Matthew Ch28, Ch16, Ch18 - Members Of The Kingdom

Before Ralph comes up to preach, you can see the references there on the screen.

! So we're going to begin with Matthew chapter 28 and verse 16.

Matthew 28 · chapter mention

! And that's on page 1000 of the Church Bible.

Matthew chapter 28 and verse 16.

Matthew 28 · chapter mention

And we're going to read from verse 16 to 20.

And verse 13.

And verse 13.

Good morning, everyone. It's good to see you.

And so on and so on and so on.

And so as we're looking over the next three weeks to answer this question of what is the church, we can think of it organically or institutionally.

So we can look at the flesh or we can look at the bones of the church.

And people these days, they love talking organically, don't they?

You know, flesh is soft and it's yielding and it's pretty.

But the thing is, flesh without bones isn't very pleasant to look at at all.

Okay. So this morning, we're going to start looking at the institutional bones of the church to give us some shape over the next few weeks.

But if you're more eager to hear about the organic images of the church, the church's body, the church's family, that's coming.

Okay. So I'm saying we're going to work through this.

There's a lot to the church.

But we're going to open the ears, the eyes of our hearts to see through the word what Jesus has to say about his kingdom and the church.

And this morning, we're going to be looking at the gospel of Matthew.

So let's just pray as we open up the word again and hear what God has to say.

Our Father, you love us immensely and you have given us all that we need for life and godliness.

And I thank you, Father, that you have given us one another.

We cannot and should not live the Christian life alone, but we should do it together as your gathering, as your church, as your people.

So help us now this morning to hear from you and to be a blessing one to another.

Amen.

So please do keep your Bibles open.

We'll be looking at each of those sections together.

Let me start with a question.

It's always a good way to start a sermon.

Who would you put in charge of the church?

Well, Jesus, of course.

Thank you for listening to today's sermon.

I'll dismiss you all early.

It's the obvious answer, isn't it?

But when we ask a slightly different version of that question, because all Christians would agree that Jesus is the head of the church.

If we ask the question, who on earth should be in charge of the church?

Christians begin to come up with quite different answers.

All Christians say that Jesus is the head of the church and he is in charge.

But when asked about who on earth Jesus has given authority to, you get these different ideas.

For the Roman Catholic Church, it's ultimately the Pope who is in charge and he holds the church together.

For Anglicanism or the Church of Ireland, it's the bishops connected together that hold the church.

Presbyterians, well, they rule the church by bringing elders from different churches together to meet and make decisions.

And many independent evangelical and Pentecostal churches, well, they go for the one man rule or the group of elders as the rulers of their individual church.

That brings us to this church, which is a Baptist church.

Now you have Baptist and congregational churches where the church is ruled by ordinary members and led by elders.

Who on earth is in charge of the church creates no little controversy and discussion.

But this morning I want to show from the scriptures as we look at the Bible that it is the ordinary members of a local church that Jesus puts in charge.

Ordinary members, extraordinarily gifted by the Spirit for that task.

So let's look again at Matthew chapter 28 and verses 16 to 20.

Matthew 28 · chapter mention

Well-known words.

These are the parting words of King Jesus to the apostles.

The marching orders.

Verse 18.

Look at verse 18.

All authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Jesus.

He is the King of kings.

Jesus is the ruler over heaven and earth.

And he commands his apostles to go and make disciples of all nations.

Baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything that he has commanded.

And surely he will be with them always to the very end of the age.

This is the great commission of King Jesus.

Jesus gives the church his name.

Jesus gives the church his mission.

And that is to share the gospel.

Go and spread the good news.

Baptize Christians into the faith.

But Jesus left.

Actually, soon after he said these words at the end of Matthew.

You've probably noticed Jesus isn't here with us this morning face to face.

He's not physically here in Carragoline Baptist Church on a Sunday morning.

So Jesus must give some means for his church to keep being the church in the world and through the centuries.

Because it's been 2,000 years.

So how does the church keep being the church through all the world, through all this time?

We're going to do a lot of flicking.

We're going to go back to Matthew chapter 16.

Matthew 16 · chapter mention

So let's go and look at Matthew 16, chapter 16, page 983, if you're using the church Bible.

And from verse 13.

I'm going to jump down to verse 15, right in the middle there.

Jesus asks his 12 disciples,

Who do you say I am?

And Peter, who's often a spokesperson,

on behalf of the disciples,

on behalf of the 12,

he says,

You are the Christ.

Or you are the Messiah.

That is the King.

The Son of the Living God.

Verse 16.

And in verse 17,

Jesus basically says,

Peter, you're right.

That's exactly who I am.

The Messiah.

The King.

The Son of the Living God.

And look at verse 18.

And Jesus then tells Peter

that Jesus will build his church on him

and his confession.

That's a church that's going to knock down the gates of hell,

the gates of Hades,

as it moves forward.

Jesus is going to build his church

on Peter and his confession.

We spoke about the different views

that churches take

on the idea of who rules the church on earth.

And these verses have created

no little debate

or controversy about these verses.

And they're often made to use,

they're often used to make the case

for the idea of having a pope

or for having a succession of bishops

to rule the church.

But this morning,

I want to focus on two things

from these verses

that are in focus for building the church.

Two things I think are clear.

And those two things

are a right confession

and a right confessor.

A right confession

and a right confessor.

We can say

that the church is built

on the confession,

the speaking, clearly,

of the right gospel

by people who love Jesus,

the right confessors.

Let me say that again.

We can say that the church

is built on the confession

of the right gospel

by people who love Jesus.

And Peter confesses

that Jesus is king.

Jesus is Messiah.

Back in verse 16.

That is a true confession.

Jesus is God's promised king.

He is God, the son, eternal.

So when Jesus talks about the church

in verse 18,

he said it is defined

by the rock of this true confession,

the rock of the gospel.

What we say about Jesus matters.

It must be true.

It must be the gospel.

That is the rock and foundation

of the church.

And the church is also defined

by the rock of a true confessor.

Peter knows and loves Jesus.

Jesus, in verse 17,

says that he is blessed,

a sign of his relationship to Jesus.

Peter is a Christian.

He is a follower called by Jesus

to carry Jesus' name,

to represent Jesus.

Jesus.

And Peter truly believes

and truly lives

by his confession of Jesus,

even as he fails

and sins many times.

He is still a true confessor.

And so we come to verse 19.

I will give you the keys

of the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus is the one who holds the keys.

He is the I here.

And he holds the keys

to the kingdom of heaven.

Because as we saw

at the end of Matthew,

all authority in heaven and earth

is given to Jesus.

He is the king.

And he can decide,

because he's the king,

in his absence,

who gets to hold the keys.

Who has the keys of the kingdom?

Jesus gets to decide

who's in charge of the church.

It's Jesus who decides,

not us.

We need to listen to Jesus.

The idea of holding

and using keys,

it's not a complicated idea.

But let's think about it a little.

You see,

I'm a kingdom owner.

Don't know if you realize that.

Admittedly,

it's a really small kingdom

and one that the bank

currently has an interest in.

But 14 Heatherfields

is, in a sense,

our little kingdom.

And I have to say our kingdom

because Cherry, of course,

is co-regent of our house and home.

It's king and queen,

Ralph and Cherry,

14 Heatherfields.

Now, the first house that we ruled

was actually 20 Drum and Ore

on the upper Kilmoney Road,

which is the other side of the town

from where we live now.

And it's the time, kids,

remember when we had the yellow car?

Yeah, the yellow car time

when we were living over on 20 Drum and Ore.

And back in 2009,

we had to go away for five months.

But we wanted our kingdom,

our little house,

looked after.

So,

in our infinite wisdom,

we left in the hands

of two college students.

And we entrusted

literal keys

for the house

to these two young lads.

And guess what?

They got to decide

on our behalf

who got in,

who enjoyed the pleasures

and the protections

of the kingdom,

who got the fridge,

who got the Wi-Fi,

who got the beds,

and who, in turn,

was kept out.

We left some instructions,

we checked in with them

a few times,

but you know what?

They had the keys.

We did stop short

of making them

taking a loyalty oath

to us as king and queen.

But for those five months,

those two students

had the authority

to represent us

at 20 Drum and Ore

on the upper Kilmoney Road.

Back to verse 19.

Jesus leaves

a set of keys

with Peter,

the representative

of the disciples.

It's a singular you.

I will,

Jesus,

I will give you,

that's Peter,

the keys.

And then Jesus says,

whatever you bind

on earth

is already bound

in heaven,

and whatever you

loose on earth

is already

loosed in heaven.

So having the keys

of the kingdom

on earth

authorizes

the holder

to pronounce

a judgment

on heaven's behalf.

There's a connection

between what is said

on earth

is reflected

in heaven

or

the other way,

what heaven's view

is actually

reflected on earth

because Jesus

is in charge.

You can say

the what

or who

is in or out

here on earth.

The what

or who

of the gospel

is in or out

on those two

based on

the heavenly

verdict.

Whatever is bound

and loosed

on our pronouncements

is a reflection

of what heaven

would say.

So what does

that mean?

If somebody

says something

or a church

says something,

we have to ask,

is this a true

confession

of the gospel?

Are these gospel

words?

Are they in keeping

with what Jesus

has said?

We have to

ask,

is this person

a true

confessor?

Are they living

in a way

that rightly

represents

Jesus?

These are the

kinds of

questions

for whoever

holds the keys,

for whoever

is in charge.

and I

realize

my slides,

yeah,

sorry,

let me keep

trying.

We need to

move very

slowly

here.

Jesus

has

ultimate

authority

and then

gives

exercise

of some

of that

authority

on earth

to those

that hold

the keys.

And I just

want to be

super clear

on this

this morning.

holding

and using

the keys

does not

give the

holder

of the keys

the power

to define

the gospel

or to make

someone a

Christian

or not.

That is really

important to

understand.

Holding the

keys does not

give us

authority over

the gospel

or over

people's

eternal

state

or souls.

Our

citizenship

in the

kingdom

of God

is not

given

or taken

by any

earthly

power

or any

earthly

exercise

of the

keys.

We are

not

physically

born into

the kingdom

of God.

We are

not baptized

as babies

into the

kingdom

of God.

We do not

purchase it

for one

million dollars

as a

golden

visa.

It is a

spiritual

citizenship

that God

gifts to

each one

of us

through

faith

and grace

alone.

One

by one

people are

born again

by the

spirit

into his

kingdom.

The good

news of

Jesus,

that news,

that gospel,

that comes

from Jesus.

And the

ultimate

declaration

of who is

in the

kingdom

comes from

King Jesus

on judgment

day.

The scriptures

tell us,

and they're on

the slide

up above,

so you don't

necessarily need to

turn to it

in your

Bibles.

2 Timothy

2.19

says this,

Nevertheless,

God's

solid

foundation

stands

firm.

Sealed

with this

inscription,

the Lord

knows

those who

are his.

And Romans

Romans 14 · chapter mention

chapter 14

and verse 4

says,

Who are you

to judge

someone else's

servant?

To their

own

master,

servants

stand or

fall?

And they

will stand,

for the

Lord is

able to

make them

stand.

So no

man or

woman or

pope or

pastor or

synod or

local church

can pass

ultimate

judgment on

the state

of someone's

soul.

But using

the keys,

it's similar

to how a

judge makes

a ruling.

If you think

about a judge,

the judge

doesn't write

the law,

we don't

create the

gospel,

and a judge

does not

actually make

someone innocent

or guilty.

That's a

reality apart

from the

verdict.

A judge

simply declares

a verdict.

And the

true and

final verdict

always rests

in the

hands of

Jesus.

Will not

the judge

of all

the earth

do right?

But someone

must be

in charge

of the

church on

earth

and have

authority

from

Jesus

to render

a verdict

on the

gospel,

the confession,

and who

is a true

confessor.

Because this

is a kingdom,

if we think

about it,

this is a

kingdom whose

citizens

are spread

out through

all the

other kingdoms

of the world.

Didn't we get

the marching

orders,

the end of

Matthew,

going to

all the

world?

It wasn't

a kingdom

that would

sustain

Jerusalem

in the

temple

courts

defined

by nice

neat

boundary

walls.

Jesus'

kingdom on

earth has

no

physical

boundary,

no border.

Christians

go everywhere

with the

gospel.

And they

make other

Christians

through the

power of

the Holy

Spirit.

Jesus

brings them

to faith

and they're

brought into

the church.

But a

kingdom with

no border

has a

problem.

Anyone

can claim

to be a

citizen.

And anyone

can claim

that this

is the

true gospel.

Imposters,

false

teachers,

they can

all say

thus says

the Lord

and claim

I'm a

true follower

and so

the right

use of

the keys

is how

the world

knows

ultimately

who

represents

Jesus.

So we're

going to

turn now

to

Matthew

18,

a couple

of pages

on.

This is

the second

place,

Matthew

18 and

verse 15

where Jesus

mentions his

church and

the use

of the

keys.

Matthew

18 is

where Jesus

shows who

holds the

keys and

uses the

keys of

the kingdom

of heaven.

The who

gives a

verdict so

that the

world knows

who represents

Jesus.

Verse 15,

it starts

with a sin

issue.

A brother

that is a

Christian in a

church family

has sinned

against someone.

It is a sin

that is open

in some way

because in

verse 16

witnesses can

be brought

if needed.

So it's an

open sin.

It's a sin

that is

persistent

and it's

unrepented

because the

brother chooses

not to

listen to

his brothers

and sisters

within the

church family.

It is a

sin that is

serious

as it

brings into

question the

person's

claim of

being a

Christian.

So it's

public,

it's

persistent,

it's

serious.

Let's look

at verses

17 to

18.

If they

still refuse

to listen,

tell it to

the church.

And if they

refuse to

listen even

to the

church,

treat them

as you

would a

pagan or

a tax

collector.

Truly I

tell you,

whatever you

bind on

earth will

be bound

in heaven

and whatever

you loose

on earth

will be

loosed

in heaven.

What's the

final court

of appeal

on earth?

Who has

authority to

pass such

a judgment?

Well it

finally rests

with the

church.

Who's the

church?

Well I think

from here it's

clear that it's

people who can

gather in

person,

who knows

the brother

or sister

and can

pass a

verdict as

needed.

And in

this case

the church

passes a

verdict that

says we

can no

longer

affirm your

claim to

be a

Christian.

That's what

it means to

treat someone

as a pagan.

There's someone

of another

religion or

a tax

collector,

someone who

the world

would classify

as a sinner

even.

We can

no longer

validate your

claim to

be a

Christian.

We can

no longer

affirm that

because of

how you

are living

in unrepentant,

persistent,

public and

serious sin.

Jesus says

here that

the binding

and loosing

on earth,

verse 18,

the use of

the keys,

is entrusted

to members

of a

church,

those that

can gather

together and

pass a

verdict.

We know

from here

and elsewhere

in the New

Testament that

is ordinary

members of

the family,

ordinary church

members that

are involved

in the use

of these

keys,

local church

members

exercising

the authority

of Jesus

in matters

of belief

and practice.

Jesus says

bring it to

the church.

Bring such

matters of

persistent,

public and

serious sin

to the

family if

needed.

Bring it to

the church.

Why?

For the

sake of

the gospel.

For the

sake of

the glorious

name of

Jesus

Christ.

Jesus

tells us

that we

have his

spirit among

us as

the church

and we

hold the

keys of

the kingdom.

The you

in verse

18 is

now a

plural

you.

Chapter

16 it

was a

singular

you.

Chapter

18 it's

now a

plural

you.

And I

think verses

19 and

20 make

this even

clearer of

who is

exercising

the keys.

Again

truly I

tell you

if two

of you

on earth

agree about

anything they

ask for

it will be

done for

them by

my father

in heaven

for where

two or

three gather

in my

name there

I am

with them.

It's where

two or

three or

more are

gathered.

Jesus is

among them

by his

spirit as

they use

the keys

to give

a verdict.

A

gathered

church in

Jesus'

name can

use the

keys of

the kingdom

of heaven.

This is

profound

deeply

profound.

These are

weighty

matters as

we think

of the

skeleton

the

institutional

skeleton

of the

church.

And it's

profound

because

what

qualifies

you

or what

qualifies

me as

ordinary

members

to rule

Christ's

church.

Nothing.

Nothing

except the

truth that

Jesus has

called you,

that Jesus

has saved

you,

that Jesus

has made

you a

new creation

in him.

We are

qualified

simply by

being born

again and

by being

given his

spirit within

us, the

spirit among

the church.

Each one

of us who

are members

of the

church knows

the Lord

directly.

The spirit

is given to

the whole

church, all

its members,

not just its

leaders.

It's not

like old

Israel where

you were

physically born

into it,

whether you

believed or

not, and

had that

mixed

community.

The new

covenant

community, the

church is a

community filled

with people

who know

the Lord

and have

the spirit.

That's why

it's so

important as

we bring

people into

the church

that they

confess Jesus

and that they

love Jesus.

And that's not

a super high

barrier by the

way, that's

who Jesus

accepts, who

Jesus has

called, and

everyone that

Jesus accepts,

the church

accepts.

We are

all the

prophets and

the priests

and the

kings in

Christ.

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6,

I mean, people

say, well, I

don't read about

membership in

the Bible.

Where do you

see the word

membership?

And that's a

good argument.

Don't see it.

But yet every

single page, I

would argue, of

the New

Testament requires

it and supports

it and points

to it.

Because the

one anothering

that we see

in the

scriptures is

simply not

possible without

people in

this community,

this covenanting

together, this

care and

support.

Here's an

encouragement

that Paul gives

the church in

Corinth who

weren't sure

whether they

could weigh in

on matters.

Do you not

know that the

Lord's people

will judge the

world?

And if you

are to judge

the world, are

you not

competent to

judge trivial

cases here on

earth now?

Do you not

know that we

will judge

angels?

How much

more the

things of

this life?

It's the

confidence that

Christ has put

in his people

through his

spirit to be

able to keep

his gospel and

to keep one

another in the

faith.

What does

this look like?

So let's get

practical.

We've read a

lot of

scripture.

Maybe it's

kicked off a

few questions.

Maybe you're

thinking of

different things

about the

church or

churches you've

been in.

So let me

talk a little

bit about what

this looks like

in practice in

a church like

ours.

In

Karageline

Baptist Church,

we affirm the

gospel and we

help one another

to stay true to

the Lord.

it's not that

complicated in

some ways.

We affirm the

gospel and we

help one another

to stay true to

the Lord as we

exercise the keys

of the kingdom

of heaven.

And the Bible

gives us lots

of images of

how the church

works organically

as I've said.

And Johnny

will show us

over the next

couple of weeks

about the image

of the body

and the family

over the next

two Sundays.

So again,

there's more

about the church

than what has

been said this

morning.

But institutionally

as a kingdom,

we exercise the

keys as a

church.

I'm just going

to put up a

slide there with

some examples,

but let me just

highlight a few

of them.

So some examples

of what it means

to be members

of the kingdom,

some examples

of the organizational

skeleton of the

church.

So the members

of this church

welcome in new

members.

That's the who

of the gospel.

We welcome

them in as

fellow members.

We recognize

their confession.

We recognize

them as a true

confessor.

The members

of this church

maintain a

statement of

faith, the

what of the

gospel.

It's another

way that we

exercise the

keys.

We pass

judgment on

what is the

gospel.

The members

of this church

recognizes and

affirms its own

leaders.

It's an

incredible

responsibility that

we call

faithful men

who hold to

and live out

in an exemplary

fashion the

deep truths of

the gospel as

our elders.

I'm going to

give one

example.

The members

back in

February 2019,

we debated

and voted on

a proposal to

add this to

our statement

of faith at

a members

meeting in

February 2019.

Let me read

it out.

Humanity,

number four,

we have about

a dozen or

so parts to

our statement

of faith.

We believe

in the

creation of

humanity,

male and

female,

by God

and in

the image

of God,

equal in

value and

complementary

in role,

the creation

ordinance of

marriage as

a lifelong

exclusive

union between

one man

and one

woman.

This one

flesh union

establishes the

only normative

pattern of

sexual relations

for men

and women.

And a number

of scripture

references are

given.

Why did we

do this as

members of

the church?

Because God's

good design for

humanity,

his creation

of us as

men and

women,

is a gospel

shaping issue.

An issue

that in the

past all

Christian churches

would have

assumed.

They wouldn't

have written

this down

in this

form,

but now

must be

something

explicitly

said to

ensure that

our confession

of the

gospel is

in keeping

with what

the Bible

says.

Now,

what does

this mean

for you

this morning

as you

listen to

this teaching,

this sermon

on the

church and

membership?

firstly,

if you

aren't a

Christian

this morning,

Jesus is

calling you

to himself.

Jesus is

the king

who lays

down his

life for

his subjects.

And so

Jesus calls

you to turn

away from

living for

yourself,

to repent

of your

sin,

and to put

your trust

in him.

Don't delay.

pray and

ask for

the forgiveness

of your

sins today.

If you're

a member

of this

church,

Christ has

saved you,

and he has

brought you

into membership

to keep

you,

and to

keep his

gospel.

And you

and I

have this

job together

as members

of ensuring

that the

gospel remains

clear and

at the

center of

all that we

do as a

church.

And I

need you,

and you

need me,

and we

need one

another to

keep the

gospel.

Are you

growing closer

to the

members of

the church?

Are you

fulfilling your

role as

holders of

the keys

that Christ

has given?

Or as a

member, do you

leave it to

others when

it is Jesus

that has

called you?

If you're

a Christian

and you're

not a

member, can

I simply

ask why

not?

I ask to

prompt some

reflection on

what Jesus

says through

his word.

For some

of you, the

idea of

membership and

authority and

keys and all

this talk might

be very new.

So if you

are a new

Christian or

a young

Christian or

something you've

not considered,

Jesus says

that you're to

be baptized and

to become a

member of a

local church.

And you are

welcome, I

would say, even

as a child, if

you know and

love the Lord and

you can understand

these things, as

a child or even

as a new

Christian, to be

a member of

the church here

in Carragoline.

Maybe you've

thought about

membership before,

it's just not

something for me.

I've thought

about it, it's

just, you know.

But what makes

it something for

others and then

not something for

you?

How do we end

up with those

categories?

It's worth

coming again to

the Lord and

bringing to him

whatever it is

that keeps you

from fully

linking arms

with the other

Christians in this

church.

for some, I

know it is

previous hurts,

it is bad

experiences of

church life,

maybe even

within this

church, that

would hold you

back.

You're still

happy to attend,

confident to

fellowship, to

receive pastoral

care, to give

to the church

financially, and

even to say,

well, this is my

church.

church.

I understand

that it can be

hard to have

confidence to

become a member

of a local

church.

And what I

would say is

whatever your

situation, if

you're a young

Christian, a new

Christian, a

Christian that's

thought about

this before and

just said, not

for me, Christ

has called you to

be under the

care and the

oversight of a

local church for

your sake, for

the sake of

others, and for

the sake of the

gospel.

We are not

called to put up

boundaries.

We're not called

to stay outside on

our terms.

It's his church.

The gospel is

lived out in

community with

others.

To be a member

of the church is

to stand with

others, saved by

grace, and to

affirm one

another's profession

of faith, and to

have insurance

together as we

link arms.

That's where

Jesus wants you

to be, assured

in the faith,

linking arms with

others.

There's much

more to the

church than

what we looked

at this morning,

so I pray that

we can hear the

words of Jesus

clearly over

these coming

weeks, and see

his good design

in this world

to provide

embassies on

earth for his

kingdom through

local churches

that are full of

members who

preserve, protect,

and proclaim the

gospel together.

Let's pray.

King Jesus, you

thankfully rule

over the

heavens and the

whole earth.

Nothing is hidden

from your sight.

You know all our

hearts, and we are

laid bare before

you, what you say

in your word, and

by your Holy

Spirit every time.

Father, I pray that

our hearts would be

lifted up towards

you this morning,

that we would love

you more, that we

would have a godly

jealousy for your

name, for your

kingdom, for your

gospel, that we

would have a deeper

and wider and more

generous love for one

another.

And Father, that the

bonds of Christian

love and unity would

be strengthened in

Cargoline Baptist

Church.

We need one

another to hold

those keys, to

keep the gospel, to

pass it on, and to

help one another to

stay the course.

Oh Jesus, you are

gracious and kind.

Father, you have

given us your

only Son, and you

have poured out your

Spirit into our

lives.

You have given us

everything that we

need for life and

godliness, and we

thank you for that.

All glory be to

you.

Amen.

Amen.

It said,