************ Sermon on Belgic Confession Articles 30 ************
Doctrine: Church Government
By: Rev. Adrian Dieleman
This sermon was preached on May 30, 1999
B.C. 30(a)
Ephesians 4:11-16
"The Purpose of Church Council"
Introduction
I came across a poem this past week which tells us the differences between a live and a dead church.
Topic: Church
Subtopic:
Index: 726-761
Date: 3/1989.9
Title:
Live churches are constantly changing.
Dead churches don't have to.
Live churches have lots of noisy kids.
Dead churches are fairly quiet.
Live church's expenses always exceed their income.
Dead churches take in more than they ever dreamed of spending.
Live churches are constantly improving for the future.
Dead churches worship their past.
Live churches move out in faith.
Dead churches operate totally by human sight.
Live churches focus on people.
Dead churches focus on programs.
Live churches are filled with tithers.
Dead churches are filled with tippers.
Live churches dream great dreams of God.
Dead churches relive nightmares.
Live churches don't have "can't" in their dictionary.
Dead churches have nothing but.
Live churches evangelize.
Dead churches fossilize.
By the grace of God we are a live church. And for that we have to thank Him. But we know, as we've been looking at the Belgic Confession of Faith, that we can say more than this about being a true, live church.
I True Church and Spiritual Order
A If you remember, in previous articles the Confession of Faith tells us we have a duty to join the true church. With all the denominations and independent churches that exist in today's world, how can we tell which church is a true one and how can we tell which is a false one?
In looking at Article 29 we said the true church is recognized by three marks: the pure preaching of the gospel, the right administration of the sacraments, and the faithful exercise of church discipline. These marks are just as important today as they were at the time of the Reformation. But these are very formal and outward signs of the true church and do not tell the full story.
B In looking at Article 29 we said the true church is also recognized by looking at the lives of individual members. Again, we must look for three marks: Do they show real faith? Avoid sin? Love God and neighbor? What it comes down to, congregation, is that true churches are filled with true Christians. True churches have members who live out the Gospel. True churches are not places of dead doctrine but of living, loving members. In a true church the lives of individual members reflect the riches of the Gospel.
C To find a true church, we can look at the outward, formal marks. To find a true church, we can look at the lives of individual believers. And, to find a true church we can also look at the spiritual order, at the method and organization of church government. That's what Article 30 of the Belgic Confession of Faith deals with. The true church, says the Confession,
ought to be governed according to the spiritual order that our Lord has taught us in his Word.
What is this spiritual order to be found in true churches? Article 30 tells us two things about this spiritual order: first of all, it tells us that Jesus Christ is to be held as the king or head of the church; second, it tells us that the church is to govern itself by the Word of God.
Within this framework, we can again look for three marks: Are there ministers, elders, and deacons? What do they do? And how are they chosen for office? The first two questions we will look at today; the third question we will keep until next time.
II Ministers, Elders, and Deacons
A We say that the formal marks of the true church include true preaching of the Gospel, the right administration of the sacraments, and the faithful exercise of church discipline. For these marks to be present in a congregation, someone has to be appointed to do these things. The church must be organized in such a fashion that the marks can actually be present. The Belgic Confession of Faith tells us there must be "ministers or pastors ... elders and deacons ... By this means true religion is preserved." Says the Apostle Paul in our Scripture reading,
(Eph 4:11) It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers ...
B According to the Belgic Confession of Faith, in true churches
There should be ministers or pastors
to preach the Word of God
and administer the sacraments.
Down the road from one of the congregations I served was the Ridgeville Bible Chapel. As the President of the local ministers' group I called the church and asked to speak to the pastor. "We don't have one," was the reply. "We don't believe preachers are necessary."
The same thing is true in the Quaker churches. They also don't believe in ministers. Where we ordinarily have a sermon, they have a time of quiet meditation or a Spirit-prompted prayer, exhortation, story, or exposition from one of the members.
True churches have pastors who preach the Word of God and administer the sacraments. Now it is becoming increasingly difficult for pastors to do this because of all the other demands on their time. Christian Reformed pastors not only have to write and preach two good sermons per week but they are also expected to look after the liturgy and bulletin; teach catechism; lead Bible Study; go to meetings; visit the elderly, sick, troubled, and lonely; counsel the hurting; do community work and calling; chase down the wayward; do administration work; be on a committee of classis; take their turn serving on denominational boards. With all of these responsibilities and more, the temptation always exists to cut corners. And, the corner that is usually cut by most pastors is the sermon.
If churches want pastors who truly "preach the Word of God and administer the sacraments" then they are going to have to make sure of two things. First, that the minister has the time to work on sermons. Second, that the minister not waste time on things that are unimportant. For instance, I could spend all week in my office doing nothing but reading books. Or, I could spend all week on the computer and Internet. Or, I could hop on my bike and go 50 or miles every single day. Or, I could spend all my time socializing and visiting. Or, I could spend every day in meetings. But all of this takes away from what I am called to do – studying and preaching the Word of God.
True churches have pastors who preach the Word of God and administer the sacraments. Now it is becoming increasingly difficult for pastors to do this not only because of time demands but also because many congregations no longer want to hear the Word of God. Instead, they want to be entertained; so what happens is that special music and programs are allowed to crowd out the sermon. On top of that many ministers keep silent about certain subjects either because their congregation won't let them speak on those subjects or because they are scared of stepping on some toes.
According to the Confession of Faith, then, true churches have ministers who preach the Word and administer the sacraments so that "true religion is preserved."
C According to the Belgic Confession of Faith, in true churches
There should also be elders and deacons,
along with the pastors,
to make up the council of the church.
Ministers, elders, and deacons form a church council – the actual translation of the French word is senat. Though the phrase itself is not mentioned, here the Belgic Confession is teaching a Presbyterian system of church government.
There are three basic kinds of church government. First, there is the congregational system of church government. Governing power rests not with elders or pastors but with the entire congregation. Office bearers are but representatives elected by the congregation to carry out the congregation's wishes and decisions. This is the method of church government most similar to our democratic style of civil government. This also is the kind of church government that many of our Christian Reformed congregations seem to be moving toward. An issue comes up and people say, "Let the congregation decide." Each Christian Reformed congregation is becoming unique and different. You can no longer go to any Christian Reformed Church in the land and expect things to be the same as at home. People no longer identify with denominations; rather, their first allegiance is to a local church. These, my brothers and sisters, are all signs of an increasing congregationalism among us.
In this method of church government it is the people, not the Lord Jesus, who rules the church. And, as we have found out in our country more than once, the rule of the majority is not necessarily right.
Topic: Way
Subtopic: Right
Index: 3794
Date: 1/1987.28
Title: Majority Morality
Did you realize that many of the great injustices of history have been committed in the name of unchecked and unbridled "majority rule"?
The late Senator James A. Reed, of Missouri, in one of the most forceful speeches ever delivered before the Senate, observed with great truth: "The majority crucified Jesus Christ; the majority burned the Christians at the stake; the majority established slavery; the majority jeered when Columbus said the world was round; the majority threw him into a dungeon for having discovered a new world; the majority cut off the ears of John Pym because he dared advocate the liberty of the press."
Christ always calls us to follow the lifestyle of the "Minority opinion." Don't be deceived by the loud voice of "majority morality." (Matt. 7:13-14)
Majority opinion or congregationalism is the first system of church government.
Second, there is the episcopal system of church government. This is the system favored by the Roman Catholic church. Authority rests not in elders or deacons or a council but in priests, bishops, archbishops, and cardinals. In other words, this system has a hierarchy. Like a big business, decisions are made from the top down. And everyone is expected to obey the chain of command. In this system, the real authority rests with the clergy. The laity, through elders and deacons, have no real place within the governing structure.
It can only be ironic that as many of our Christian Reformed congregations move towards a congregational system of church government, Grand Rapids is moving towards an episcopal system. A structure review committee of Synod has studied our system of boards and committees and has recommended a business structure with authority at the top and a clear chain-of-command all the way to the bottom.
And then there is a third system – our system – of church government: the Presbyterian system or the Reformed Presbyterian system. It is based upon the word presbyter – the Greek word for "elder." In the Presbyterian system of church government, the authority rests with the elders – which includes the minister. They may be elected by the congregation, but they get their authority from Christ. They may be elected by the congregation, but their task is to represent Christ. They may be elected by the congregation, but their calling is to carry out the will of Christ. Our system of church government is not a democracy in which the will of the majority carries the day. Sometimes, in obedience to Christ and for the good of the congregation, elders have the authority and the right to ignore the wishes of the congregation. No, our method of church government is not a democracy.
According to the Confession of Faith, then, true churches have a church council so that "true religion is preserved."
III The Purpose of Church Council
A Why has Christ appointed elders, deacons, and pastors in His church? What is the purpose of church council? What is its job?
Topic: Church
Subtopic: Government of
Index: 728
Date: 5/1999.101
Title: You, you bunch ... of ... of ... of ... Elders
A pastor's daughter had a fight with some school friends. She was spluttering with rage because of the way they had hurt her. "You, You, You bunch of ... of ... of elders." In her mind, at least, you couldn't stoop any lower than that.
Does God appoint elders merely to make trouble for ministers and/or to keep them in line?
In some churches, the office of elder has fallen in disrepute. It is a powerless office with little or no responsibility. The office of deacon, in those churches, that's the office with authority. The church's movers and shakers are to be found in that office; after all, he who controls the purse strings controls the church. Is this what God intended in appointing elders and deacons, someone to wield authority over the church's check book?
We've seen plenty of examples lately of pastors and churches that I call the church of the open palm – they are always holding out their hand for money, more and more money. "Send me 10 million dollars," said Oral Roberts, "or God will take me home." Jimmy Bakker was arrested and put in jail because he practiced outright fraud. Let me tell you a sad story from one of the churches I served.
Topic: Church
Subtopic: Danger of Money
Index: 726-761
Date: 5/1999.101
Title: Money, Money, Money
A faithful member of the church went to the Netherlands to attend the Roman Catholic funeral of a close friend. By the time he got there the priest had already been paid to say 9 funeral masses over the dead; the man's widow had no money left but the priest refused to say the 10th and final mass until or unless the man's widow made a donation of another $1,000. Without that mass, according to Roman Catholic belief, the dead man's soul could never be released from purgatory. The poor woman was trapped. And, she was so angry she vowed to never go to church again. Unfortunately, her husband's friend--the man from my congregation--made the same vow. "All they are interested in," he said about the church, "is money." So he stopped coming.
Is this the purpose of church councils – to be money machines, never satisfied unless they have more?!
B In true churches God wants elders, deacons, and pastors at work in the council of the church. What is their job? The Confession tells us:
By this means
true religion is preserved
True churches have councils so that true religion may be practiced. In other words, true churches have ministers, elders, and deacons so that there is the true preaching of the Word, the right administration of the sacraments, and the faithful exercise of church discipline. It is the joy of all three offices to make sure this happens.
Elders, deacons, and pastors have one main calling – to preserve true religion.