There are two scripture readings tonight. First we turn to Ephesians chapter four and then we'll turn to Titus chapter one. We're returning to our studies of the church of Christ and I intend to move quite rapidly through these last few articles. First we'll read Ephesians four starting with verse seven. We've read the first six verses a number of times in connection with the doctrine of the church and now we need to see the next part. but unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore, he saith, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men. Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens. that he might fill all things. And he gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, makes increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." And then Titus chapter 1, reading here the first nine verses. Titus is right after Timothy and before Hebrews. Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness, in hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began, but has in due times manifested his word through preaching which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Savior, to Titus my own son after the common faith, grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou should set in order the things that are lacking, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee. If any be blameless, the husband of one wife having faithful children, not accused of riot or unruly, for a bishop must be blameless as the steward of God, not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre or money, but a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate, that means self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers or those who oppose it." Based on these passages of the Word of God and others, we turn to page 20 in Article 30 of our Belgic Confession in the back of your Psalter. Article 30, page 20. We read here of the government and offices in the church. We believe that this true church must be governed by the spiritual policy which our Lord has taught us in his word, namely, that there must be ministers or pastors to preach the word of God and to administer the sacraments. Also elders and deacons who together with the pastors form the council of the church. That by these means the true religion may be preserved and the true doctrine everywhere propagated. Likewise, transgressors punished and restrained by spiritual means, also that the poor and distressed may be relieved and comforted according to their needs. By these means, everything will be carried on in the church with good order and decency when faithful men are chosen according to the rule prescribed by Paul and his epistle to Timothy. Let us now confess our faith for the Church of all times and places and then sing of Christ, the head of his Church, in Psalter 198. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit. I believe that there is one holy Catholic Church. The communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. That's my sister Shall we drink more from righteousness? The poor and small, till evening break, Then sleep the weak, and not all rest. and glory shall be thine. Thy goodness reigneth time of earth, so shall its gracious prodigy be. of the great Savior Christ. Hail, all the world! I would like to draw your attention to the website of Dr. David Murray, our professor in Grand Rapids. The website is Head, Heart, Hand, and Dr. Murray has recently begun something new that he's calling the Online Christian Men's Academy. And he wants to use it to train especially young men, but men of all ages, in biblical manhood. So, fathers, if you have teenage boys or if you're a young man yourself, you can enroll on this and you'll be sent a weekly video along with additional reading materials if you're interested. I think our consistory probably intends to send an email out about that this coming week with some further details, but that's heartily recommended to you. Also, candidate Kenneth Hutton has received a call from the congregation of Mitchell. Let us pray. Lord our Father, who is so full of kindness and goodwill towards us. We know that for the simple reason that Christ crucified, Thy beloved Son of Thy love has been given to a fallen sinful world, so that whosoever believes in Him may have not just eternal life, but Thy eternal love." There is no greater gift that could be given than such a gift. And therefore we pray, O God, that the marvel of who Christ is, the marvel of what He has done might be our delight tonight. that we might value Him more highly at the end of this service than we did at the beginning, that we might have communion with Him and fellowship with Him, that we might be satisfied with Him and gladly belong to Him, that we might embrace Him by faith and expect everything from Him. What a match made in heaven! Such a complete Savior! And people like we are, in all our sin and need, with nothing to offer except sin, but He has such a full redemption, and He has such a kind, compassionate heart, and He is such a willing Savior, as we heard this morning, that therefore we ask, Lord, that from out of His fullness we might receive, even as we consider this subject, which when properly seen has so much of the Gospel in it, Christ governing His church is part of the heart of the gospel. Help us then to rest in Christ, even as we consider the nuts and bolts of church life. Fill our pastor with the Holy Spirit. No one can preach without being taught of God. No one can hear by faith either without being taught of God. And in our inability we look to the ability of Thy Son and the baptism of the Holy Spirit which He gives and grant, Lord, that we might delight in Him and receive from out of His fullness. Open our eyes. Perhaps some of us have come to this service not knowing Christ or not knowing whether we know Christ and never having considered whether the presence of pastors, elders, and deacons in the life of the church has something to say about the availability and the presence of Jesus Christ. May tonight the blessedness of an overlooked part of church life give us gospel, light, and liberty. We pray, Lord, also for the cause of our Lord in this world Right now, He is mocked by so many. Some of our elites who rule us sneer and snicker and scoff and think, to use the words of Psalm 2 that we looked at this morning, their dominion let us break, let us cast their yoke away. Lord, open their eyes. Give those in authority over us wisdom. But even more so, we pray for this salvation, the conversion of those in authority over us on a national and a provincial level. The Word of God teaches us that we are to make intercession for those in authority, that they might come to know the Savior. For thy grace and power are such that even nebuchadnezzars kneel and acknowledge the sovereignty of the King of Kings. So Lord, please grant that we might see such days too. To our encouragement and to the glory of the name of Christ. Help us this week to be an evangelistic and a missionary people in how we live. Give us golden gospel opportunities to point others to the glory and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. May the winsomeness and the fragrance of Christ cling to us and be found in our homes, our lives, our relationships, even in our very work. Bless the work of our hands that it may be fruitful also for gospel service. We pray for candidate Kenneth Hutton as he considers his first call that has come in from the congregation that he served a three-month internship in. Please grant him thy gracious blessing and wisdom and direction to know what thy will is and guide him clearly to be able to be ordained soon and to be able to serve a congregation with thy word. Bless all our other students at seminary, some of them having just been through internships or with internship schedule taking coursework meeting students from around the world, being challenged and sharpened and guided, Lord, please work in them by Thy grace and power. May they be mighty men of God. May their families be molded and formed and equipped and prepared, too, for gospel ministry. We pray for Bible translators. We pray for the people of Haiti, where even missionaries are being forced to flee because of the unrest the great poverty, the social injustice, the hunger. Most young men are unable to find any work at all. They're needy. They're threatening to burn the place down. And we think of Christ, of whom we say, in great compassion for the weak, He ever will maintain their right, will help the poor and save the meek. Their lives are precious. in His sight. So, Lord, go with Thy gospel light and grace and take hold of the people of Haiti and lift them from the centuries of poverty and need and darkness, even the darkness of superstition and voodoo and bondage. Deliver them. We pray, Lord, for Thy people in China, where new crackdowns are happening on Christians. comfort and encourage them. We pray for even the Chinese students at PRTS who are studying there. Bless them, make them fruitful with the gospel as they return, that the riches and the depths of thy word might be their delight. We pray, Lord, to bless the work of our hands this week. Help us to do our work as unto the Lord. as servants of the Lord, even as we use our hands and minds, invade our routines with gospel light and grace. We confess our sins, we confess that we're but poor students in the school of Christ, and that we again and again have to learn that our faith can be so feeble and weak, but we come to the Savior who doesn't quench the smoking candle wick but who fans it into flame. In our weakness, be our strength. In our foolishness, be our wisdom. In our emptiness, be our fullness. In our unrighteousness, be our righteousness. Be to us wisdom and sanctification and redemption and complete deliverance. Exercise our hearts in prayer that we might walk in the light of the Lord. Be with our young people. They're assaulted with temptations and opportunities to sin that most of us were never exposed to in our youth. The two-edged sword that is social media. The blessing and curse that is the internet. We pray for them, Lord. Build walls around them, build internal filters in their hearts. which are the most important of all, and help them to stir one another up, to pursue righteousness, and to walk in its light. We pray for Mr. Van Esvelt, who has had a challenging week in the hospital of ups and downs in his weakness. Lord, be his comfort and his strength. Comfort him together with his wife and his loved ones as they stand by his bedside. And it's always painful to see A once strong man in weakness. But we pray, in that weakness, give Thy Gospel light and grace. We pray for a blessing on Professor Murray's online Christian Manhood Academy. We pray that it would be blessed around the world, and that our men would learn what it is to be men. Men of God. Men who walk. the way of the Lord. May Christian manhood flourish by thy grace also through this means. We give thanks that we live in times where the internet, which can be such a source of temptation and a minefield, can also be used for godliness. Blessed Lord, we've asked that only those things which are according to thy purpose, will, and word, and revelation in Christ. And therefore we may ask them humbly and yet expectantly, eagerly, looking for the answers of grace and the saving power of God who makes life to abound. For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. Beloved congregation of the Lord, If you've ever driven through the Crow's Nest Pass, especially if you have children in the car with you, you've probably stopped there at the visitor center on the edge of the highway in Sparwood. And children, you know where that is because that's that great big green dump truck. And if you park in the visitor center there, you can also see a painted board off to the side of people in the dress of pioneers. If you walk behind that platform, you can get up there and you can put your face in there, because the face part's been cut out, and it looks like you're wearing those pioneer clothes. Sometimes the face fits the painting, and other times it doesn't seem to fit at all. You've probably seen many of these boards with a cut-out face in various places. And this does tie to the Church of Christ, too. Christ is the head and face of His church. He governs it. Can you picture Christ as the head of our church? Would the world laugh at the misfit, even though the world is really not the best of judges on the subject? Or would they have reason to stand in awe in a moment of honesty? Would a fit between Christ the head and his body, the church. And you can ask the question of fit between the head and the body in various ways. You can also ask that when it comes to the government of the church. Maybe you think, well, that combination of things, Christ and church government, or a little cynically, Christ and church politics, Isn't that laughable? Only Pharisees have rules and regulations. The Church of Christ knows the freedom of the Spirit and the life of the soul and not the bondage of man-made governing structures. Or at least, it's becoming an increasingly popular opinion. Now, of course, sometimes the fit between Christ, the head, and His body, the Church does seem to be poor. And also when it comes to church government, we may never forget the brokenness and the sin of Christ's body on earth. It's as if that face, beautiful and glorious in its strength, as John describes in Revelation 1, is put above a body that is so broken and sinful and diseased and weak. And yet Christ is not ashamed to be known as the head of such a body. Or to say it better yet, Christ the Head makes Himself known in such a body. He pours His life as Head into the need of His church. And with the focus on Christ the Head, the subject of church government does light up with the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. And it is edifying. And it is encouraging. Our theme is this. Christ governing His Church. We see the fact of His governance, the expressions of His governance, and the fruit of His governance. So Christ governing His Church. The fact, expressions, and fruit of His governance. People don't so quickly seem to connect these two things, Christ and church government. If we were to sponsor a Bible conference locally and put up flyers in the Christian bookstores and on the Christian radio stations and announce that the topic is Christ and church government, the turnout would be pretty poor. On a scale of one to ten with Ten being the best, the so-called wow factor of that subject, the average person would say, well, it's a two or a three. It almost seems like a dry lecture or a explanation of a rule book which, though necessary, does it really warm the heart and comfort the people of God. But that's why we need to begin with the scriptures again. Let's turn to Ephesians 4. And remember, we have turned to this passage a number of times already in speaking of the Church of Christ, and we spent a lot of time on these first six verses. And to remind you, now we need to see that this one Holy Church, this one Body of Jesus Christ, with one Father God and ruled by one Holy Spirit, is ruled in its day-to-day, week-to-week life by its spiritual head, Christ. That has to be the focus when thinking of this subject. And notice how this passage teaches us that. Starting with verse 7. Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. According to the measure. That measure that means that grace flows from Christ. The Greek word for measure is very similar to the one from which we get metronome children. If you have someone, a brother or sister in your house who's learning to play the piano, you've seen the metronome. It's that ticking box that they can turn and they can set the different speeds. And then your fingers will flow at the right speed so that the notes make the sounds they're supposed to make. Christ is the metronome of His Church. His gifts and grace flow through Him to reach the individual people in the congregation. How does He do that? We'll look at verse 8. Wherefore He saith, when He ascended, that is Christ, who is speaking in the Psalms then, Psalm 68, when Christ ascended up on high, Christ led captivity captive, and Christ gave gifts unto men. In ancient times, a conquering general would come in triumph. He would enter town in the chariot in his triumphal procession, and behind him would be a whole procession of captured enemy soldiers, and even kings, and all the treasures taken in war follow him into the royal city. Christ leads captivity captive. He takes the servants of Satan and leads them captive back to His heavenly city, but this time as the children of God. And the gifts He brings are not plundered treasures stolen from other nations, but the gifts earned by His saving grace. We'll sing it after the sermon from Psalm 68. Rich gifts by Thee are offered to men who did rebel. When you understand those gifts, you start singing like this, Blessed be the Lord who daily our heavy burden bears, the God of our salvation, who for his people cares. Our God is near to help us. Our God is strong to save. That's how Christ is present in the governance of his church. And no, that's not a jump, because notice what comes next in Ephesians 4. After describing the work of salvation in verses 9 and 10, which is how Christ accomplished His victory, we read in verse 11 how He translates that to His church on earth. And He gave the gifts Christ died and ascended to heaven to give in triumph are, keep reading, Some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, and that last is one office, pastors and teachers. The first are special offices so that the scriptures could be written, which means that the apostleship still benefits you even having read the scriptures as we did tonight. And the last are the ordinary ways in which Christ gives Himself and His grace to His church on earth. In fact, verses 12 to 16 describe what happens in church life when the gifts given by Christ to teach His church produce their fruits. We'll get to that at the end of the sermon. But for now, we just need to stop a moment and stand in awe. When the Bible is read in worship, or at your dinner table, or at your desk, or in your bed. It's because Christ gave apostles and prophets. And when a pastor teaches and preaches from God's Word, it's the ascended Christ who wants to give Himself and the gifts of His grace to the church, for the church. The ordinary parts of church life might seem a bit humdrum and ho-hum-oh. The consistory met this week. Looks like there's some things that they discussed and decided. How do we see Christ in the normal parts of church life? Well, there's a number of solutions, but one of them is this. Do you see Christ at work when you read a consistory report? Or when your consistory comes in and sits for a service? Seeing Christ in the details of church life is what saves us from going wrong in two different ways. First of all, it keeps us from seeing the church as a democracy. When I was a teenager, my best friend went to a Plymouth Brethren church where they don't believe in office bearers or pastors who have studied in seminaries. All the men in the congregation simply took turns giving the sermon. Because I remember once being at my friend's house and playing, and we were told, Dad is busy writing the sermon for Sunday. And if you asked why, which of course being an inquisitive young teenager I did, we believe in the priesthood of all believers and that means there aren't any officers in the church. Others would say it like this, we believe all God's people are filled with the Holy Spirit in the New Testament and everyone can take a turn. It's democracy. The people vote about everything, even church discipline. All rules and regulations in church governments are legalism, comes the cry. Only Pharisees concern themselves with church government. Well, let's never think this happens or doesn't happen in reformed churches, because there the version goes something like this. And it's happened even in conservative reformed churches that people say things like this. We hired the minister. We pay the minister. He's got to do what we want. That's an overreaction to the opposite problem, the tyranny of Rome, a spiritual dictatorship. Who's the Church? Remember what Rome said? The Church is the bishops and the Pope. Christ makes himself known only in bishops who have been ordained by direct succession to the apostles. And if you disagree with the Pope's rule, the Council of Trent says, let you be accursed. Don't think this never happens in Reformed churches, where the version goes something like this, if the minister said it, it must be true. And don't ask questions, and don't express concerns, and don't think for yourself, because the minister is always right. You think that's not practical? And the Word of God liberates us from either bondage of having no guidance and regulation, or of the tyranny of human opinions. For both can produce disaster in the church. Both can break the church rather than build it. Christ is the head of his church. He rules his church. The church is a Christocracy where Christ gives the gifts of his grace through the ministry of people. And this includes the gifts of office bearers in a congregation. For this is how Christ as the head gives himself to the people in a congregation. The minister is not first of all the servant of the congregation or the Lord of the congregation. He's the servant of Christ in the congregation. Ministering the word and preaching Christ to serve the congregation with the word. First of all, this says something to us as office bearers. What a challenging fact. Servants of Christ! Let us seek to express Christ in everything we do. What an encouragement to the office bearer overwhelmed with the weight and the challenges and the struggles of office. Christ gave you to His church because He intends to express Himself in and through you. And you don't have to do your work by yourself, but Christ the head gives Himself through you as you do the work of office. And that lifts you above the mundane and the struggles to the throne room of an victorious Christ who is seated there having led captivity captive. What a challenge and encouragement to us as congregation. The church is ruled by elders, pastors, and deacons. Not because people made up this system of church government, but because the gift of Christ himself. Christ is present in the congregation. Christ does his work through the work of your consistory. Now you're not being asked whether you see this as clearly as you would like, because as consistory we would be the first to say that it's not seen as clearly as we would like. We are, after all, still men in the Church on Earth. That's why our confession starts like this. We believe. We walk by faith in what God has said, not first by sight. God said it. Christ's gifts sparkle in the office bearers of the Church. How do we know? Well, when pastors, elders, and deacons do their work according to God's word and with Christ's blessing. So how does Christ express his grace and care in the church? That's our second point, the expressions of his governance. To say it simply, everything flows out of Christ. All the names we give to people who have led the church or been blessed in the church of the Old and New Testament are actually names God gives to Christ himself. Have you ever noticed that? Christ is called the High Priest of our Confession, Hebrews 3.1. He's called the Apostle of God, because every time the Gospel of John refers to Christ as the Sent One, that's the same word for Apostle. He's our Master, Matthew 23.8. Call no man Master. We have one Master, even Christ. There are teachers, but they're only faithful insofar as they teach Christ. He's the Chief Shepherd, Hebrews 13.20. He's the bishop, meaning the overseer of our souls, 1 Peter 2.25. He's even called in the Greek, the deacon of the circumcision, Romans 15.8. And what that very simply means is that all these names and titles describe who Christ is in His church. He's not ruling in absentia. He hasn't abandoned us and left us to our own resources so that we had to say, well, I guess someone's got to take charge. Why don't we disappoint some people to do that? No, He is all of these things, and because He continues to be all of these things in His church on earth, He the prophet, He the elder, He the shepherd and pastor, He the hand of mercy and the deacon. That's how you can see Christ at work in a church. In any way you try to rule the church independent of Christ, also as an office-bearer, leads to disaster in either neglecting the flock or lording it over the flock. The connection between Christ and office-bearers should always be concentrated on and maintained prayerfully by communion with God. The opposite is also true. If you say, well, the office arises out of the priesthood of all believers, Again, you're not focusing on Christ. Office-bearers are not simply being believers, although of course they are, but office-bearers are a direct expression of the presence and work of Christ insofar as they serve Christ according to His Word. Shall we look for the activity and presence of Christ in our own church life? Let's look at Ephesians 4 again. And we'll focus on the first office, verse 11. Christ gave, the ascended Christ gave, some pastors and teachers. How's Christ present when the pastor preaches or cares for the flock? It's simple. Christ is the one doing the preaching, insofar as the sermon is biblical. Don't take my word for it. I've quoted it to you often, but I remind you of it again, Romans 10, 13 to 15. Romans 10, 13-15, the original language makes this point strikingly clear. Verse 13, for whosoever shall call in the name of the Lord shall be saved. What a promise. How can we say it with certainty? Keep reading verse 14. How shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? meaning Christ, and how shall they believe in Christ of whom they have not heard? And the Greek word there should not be of whom, but simply whom. How can you believe in Christ if you haven't heard Christ? And how shall you hear Christ without a preacher? Having a faithful pastor who explains and applies the word of God in a Christ-centered way is hearing Christ preach. Now that sermon can have all kinds of shortcomings, and I'll be the first to admit it. And you might want to say, well, I wish the pastor did more of this and less of that, and fair enough. Every preacher can keep on learning and growing. Me too, I've often in my life benefited from the sharpening points made by God's people and consistories. And yet, Christ is proclaimed from the scriptures and is doing the proclaiming. If I didn't believe that, I'd quit. What does that mean for the congregation? It means simply this. You can delight in Jesus Christ when you hear faithful preaching. He's caring for your soul as your pastor from the Word. Sometimes people say to me, Pastor, I don't know how you did that, but it's like you followed me around all week and you overheard my thoughts. How did that work? How did you know what I'm struggling with? believer and in some ways a beginner in grace. I'm struggling with many of the same things myself. But the deeper answer is, I don't. Christ does. And through his word and spirit, he guides pastors to select sermons and explain it in such a way that God's word rips into your heart and God's grace comes as an answer to your need. Don't thank the pastor for that, although you may encourage him. Don't believe in the pastor or his wisdom or his abilities. Believe in Jesus Christ. That's why John the Baptist said, I must decrease, he must increase. If people leave thinking Christ is wonderful, that's all the praise a pastor could ask. Pastors need to be reminded sometimes of this too. Your office flows from Christ. And I say this not to preach to myself, although I spend some time thinking about it for myself in my office. I say this because you too, as congregation and brothers of the consistory, need to hold your pastor accountable to Christ-centered ministry. Pastors have an important calling in the church, but they remain mere men. And sometimes in the Dutch Reformed tradition, we've forgotten this, disastrously. To quote Reverend Scholls, ministers have to learn that while they have the most important task in the world, This does not make them the most important people in the world. Christ is the head of his church. Just like a mason uses a trowel and a carpenter, a hammer and a nurse, the syringe and the stethoscope, Christ uses pastors to care for people and do his work. The glory and the credit and the blessing flows from the head who expresses himself through the proclamation of his word. How is Christ at work in the office of the elder? Well, that's why we read Titus chapter one. And in Titus chapter one, Paul left his spiritual son in the faith, Titus, on Crete to organize church life. Now, organizing church life is not some sort of legalistic pharisaical activity. It's the work of the spirit through the word of God. Letters to Timothy and Titus are in the Scriptures. Paul calls himself the apostle of Jesus Christ in verse 1. He says God has revealed himself through preaching, verse 3. In verse 5 to 9 he tells Titus what an elder must be. And then comes the spiritual character description and responsibilities of an elder, and that same elder is called in verse 7 a bishop, or an overseer, same person. What are they supposed to do? Verse 9, to take fast the faithful word of God as you have been taught, and to convince people of that same word. That's why Reformed churches say it's the elder's task to make sure that the pastor is preaching biblically. It doesn't have to be this way, but the average person might not so quickly know what to say. or put his finger or her finger on something and say, Pastor, that needs to be a bit better. But the elders should be able to do and must do so. Elders keep the pastor from strutting around like he owns the place. Elders are the guardians of good preaching and holy living. Pastors are sinners and are quite capable of going wrong and saying dumb things even from the pulpit. I remember one pastor who had said, makes it to the moon, there's no God in heaven. Well, the next week the news was that man had made it to the moon and the elders said, pastor, you better get on the pulpit and you better apologize for that. Pastors need elders, as well as the congregation. That's why children, maybe you've wondered sometimes, well, why, when the pastor goes up to the pulpit, why is it always an elder shaking the pastor's hand? What does that mean? Well, it symbolically means this, that the keys of the kingdom of heaven are given by Christ to the elders of the church, and that elder is giving the keys of the kingdom to the pastor and saying, open and close the kingdom by preaching. And after the sermon, the elder is receiving that again and acknowledging that what was said was according to the word of God. Elders are so important that even apostles submitted to them. Look at Acts 21. Acts 21, 18 and 19. Paul's coming back from a missionary journey. He explains to the elders his preaching and he owes them an accounting. You notice at the end of verse 18, it says, James and all the elders were present. Why does he do that? Well, in Galatians 2 verse 2, the apostle Paul explains further why he did that. Galatians 2 verse 2 says this, he went up by revelation. To say it very simply, an apostle could say this, the Holy Spirit told me to go. And Paul doesn't show up strutting and saying, here I am the Apostle, coming as the conquering victor into town, you all should bow as I pass and say, O Apostle Paul, do you have anything to say to me? No, Paul says, he shares his preaching privately with those of reputation. Acts 21 said it was the elders. Not just Peter and John, as verse 9 spells out, but also James, the half-brother of the Lord, who was one of the elders of Jerusalem. You read Acts and Galatians together, it's the elders who evaluate whether the preaching of Paul was biblical. Apostles are elders too, the Apostle Peter at one point says that. But they're not the only kind of elders. There are preaching elders and ruling elders. How do we know? Well, 1 Timothy 5 verse 15, sorry, 1 Timothy 5, 17. First Timothy 5.17. Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor. So that's the task of the elder, to rule. Especially they who labor in the word and doctrine. So some elders labor in the word and doctrine. Those are the pastors. You see it that way in practice congregation? When the elders come on a family visit. They do so in Christ's name, representing the kingship of Christ because of their office. You make it easy for them to schedule a visit? Do you do your utmost to make sure the whole family is there? The teenagers? The children? Christ is visiting your home by sending his representatives. The chief shepherd is caring for your souls by sending his under-shepherds into your home. You may go to them for counsel and prayer because that's another way in which you approach Christ as they take you with them to the Word of Christ or to the throne of grace. And when church discipline is exercised in so far as it's according to God's Word, it's not just the elders making stuff up. Christ is expressing His royal authority. to open and close the doors of heaven. Matthew 18.18 says it like this in the Greek. Whatever they bind on earth, church discipline, will have already been bound in heaven. In other words, biblical church discipline reflects and echoes what God said on the throne. Therefore, elders should not dare to discipline unless God's word says so, and shouldn't dare not to discipline when God's word says so. Christ is the chief shepherd who leaves the 99 to go looking for the one wandering sheep. And he does that by church discipline. It's a sacred, beautiful expression of the presence of Christ in his church. It's Christ who warns you and calls you back from sin and errors when you're rebuked. It is Christ who is present. It is Christ who cuts you off from his body when you refuse to repent of your sins. And third, we need to see Christ present and at work when the deacons are busy. Now, if the office of pastor reflects the Old Testament office of prophet and the elder the Old Testament office of king, the deacons express the priestly, compassionate heart and hands of Jesus Christ. Too often deacons, even in Reformed church life, are seen as glorified accountants. They collect the offerings and they pay the bills. There's far more to the office of deacon than that. It's a spiritual office to express the mercies and the compassion of Jesus Christ for those in need. Isn't that what Acts 6 says? Christ guides His church. There's an uproar in the Jerusalem church. Let's not spiritualize the history of the early church. There's a commotion. Part of the church life was the daily care of widows. They had to be able to eat. And there's a complaint, how come the Hebrew speaking widows get taken good care of and the Greek widows are neglected? Yes, that was in the apostolic church. What's the solution? The spiritual office of deacon. So they look for the number one quality in a deacon that they look for in Acts 6 is this people filled with the Holy Spirit. Men like Stephen. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not the qualification for an accountant. Why do we have collections in church life? You've heard me quote more often the spiritual foundation of it. It's not to keep the heater going and the bills paid and the lights on. It's about Christ. You ever think about that, children or parents, when you see the collection bag passing? You ever think about Jesus Christ? 2 Corinthians 8, 9. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, He became poor, that ye through His poverty might become rich." When the deacons distribute the gifts of the congregation to those in need in the church and in the community, the priestly compassion of Jesus Christ is displayed in the hands of the deacons. You shouldn't see dollar signs, you should see Christ signs. One Roman emperor said in disgust, it's hard to persecute these Christians because everybody knows they take care of their poor and ours too. It's no shame to be poor. Christ was on earth as a poor man. He had to live from the charity of others as he preached for those three years. And his heart is expressed when deacons wisely and compassionately help others. James 1.29, the Christian life is described like this. to visit widows and orphans in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted by the world. It is Christ's name and hands at work when these things happen. Acts 30 says it wonderfully, that the poor and distressed may be relieved, that's the financial part, and comforted, that's the prayer and encouragement part. It's a beautiful description. So when Bartimaeus in the New Testament is crying along the side of the road and Christ calls for him, that's priestly compassion. And when Christ has the lepers come up to Him and in their uncleanness He puts His hand on them and He touches them, it's priestly compassion. And when Christ makes sure His disciples give to the poor and has a group treasurer so that this will happen, it's Christ's priestly compassion even in the hands of Judas who was the treasurer. It is Christ's priestly compassion when Judas gives for the relief and the comfort and the care of those in need. Every time the deacons do this part of their work, it's Christ doing it. Sometimes we from a Dutch background need to be reminded of the fact that it's Christ. Especially maybe as immigrants. We like to be so self-sufficient. Difficulties arise at work, the budget is tight, you're struggling, and sometimes people just can't quite bring themselves to ask for a handout. Or what they call a handout. I once heard the story in the news of a man who really didn't even have enough to eat. And he drove up to the welfare office, but he just couldn't bring himself to ask for something for nothing. And so he leaned his head on the steering wheel and he wept. but he just couldn't open the door and walk in and say, can you please help me? Listen, when the deacons help those who are financially struggling because of illness, or whatever the case may be, or a loss of work, there's no need to be embarrassed by receiving such help. It's Christ who is expressing His care, because He cares about your daily bread, as well as the needs of your soul. You wouldn't be ashamed, would you, or embarrassed if Christ showed up at your door and handed you a check for financial assistance? Then don't be embarrassed when the deacons do so, because it's Christ doing so through them. Then receive it with a glad heart and acknowledge the Lord Jesus for his compassionate heart in your life. You see now? How Christ is present in His glory and in His fullness and in His beauty. If you come all worried because you wonder, how am I going to eat this week? Or if you need to be rebuked or corrected, if you need to be taught, He anticipates it all. And when office bearers do their work from out of the Scriptures, in obedience to Christ, it is Christ who is expressed. He speaks in the ministry of the Word. He rules through the wisdom of the elders that He gives through His Spirit. He stretches out compassionate hands to touch those in need through the deacons. You see that He's not far from us. But He distributes Himself and His gifts and His graces in the very government of the church. What's the fruit of this? Briefly, let's look at Ephesians 4 again. What happens when the gifts of Christ are expressed this way in the congregation? Verse 12, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. That's how God's people flourish. Verse 13, till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God. to the perfect man, the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Yes, through elders, pastors, and deacons, and Christ blessing and being present in their work, spiritual maturity, growth, and life become possible from out, not the fullness of the consistory, the fullness of Christ. A steady diet of Christ is what makes for living, growing, maturing churches. Christ is the heart of the preaching. Christ's kingly rule is the heart of the elders' work, and Christ's priestly hands and heart in the needs of others. It's not all roses and sunshine. We need Christ this way because Article 30 says to preserve true religion. Ephesians 4 14 warns that otherwise were like children tossed back and forth and carried with every wind of doctrine and it's Both the blessing and the curse of the internet sometimes people stumble onto things in the internet You think where did that come from? How could someone write something like that and claim? It's historically accurate or fair and that without a Christ-centered pastor, elders, and deacon, you drift into all kinds of strange errors, like a child playing in the waves, shoved this way, shoved that way. People are cunning. They deceive souls, even in churches. Is the solution then that every person thinks for him or herself and ignores everyone else? No. It's that Christ, by office bearers who speak, rule, and help according to His Word, guards, preserves, and spreads His Church. And when church life is governed by Christ's mouth, Christ's crown, and Christ's hands, when the truth is spoken in love, as verse 15 spells out, then people grow up into Jesus Christ, verse 16. And I'll quote the New King James here, since the King James is a bit convoluted. From whom? Christ. the whole body joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth in the body for the edifying of itself in love." You don't normally talk about your joints and ligaments all that much, do you? But every step you take and everything you do is because your joints and ligaments and tendons all do their part. Do you know how many ligaments and tendons you're moving when you do this? Maybe if you have a chronic medical condition, arthritis, rheumatism, a dislocated shoulder, then suddenly everything stands out in its importance and even every step is painful and you can hardly sit. The whole body can be affected. But when Christ's church seeks to be governed and live from out of its head, even the seemingly mundane parts of church life light up with meaning. Let's come back now to that illustration of the cut-out face above the board. Too often we think of the church as the painting with no face at all, and it's easy to say, and it sometimes needs to be said, well, this elder or that pastor or that deacon needs to do a better job. But we should never begin there. Don't begin with a blank face above the organization of the Church. We begin with a lovely face, a face that was crowned with thorns and spit upon for our sakes. A face that bore shame and mocking rude, but a face scrubbed clean now, and in heavenly joys and glories, the face of Christ enthroned in glory bright. No one can cut him off or cut him out of the picture. He's the head of the body, a head that's never absent from his people, so that therefore those who are in need may live from out of the head through the pastoral shepherding care of the consistory. You might look at such a head and say, such a body is a poor fit. Beautiful, perfect head and a broken, mangled, sinful, dirty, weak, distressed body. But God says it's not laughable and it's not a poor fit, it's a perfect fit. Such a Christ attached to His body who doesn't quench the smoking flax or snap the bruised reed, but who gives himself through the care of pastor, elders, and deacons to the flock. That means no matter how broken, or needy, or poor, or frustrated, or challenged, or heartbroken you are, even just the fact that pastor, elders, and deacons walk in together at the beginning of the service should remind you that Christ is present among His people. Churches can lose the gospel and be a pale shell of what they ought to be. Those picture boards without a face. But Christ cannot lose His people. Christ is present in all the shortcomings that we have as your pastor, elders, and deacons. He's not ashamed to express Himself. Weakest means fulfill His will. Mighty enemies distill. In all the ups and downs of church life, and the challenges, and the heartaches, and the wanderings, and the squabbles, and the turmoils, and the challenges, Christ is here. How do you know? Because you have a consistory with such a Christ. You have reason to sing with anticipation. You see, the church government is not a dry doctrinal lecture. It's not church politics. It's church polity. It's the technical word for church government, and that's a totally different story. This head, this Christ, elevated far above all sin and struggle. No political scandals about anything Christ has ever done or said. We don't need any independent investigations into what He's done. No, we need His fullness to overflow into and through us. And as that happens, it gives us reason to sing the kinds of things we have already sung in great compassion for the weak. He ever will maintain their right. Their lives are precious in His sight. Supremely fair thou art, thy lips with grace o'erflow. Blessed be the Lord who daily our heavy burden bears, the God of our salvation, who for His people cares. Our God is near to help us. Our God is strong to save. Amen.