the importance of it. Thirdly, 
it is to be shepherded because it was purchased with the blood 
of Christ. It's in the church that we are shepherded. Fourthly, 
it is promised to be built by Christ and to be victorious. 
Fifthly, it is added to daily by the Lord. Sixthly, it is central 
to the eternal divine plan to make known the wisdom of God 
to angels. Seventhly, there is a vital connection 
and union of Christ to the church. He is the head of the body. Eighthly, 
it is the pillar and ground of the truth. And ninthly, it is 
among the churches that Christ walks, commending and condemning. We'll close with a quote from 
Clarkson, speaking on Psalm 87.2. The Lord loves the gates of Zion 
more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. Some absent themselves 
from public worship under pretense that they can serve the Lord 
at home as well as in private. How many are apt to say they 
see not but their time may be as well spent at home in praying, 
reading some good book, or discoursing on some profitable subject, as 
in the use of ordinances in public assemblies. They see not but 
private prayer may be as good to them as public, or private 
reading and opening the Scripture as profitable as public preaching. 
They say of their private duties as Naaman of the waters of Damascus. May I not serve the Lord as acceptably 
with as much advantage in private exercises of religion? May I 
not wash in these and be clean? They see not the great blessings 
God has annexed to public worship more than to private. Oh, but 
if it be thus, if one be as good as the other, what means the 
Lord to prefer one before the other? To what purpose did the 
Lord choose the gates of Zion to place His name there, if He 
might have been worshipped as well in the dwellings of Jacob? 
How do men of this conceit run counter to the Lord? He prefers 
the gates of Zion, not only before one or some, but before all the 
dwellings of Jacob. And they prefer one such dwelling 
before the gates of Zion. We are to, like our God, prefer 
the gates of Zion as a greater place than all the dwellings 
of Jacob. Well, let us pray. Heavenly Father, 
we thank you for your word. We rejoice in the truth as it's 
presented to us therein. We thank you that we can have 
this confession of faith that summarizes biblical doctrine. 
And we do pray that we would always grow in these exercises 
of study, that it would not be just unto the acquiring of knowledge, 
but unto your praise and unto our growth in grace. And we do 
pray that you go with us now into worship. Help us to love 
you, to serve our Christ, to rejoice in the preaching of your 
word and the ordinances of the gospel. We do pray that we would 
go into that hour of worship, that we might be marked by mutual 
edification, and that you might be the recipient of all honor 
and praise. We pray in Christ Jesus the Lord. 
Amen.