Liturgy:

Reading : Ez. 33,1-20

Text : LD 31, HC

Ps. 95 : 1,3

Ps. 135 : 10

Ps. 103 : 4,5,7

Ps. 119 : 52

Ps. 145 : 5

Beloved Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

This afternoon in the preaching we will deal with the concluding part of that section of the Heidelberg Catechism, which has as it’s heading, "Our Deliverance." One would expect that in this concluding Lord’s Day a lot of emphasis would be put on the comfort we may derive from our deliverance in Christ. Yet whoever with this expectation in mind starts reading LD 31 may be somewhat disappointed, especially when this Lord’s Day speaks not only about the opening of the kingdom of heaven but also about the closing of it. Yes, does this section of the Heidelberg Catechism not end too sombre?

As so often, Br. & Sr. also here appearances are deceptive. For the joyous message of salvation in Christ is at the centre also of LD 31. This Lord’s Day points us to the wonderful power of God’s Word, not only when it is preached from the pulpit on Sunday, but also when throughout the week it is ministered in the homes when the office bearers come to visit us. Whenever these office bearers come, they do not come with their own word but with the word of their heavenly Sender, be it to comfort and to encourage the members of the congregation or to admonish and to warn them. This highlights the high calling office bearers have. Through their ministry Christ seeks the salvation of His people. Yes, behind the office bearers we have to see Christ, who has entrusted to these men the authority of the keys of the kingdom of heaven. In others words, though them Christ Himself is still in charge. He is the ultimate key-bearer.

Dealing with LD 31 HC this afternoon I minister the Word of God to you under the following heading,

1. LD 31, Br. & Sr. speaks about the keys of the kingdom of heaven. With a key one has power to open and to close. Well, that’s what also LD 31 will tell us. By the use of the keys mentioned in this Lord’s Day people are either admitted or excluded from the kingdom of heaven.

Before speaking further about these keys, perhaps first it should be explained what in this context is meant with the kingdom of heaven. During His ministry on earth Christ often spoke about this kingdom. From all that Christ has said about this kingdom it’s not all that easy how to define it. For example, where do we locate this kingdom: in heaven or on earth? If it is to be located on earth: who are the citizens of this kingdom? This last question becomes even more difficult to answer when we consider that God is king not only of the church, but God is King over the whole earth. So, it’s not all that easy to give a good definition of what is meant with the expression ‘kingdom of heaven’.

Taking all the scriptural data into account perhaps it could be described as follows, "The kingdom of heaven is the power of God’s grace revealed in this world."

From this definition it becomes clear that with the coming of Christ – as John the Baptist proclaimed it – the kingdom of heaven was at hand. In Christ God revealed the power of His grace in full glory. Christ came to clear for us the way to this kingdom. By His accomplished work on the cross He opened the gates to this kingdom also for you and me, beloved. Yes, Christ, who now is seated at the right hand of God, is the only One who can open and close the gates to this kingdom; He, who upon His ascension received all authority in heaven and on earth.

In His letter to the church at Philadelphia the glorified Christ introduces Himself as, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens."

He, who has the key of David – to understand these words we have to turn to Isaiah 22, where we read about a certain Shebna, who during the reign of king Hezekiah was in charge of the keys of the house of David. Yet since he was unfaithful in his office the LORD appointed someone else.

A key-bearer unfaithful in his office – maybe you wonder was this then such an important function? Yes, it was, Br. & Sr. This man was far more than just a gatekeeper; in fact the position of key-bearer was the most important and most influential one among all the palace officials. The key-bearer of the palace had an enormous authority. If someone wanted to meet the king to speak with him about a certain issue, or to ask the king’s judgment in a certain lawsuit, the key-bearer was in charge to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. It was only through the key-bearer that one could receive access to the king.

The importance of the position of key-bearer is highlighted even more when we consider that Israel’s king was a theocratic king, who in his office foreshadowed the kingship of Christ. Being key-bearer of such a theocratic king thus meant being in charge of giving access to the powers of redemption, which God would reveal among his people through the office of the theocratic king. That’s Isaiah 22.

Well, in that light we now also have to read Christ’s self-designation to the church in Philadelphia, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts and shuts and no one opens." In actual terms this means: to enter the kingdom of heaven one has to go via Christ. As Christ Himself once said, "No one comes to the Father except through Me." When Christ opens the kingdom to us, no one can shut it. But also when Christ shuts it to us, no one can open it. No one can ever lodge an appeal against His decision.

This is a serious word. Yet it does not need to disquiet us. For Christ has our salvation at heart. He does not want the death of the sinner, but rather that he should turn to God and live and thus may enter the kingdom of heaven. From heaven Christ is busy to gather His church, so that the number of the elect may become full.

In the first point of the sermon we will now see that Christ does so through the service of man. He has appointed office bearers as watchmen on the walls of Zion, lest the powers of Hades prevail against His congregation. What now is the task of these watchmen?

It’s here that I would like to draw on the portion of Scripture we have read this afternoon, where the analogy of a watchman is used to point to the seriousness of the office Ezekiel had to fulfil. In the event an enemy was approaching a watchman had the duty to ring the alarm, to blow the trumpet. If he failed to do so, the blood of the people would be required from his hand. Yet if the people did not respond to the alarm, it was their own fault when struck by calamity.

Br. & Sr. this is indeed a beautiful analogy to highlight the responsibility an office bearer has. The office bearer too is a watchman, who has the duty to warn the members of the congregation against the dangers that threaten them. To this end an office bearer always has to be on guard, alert. To serve as an office bearer is indeed a very responsible task.

Even more so when we remember that the office bearer acts on Christ’s behalf. When he warns the members of the congregation, he warns them on behalf of his heavenly Sender. It is the heavenly Sender who has our salvation at heart when He warns us through the office bearers.

This is an element, which sometimes is so easily forgotten when the office bearers come to visit us. For it is not just brother A or brother B who comes, but behind these office bearers we must see Christ at work, who uses these brothers as instruments in His service. Brothers, sinful themselves as well, but nevertheless ambassadors of Christ, appointed as watchmen over His household.

It’s for this reason, beloved, that we should never make light of the warnings of the office bearers. If we would do so, this would only be to our own detriment. On the other hand, if we listen it will be for our own spiritual well being.

The office bearers are watchmen over the household of God. It can be clear, Br. & Sr., when these watchmen neglect their responsible task, when the sound of the trumpet to warn God’s people is no longer heard, Christ’s congregation will be in tremendous danger. We see this around us in many churches that have deviated from the truth of God’s Word. Because the office bearers no longer warn against dangers people are led astray, and in the end this ruins the church.

That’s why office bearers have to speak the word of God faithfully, even when it is not pleasing the ears of the hearers. They have to pass on the message of their heavenly Sender. It should not be that later on one could say, "In the preaching I was never warned against this or that, or on a home visit the office bearers never spoke about the dangers that threatened my life." Office bearers have the task to warn the congregation against these dangers, against the temptations in today’s secular climate by which Satan tries to lure us away from the LORD. It is the duty of the minister to address these things in the sermon on Sunday, but also the elders should speak about it when they go on home visits. They should not be silent about it, but as apt teachers they should speak the word of their heavenly Sender in season and out of season. The office bearers are never allowed to make light of this task. For through their ministry Christ has the salvation of His congregation at heart.

2. We saw, Br. & Sr., that through the ministry of the office bearers Christ Himself continues to care for His congregation. He is their Sender and they speak His word. Indeed, the Word of God is the only tool the office bearers are allowed to use. This brings us to our second thought.

LD 31 deals with the keys of the kingdom of heaven. It mentions two keys: the preaching of the gospel and church discipline. These two keys are closely connected. For also church discipline is exercised with the Word of God. Yes, whenever the office bearers come to visit us, be it to comfort or to admonish, they always come with the Word of God and nothing else. This is indeed their only tool.

On Sunday the minister ministers this Word of God from the pulpit to provide the congregation with its spiritual food, but throughout the week the elders visiting the homes come with this same Word.

So office bearers have only one tool they can use in their ministry. Yet, beloved, it is a very powerful tool. In Hebr. 4,12 it reads, "The Word of God is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow. It is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart." It is by this powerful tool, beloved, that Christ exercises the authority of the keys of the kingdom of heaven through the ministry of the office bearers.

Christ does so, first of all through the preaching through which the kingdom of heaven is opened to the believers and closed to all unbelievers and hypocrites. These words highlight the tremendous importance of the preaching.

First, through the preaching the kingdom Christ opens the kingdom. How? The simple answer is: the preaching points us to Christ as the only Saviour through whom we may draw near to the Father. Therefore sermons indeed need to be Christ centred. Every Sunday the minister has to proclaim to the congregation that their only salvation lies in Jesus Christ in whom we have the forgiveness of sins through faith in Him. It’s here in the church, beloved, that you may listen to the gospel of your acquittal. It’s for this reason that the apostle Paul calls the preaching of the gospel ‘the ministry of reconciliation’.

When seeing the worship service in this wonderful light, one will not easily stay away on Sunday. But then we are eager to come. For it is here in the church that every Sunday again the kingdom of heaven is opened to us. In the preaching the powers of God’s grace are revealed to us. And because of this I want to be there. Yes, then my soul longs earnestly, yea, faints God’s holy courts to see.

Salvation is ministered to me, here in the church. But only – as it reads in Answer 84 – when I accept the promise of the gospel with a believing heart. In other words God does not allow us to take a non-committal attitude towards the gospel preached to us. For in case we do – says Answer 84 – the wrath of God and eternal condemnation rests on us.

Here I may call to mind the sermon of this morning: we should be not only hearers but also doers of God’s Word. Either we accept the gospel in faith and want to work with it or we reject it. There is no grey area in between. Also, the choice between accepting and rejecting is ultimately a choice between life and death. Let us be well aware of this, beloved.

One may say, is this not taking it a bit too far. Does the minister not become too serious here? After all, is God not also merciful? God is merciful indeed, beloved. Whoever in true faith comes to Him – no matter what has happened in our life – may count on forgiveness for Christ’s sake. Even when our sins were red like scarlet God will make them white as snow. God’s love towards sinners is indeed immensely great. As far as the east is from the west, so far God removes our transgressions from us. But because of this God now also asks of us that we give our life to Him, not half-heartedly but completely, without any reservation. In Christ God has given to us everything He had, the Son of His love. Can you understand, beloved, that having so great a love for us God will not be content with some half-hearted response from our side. Having seen this love from God’s side it should indeed be our desire to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind, and with all our strength. It is in this way, beloved, that the kingdom of heaven is opened to you; not because of your efforts but because of God’s love towards you.

On the other hand, when you do not come any further than a half-hearted response to the gospel, when you continue to live in sin despite the warnings that have gone out to you, the kingdom is closed to you.

See, beloved, that’s how Christ exercises the authority of the keys of the kingdom of heaven through the preaching of the gospel. Next He also exercises this authority via church discipline; and this with that same powerful tool: the Word of God.

Answer 85 HC speaks about members of the congregation who call themselves Christians, but show themselves to be un-christian in doctrine or life; members, who on the one hand say to confess Christ as their Saviour, but at the same don’t want to submit to the Word of God. They bear the mark and emblem of Christ on their forehead, but in the meantime they live a un-christian life.

The Word of God calls these members to repentance. For Christ has the salvation at heart also of these members. God does not want us to continue in sin, but that we may turn to Him and live. It’s for this reason that the Christian church is duty bound to exercise discipline, not be harsh, but as an act of love.

The Christian church is bound to exercise discipline not towards those members who sometimes through weakness fall into sin, but towards those who harden themselves in their sin. It should be clear that ultimately discipline is not against sin. For sin will be forgiven. But it is the hardening of the heart that is disciplined. Yes, where members continue to harden themselves there is no place for them in the kingdom of God. Answer 85 says such members are to be excluded from the Christian congregation and as a result are excluded by God Himself from the kingdom of Christ.

This shows again what responsible task office bearers have. At the same time we should not forget that church discipline is not just a task for the office bearers only. Whenever church discipline needs to be exercised Christ wants to mobilize the whole congregation.

I think here of that well-know rule which is recorded in Matthew 18, "If your brother sins against you, go tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he will not hear, take with you one or two more …" This comes first, before the office bearers become involved. Christian discipline thus starts within the congregation. We all are responsible for one another. Out of love for the brother or sister concerned, we are to speak with him or her, when we see a sinful lifestyle. Then we should not say, "I hope that the office bearers will do something about it," so to speak passing the buck. We should see also our own responsibility.

So church discipline starts within the congregation. Yet, beloved, the congregation remains involved, also when the consistory has to deal with the brother or sister concerned. Before it comes to the final act of excommunication there are three public announcements by which the congregation is urged to pray for the sinner and – when the censure continues – also to visit the brother or sister personally. See there how Christ mobilizes all of us in order that it does not have to come to that final act of excommunication.

At times it may indeed happen that a person has to be excommunicated. It’s not often that this happens, since before it comes this far often members get sick of being admonished and withdraw themselves. Sometimes people have the idea that a withdrawal is less serious than excommunication. Yet this is a false perception. For withdrawal means that a member does no longer want the love of Christ extended to him; love even in the admonitions that go out; love even when it has to come to the final stage of excommunication.

Often excommunication is considered as be too harsh. Yes, is excommunication not in conflict with God’s mercy? It’s not! For even in this final act of discipline Christ has the salvation of the sinner at heart. True, LD 31 speaks about the wrath of God and eternal condemnation, which rest upon the sinner that hardens himself. But, beloved, we should not forget that these words are spoken on this side of the grave and therefore it is only the beginning of God’s final judgment. As long as we live in today’s grace there is always a way back. I stressed this same element not so long ago also in a sermon on LD 27. Yes, even for the excommunicated sinner the way to God’s kingdom remains open, when there is true repentance and also amendment of life. There is joy in heaven and earth when the lost son comes home again.

Looking upon church discipline from this perspective it can be clear that even in its final stage it remains an act of love. In fact, a church that does not exercise discipline does not show real love towards the sinner. It’s like a parent who – when seeing a child doing wrong – just let him go. We would not do that, would we? Well, then we should not do this in the church either. We should extend love towards the sinner. The church does so by pointing out the wrong and also – when there is hardening – to exercise discipline. That’s why the exercise of church discipline for correcting and punishing sins is one of the marks of the true church.

In the beginning of the sermon I raised the question: does in LD 31 the section about our deliverance not end on a too gloomy note. I hope it has become clear, beloved, that also this last Lord’s Day about our deliverance is full of God’s love for sinners. The forgiveness of sins is proclaimed also in this Lord’s Day. However, when members of the congregation don’t want to live of this forgiveness, are no longer overwhelmed with thankfulness for the grace offered to them, for them there is indeed no place in God’s kingdom. Not because God lacks mercy, but because they themselves have closed their eyes for this mercy of God.

Beloved, let it never come that far in your life. Instead always accept the gospel of God’s mercy towards you with a believing heart. Submit to God’s Word not only when it is preached to you from the pulpit on Sunday, but also when throughout the week the office bearer come to visit you. Realise that through the office bearers Christ Himself is visiting you. Receive them then also as servant of God.

As it reads in the Form for the Ordination of Elders and Deacons, - and with these words I would like to close off this sermon,

"Respect the overseers who labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you; esteem them very highly in love because of their work. "Obey those who rule over you and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account." And then it continues in Hebrews 13, "Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you."

Let us thus pray, beloved, that the office bearers may be faithful in the execution of their office and also that God may grant them the wisdom they need. Furthermore let us from our side submit willingly to their good exhortation, realizing that the office bearers are servant of Christ and thus speak on His behalf. May thus through the faithful service of all of us in this way Christ’s congregation in Albany grow strong in faith and God receive the glory due to Him.

Amen.

Last modified: December 01, 2002