Our scripture reading this evening you'll find in Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians. We'll read both chapters 1 and 3. 2 Thessalonians 1 and 3. Let's hear God's Word. Paul and Silvanus and Timotheus unto the church of the Thessalonians, in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet because that your faith groweth exceedingly and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth. So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure, which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you, and to you who are troubled, rest with us. when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power, when he shall come to be glorified in his saints and to be admired in all them that believe because our testimony among you was believed in that day. Wherefore also we pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power. that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and ye in him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified even as it is with you and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men for all men have not faith, but the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you and keep you from evil. And we have confidence in the Lord touching you that ye both do and will do the things which we command you. And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ. Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us, for we behave not ourselves disorderly among you. Neither did we eat any man's bread for naught, but wrought with labor and travail, night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you. not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an example unto you to follow us. For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busy bodies. Now them that are such, we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work and eat their own bread. But ye, brethren, be not weary in well-doing. And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always, by all means. The Lord be with you all. A salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is the token in every epistle. So I write, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ, this morning, Dr. Beege ended his sermon with a passionate appeal regarding our response to what we heard concerning the Lord of Life. We received the words, as it were, of this Lord Himself. And what has been your response? That's an important question. That's an important question every time after we have heard the preaching of the Word. Because tonight as we want to look at the Lord's Day before us, there are two keys that have been given to the church that open and close entry into the kingdom of heaven. I want to turn there, if you turn to page 64 in the back of the Psalter to Lord's Day 31, we're going to be covering these two keys. And I haven't selected a particular text. I'm going to go through several that relate to this teaching. It's a very vital teaching. It's an important teaching. And it's one that impacts us particularly every Lord's Day. But now that we have some of our members also under censor, it is something that really speaks to our heart. And so let's look at this Lord's Day together. Question answer 83. What are the keys of the kingdom of heaven? Answer, the preaching of the holy gospel and Christian discipline or excommunication out of the Christian church. By these two, the kingdom of heaven is opened to believers and shut against unbelievers. Question 84, how is the kingdom of heaven opened and shut by the preaching of the holy gospel? Answer thus, when according to the command of Christ, it is declared and publicly testified to all and every believer that whenever they receive the promise of the gospel by a true faith, all their sins are really forgiven them of God for the sake of Christ's merits. And on the contrary, when it is declared and testified to all unbelievers, and such as do not sincerely repent, that they stand exposed to the wrath of God and eternal condemnation, so long as they are unconverted, according to which testimony of the gospel God will judge them both in this and in the life to come. Question 85. How is the kingdom of heaven shut and opened by Christian discipline? Answer thus. When according to the command of Christ, those who under the name of Christians maintain doctrines or practices inconsistent therewith, and will not, after having been often brotherly admonished, renounce their errors and wicked course of life, are complained of to the church or to those who are thereunto appointed by the church, and if they despise their admonition, are by them forbidden the use of the sacraments, whereby they are excluded from the Christian church and by God himself from the kingdom of Christ. And when they promise and show real amendment, are again received as members of Christ and his church. So our theme will be the keys of the kingdom of heaven. I want to look at two thoughts, preaching and discipline. And under preaching, we want to consider the authority this preaching is representative of, and secondly, the message it communicates. And under discipline, we want to look at what is this discipline, how is it administered, and why do we carry out church discipline, the keys of the kingdom of heaven? Well, beloved, you won't find a particular text that will mention specifically these are the two keys of the kingdom that open and close the door of heaven. However, that being said, there is a number of texts that relate to this teaching that we find here in our catechism in this Lord's Day. And children, I want you to have a very basic, simple understanding. It is an illustration. It's a picture, really, of what you experience every day. Your dad probably has in his pocket a number of keys on a key ring, or maybe he has a key fob, that when he goes outside to the vehicle tonight, he'll be able, or your mom, will be able to open the door probably being locked, and enter in. Or when you get home from driving, you'll probably be able to use the same set of keys to get into your home. So a key is something that we use to gain access to something. It gives us authority to the very thing that we are accessing. We give the person who has the key the right to use it to do whatever that particular key is designed to do. In the time of Jesus, there were kings also who had entrusted to their servants the use of a variety of keys, and those keys could access all of his riches and various other things in his kingdom. And these servants then were given the authority through use of these keys to do what the king's bidding was. Of course, this was a delegated authority. meaning that if a servant used the king and be a key in behalf of the king, he was doing it in the king's behalf. And that's true regarding these keys of the kingdom as well. Now, suppose these keys of a king were either stolen or perhaps misplaced and someone else took up the use of these keys They could be used for devious things. They could be used for bad things. And that's true about the keys of the kingdom as well. There are those who have been seemingly entrusted with these keys. They have the word of God, but they misuse the keys or misinterpret their authority of the keys. And they do something or don't do something that the king of the kingdom, Jesus, has given them to do. Jesus says this of the lawyers. So here's the first text to write down, Luke 11, 52. Jesus says, woe unto you lawyers, for you have taken away the key of knowledge. You entered not in yourselves, and them that are entering in you have hindered. So these lawyers of Jesus' day, he is saying, you have the key. You've been given this key, the key of knowledge, the key of the word of God. My father has given you the key, but you're not using it as my father would want you to use it. You aren't using it yourself to enter into the kingdom. And beside that, or even worse, you're hindering others from entering the kingdom as well. What a calling then and a danger. is present today. The calling for those who have been entrusted with the key, the keys of the kingdom, to use them rightly. So taking the previous example of the king we were speaking about, we mean, of course, it's God who is ultimately the king who is king of the kingdom. And in Matthew 16, we come to another text that Jesus is talking about the use of these keys. Matthew 16, verse 19. He is speaking here to the disciples about the keys he will be entrusting to them. And he says, they are my keys. They belong to me, and I'm entrusting them to you. And to be clear, in Revelation, he makes this point again. In chapter 1, verse 18, he says, I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And have the keys of hell and death. Revelation 3, 7, he said to the angel in the Church of Philadelphia, right? These things, Seth, he that is holy, he that is true, he that has the key of David, he that opens and no man shuts and shuts and no man opens. And so he said to Peter. I give you the keys. Of the kingdom. And whatever you bind on earth, he said to Peter and the disciples, shall be bound in heaven. And whatever you loose or set free on earth is loosed or set free in heaven. Now, children, you know when Jesus said those words, it was after the confession of Peter, you are the Christ, and it wasn't like Jesus had some kind of literal keys that he was handing over to his disciples to use to find entrance into some kind of earthly kingdom. This is a spiritual reality. These are spiritual keys that open a spiritual kingdom, that open the kingdom of heaven to those who believe and ultimately will open the gates of hell. and eternal destruction to those who don't. And so these keys were committed to the disciples when they were commissioned by Jesus to preach the gospel. What this means is the keys still today, through the ages, have been transferred, if you will, from church to church, from ruling authorities within the church. They've been entrusted with these keys of Christ. They are his delegated servants to use these keys for this express purpose. Now these servants, ministers and elders and deacons, are not those who legislate the laws of the kingdom. The king does that. These servants are called simply to act in behalf of the king. Those who are servants don't determine on their own whim and desire who they will let in and who they will exclude. but they on the basis of the King's Word can proclaim authoritatively, you may enter in, but you may not. And that's precisely what we find with the apostles as our Lord is risen, ascended into glory, and they go forth with this authority given to them. When the Holy Spirit comes upon Peter, on the day of Pentecost. What does he preach? He preaches, repent and be baptized, every one of you, Acts 2, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost for the promises to you and to your children and to all that are far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call. And just before this, our risen Lord had stood in the presence of these disciples, which was the impetus for them to proclaim this word on the day of Pentecost. We find in John 20, 22 and 23, he breathed on them, sending them out. As I have been sent, I'm sending you. And what does he say? Receive the Holy Ghost. Whoever sins you remit, They're remitted to them. Whoever sins you retain, they are retained. These are the keys of the kingdom, the preaching of the word. And so on the day of Pentecost, what's transpiring here in a spiritual reality is Peter is putting, as it were, the key of the gospel to the door. And he is proclaiming to the multitude who hear, you have crucified the Lord of glory. You are guilty of the blood of the son of God. But. Hearing this word, humbling yourself before Christ, believing in him as the only savior, the one sent of God, the door is open to you. And if not. You are yet in your sins, you will perish. everlastingly. Therefore, it's very clear from the whole of the New Testament that we are not speaking here about what men could imagine or dream up on their own as the message they bring of the keys and what is said in the gospel. No, it's confined to what the truths of the Word of God are. We, the one who stands at this place every Lord's Day, is to examine himself and to be accountable, the king, as an ambassador to speak the words he would want his church to hear. Do we grasp the significance, the awesomeness of what that means? Do you pray every day, week, for the pastors with this in view? This solemn reality. They will give an account. I will give an account for every word spoken to you. Did I open appropriately, rightly, correctly? And did I close to those who The word does not permit to enter in because they're yet in their sins, unrepentant. But do you see what a solemn obligation that lies also upon you? It's not a voice of a man you hear. It's the voice. Of the bridegroom. It's the voice of the king. who sends his servants to speak in his behalf. And so these words, therefore, are binding. When they are spoken according to this word of the King, these words are binding upon us, upon the church, everyone who hears these words. Paul makes it very clear in Romans 10, 14, and he makes this connection logically between entrance into the kingdom and preaching. He asks the question here. He says, how shall people call on the name of the Lord in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent? And Paul's conclusion here following these questions is faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. And what were the father saying to us? It is the preaching of the gospel and the response of faith to the gospel that is the opening of this door to the kingdom of heaven. In other words, Paul is highlighting the reality God will use these means Foolishness. Standing here on a Sunday night, listening to somebody babbling about the Word of God. To the world, it's foolishness. But to those who understand and know, it is the voice of God, according when it is to this Word. And of course, it is the Holy Spirit that delights to accompany this word. And when it's expounded to its depth and its point is driven home to the heart, it is the Holy Spirit who takes this word as the means of God's grace and opens the doors of hearts and opens the kingdom of God. And to those who consciously refuse to bow the knee to the king and obey his command, know with a certainty in their heart The door is being shut. It's through the preaching of the Word that our fate will be sealed. Because what is Paul actually saying here? It doesn't come out quite so clearly to us in the English. In Romans 10, 14 and following, it says, how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? Literally can be said to say, how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? Highlighting again in the preaching of the gospel and the preaching of the word, it is Christ who is speaking to us. This is the wonder, the amazing reality of a spiritual level that Christ is speaking as the word is proclaimed. Listen to what he said in John 5 25 Jesus himself said there's coming this day when the dead Shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live He was talking about when the Word of God goes forth those who are dead in their sins dead in trespasses Will be hearing the voice of the Son of God and made alive. I Now the whole church, those who are united to Christ by faith, will testify of this glorious truth. Through the reading of the word, through the gospel that came to them, often through the preaching of the word, it is the Spirit who opened their eyes, who opened the door, gave them to see this glorious reality, Christ himself is speaking He's convicting me by His Spirit of my sin. He is leading me to see the glories and the beauty of the cross of Christ. And this is why also, it is said to you, and some of you seem to not understand this reality. We're here, we're thankful, but there are those who are not here as well. And so when we leave our place empty, when we do something else, or suppose we don't need to gather together with the people of God under the preaching of the Word, what we are dismissing is the reality of this, that as we gather, we're gathering under the authority of the voice of our living God. We meet with Him. And by saying all of this does not make any minister anything. We are weak, frail, sinful like yourselves, but instruments God is pleased to use for this purpose. And therefore, all the more reason also the training of men for ministry is so vital and necessary. And that young men here who are going into whatever profession you may be going into ought to be considering as well. If you have been called of God to salvation, is God calling you to serve him in this way? The Apostle Paul is urging upon the church, as he did here in this passage, for this reason as well. Finally, brethren, pray for us that the Word of God may have free course and be glorified. We need your prayers. And never imagine that once a Sunday is enough. And the reality is that even as I am speaking these truths, the keys are being used. And the real question that confronts each of us in the hearing of the Word, and even as a church, is not, did I like the way that was brought? Did I agree with everything that was said? It was, is what was said in agreeance with what the word of God says? Does it conform to that? That's the question. And then the question that follows immediately is, am I submissive? Am I obedient? Am I following that word? That's the question. And when we call a pastor, yes, it's good to have a great preacher. But God has done amazing things through men who are weak, frail. The Apostle Paul says that he himself was, and look how God used him. It's not the man. It's the message. It's the gospel. It's the key of the kingdom. Our forefathers understood this, so why they answered in answer to this question of our catechism is this. It is to be declared and publicly testified to all and every believer that whenever they receive the promise of the gospel by a true faith, all their sins are really forgiven them of God for the sake of Christ's merits. That's the simplicity of the gospel. That's the authoritative proclamation of the king. For God himself abundantly testifies that wherever the promise of the gospel is received by poor sinners who hear it, your sins are forgiven you. That's the message. And maybe we think, well, the authors of the catechism didn't go far enough. They should have maybe set out certain marks of what it looks like to be one of those who have come to hear the gospel, the authoritative proclamation of the word, and by faith receive the promise. How quickly they say that their sins are really forgiven them, but they understand. It will not be found in our experience or our tears or in the discovery that we are a sinner, but it's by faith receiving the unalterable, unchangeable, certain word of God and believing it with our heart, all that it says. What it says about me and my sin and my coming under God's just judgment and what it says about Christ and all that he's done for poor sinners like myself and will do till the very end. It's finished. That's the gospel. It's the word of God that does the dividing. Our Lord Himself, Jesus, in John 3, 16 and 36, says this very plainly and pointedly, He that believes on Him is not condemned. But he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. He that believeth on the Son has everlasting life. And he that believes not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." And the question that comes to us this evening is, these are the two realities, the results of the key of preaching. We either walk out these doors justified, assured by renewal, or for the first time, my sins for the sake of Christ are washed away, or I leave. Maybe a self-sense of some kind of assurance that I don't need to worry about this or put it off for another day. But in the heart of hearts, you know, not believing in Christ, you're condemned already. Whatever excuse, whatever voice you're hearing, it's these two things. Our Lord himself is the reality of the key of preaching the gospel. And this is what compels the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5, 19-21. to wit that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and hath committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us. We pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God and the gospel. For he, God, made him, Christ, to be sin for us, sinners, he who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. You see, the gospel sets forth these truths of the reality of our deep fall into sin and separation from God and coming short of the glory of God and being under his condemnation. The gospel includes it all because that is not the end of the gospel. It leads us from law to the truth of him who filled the law, our Lord himself, who paid the price, suffered, died. and lived a life we could never live, and gives us, by faith, all that we need. You see, the gospel that is spoken of here is not an impotent Arminian gospel that says Christ died for everyone and all, and it's now up to us. It's up to you whether you're not, you're going to believe this to be true. No, this preaching of the gospel, this opening with the key of the spiritual kingdom is the power that God accompanies with his Holy Spirit to the hearts of sinners, making them alive and drawing them to the Savior irresistibly. But it is also through the gospel that a genuine invitation and command to the sinner to turn to Christ is given, to receive him as the only mediator between God and man, the only answer for all your sin. And to those who are repentant and believing, who mourn over sin and strive against it, cling to the promise of the gospel that our sins are surely forgiven for Christ's sake. For you, I say for you, the kingdom of heaven is wide open. I say it on the authority And so when there is a poor sinner here today, bowed down and burdened with sin, and in your heart of hearts, in your heart and crying out to God, you flee to Christ. You tell him all. You surrender. And he is showing you through the gospel that he is the answer. that you need. The door is open in the name of Christ. I can say to you, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from every sin, no matter what you've done. His blood is sufficient for it all. It's as if we're hearing the voice of Jesus himself to that man who was let down at his feet. He was lame, he needed healing, and the first word Jesus says is, son. Your sins are forgiven. He opens the door in the message of the gospel. And to you who the preaching of the gospel, hear it. You have convictions. You maybe even can talk about your misery. And perhaps you know better than anyone else how it is that God's going to save you, but you've never submitted to Him. You've never bowed before Christ. You're the category that our authors have written that summarizes in one word. unbelievers. And to you, the preaching of the gospel comes as well. You will not enter the kingdom. You are treasuring up wrath for the time to come. That's not my words. It's the king's. It's a cutting word. But it's a true word. And today is the day of the gospel. And in the gospel, the call that comes to us is not by personal name. It's not Peter and Martha and Mary and John. But our authors to the catechism give us the spiritual understanding. The gospel comes to us. Are you a believer? or an unbeliever? Do you belong to the family of God? Or are you still of your father, the devil? In the gospel, God makes clear that all who have fled to their son, to his son, their sin has been forgiven them. The key of the gospel opens the door. Have you heard his voice? Have you bent the knee? Has the gospel set you free? Jesus, when he says in these words, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, is actually, in the sense of the original language, whatever you bind on earth has been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth has been loosed in heaven. It's a work that he is doing in his kingdom, and those, his representatives on earth, are carrying out through the message of the gospel. And yes, also, through the second key, of discipline. Well, the second key that also opens and closes the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God, this key is the key of discipline. And the first thing we need to understand about this key is related to membership in the church. And sometimes we confuse membership in the church or the kingdom of God with membership in some kind of earthly organization. As if belonging to the Heritage Reformed Church of Grand Rapids is like belonging to the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids or the golf club or some other kind of group that meets and you have membership in it. And often our understanding of what it means to be a member of the church is simply connected to how we understand membership in other organizations. You know, if you belong to some other club, you can voluntarily join it. And then whenever you want to leave, you just say, just take out my membership. It's done. I'm no longer a member of this group. Did something I didn't like. Others have a view of membership as if this kind of relationship between those who are members of a church are only related to their relationship to God himself. It's their confession of Christ, and that's all that matters in their mind. And I've met these people who feel I don't need to belong to any body. I can sit at home and do my own worship there. I'm a member of the church, but I'm just sort of on my own. But our membership in the church ultimately is a spiritual matter. Ultimately, what membership in the church is not a organization, though we're recognized by the government, whatever that means. Ultimately, the meaning of membership in the church is the church of Jesus Christ. I am a member of his body. I am a living member if I, by faith, had the door open to me in the gospel. I am united organically to Jesus Christ. And the body of Christ, as you read in the New Testament, there's various churches in various places. So the organic body of Christ is one whole. That's true. But there are also local manifestations of this body in different places. And we happen to be a local manifestation of the body of Christ here. And so the first thing I think we need to remember is that when you, if you are a confessing member of this congregation, when you became a confessing member, you were received into this body by the body as well. When your name appeared in the bulletin for a couple of weeks and you were going to make confession of faith and no one came forward to raise a objection against your becoming a confessing member of this body by approbation of the whole, you are with open arms received into this living body by unanimous consent. What does that mean? It means to leave this body, you need unanimous consent. Yes, you need the consent of the head, obviously, but the history as a representative of the whole also must give, and that's how you transfer membership, for example, to the consent of the whole. We're an organic body. We belong to one another. We ultimately belong to Christ. He's the head. So if you go to 1 Corinthians 15, it talks about the gifts that have been given to the body. You're all a part of the body. I am a part. You're a part. We all have been given gifts from the head that we're to use for the exercise and the profit and the benefit of the rest of the body. Now it's connected to what we're going to be considering here in this second key. Mark Deaver put it this way. Ending one's membership in a church requires the consent of both parties. We join a church by the consent of the church and we leave a church by the consent of the church. Because it's the local church that has the authority to publicly represent Christ on earth. as an embassy does its home government. Christ gave the church the authority to bind and to loose, not the individual Christian. The man who continues to call himself a Christian and yet attempts to avoid the church's act of discipline is guilty of usurping the power of the keys. And what this means practically is that when a member who has been received into the church after some period of time would depart from the path of righteousness or the path of holiness, this is really where discipline begins. It begins with the body. The body and members of the body are under solemn obligation to speak to each other about our life. Do you know enough about me to speak into my life? And do I know enough about you to speak into your life, to encourage, to comfort, to correct, to admonish? Our confession that we made in joining this body has ramifications. It's not a club. When we promised, one of the very questions we were asked is, we will submit to admonition, correction, and church discipline in the event, which God forbid, that we become delinquent either in doctrine or in life. To belong to this body is a great privilege and blessing indeed. But it is also a very serious matter. Because the church as a body is to represent to this perishing world who the king is. And when the church today in this present world is not walking according to the orders of the king, the world mocks and ridicules rightly, understandably, the king himself, or at least their confession of which king they serve. The fact is when we have or do become a member Every one of us who's made this confession has said, we want to walk, we want to talk like a believer, like one who's king, whose head is Christ. And in turn, the church as a body has the obligation to hold one another accountable to this confession. and to exercise ultimately through those who are elected by the body to serve in the authority of elders and deacons to carry out, if necessary, further discipline. Of course, there is this question then of what about those who, as we heard in our first point, are still unbelieving in their hearts and yet have made this confession and yet want to be seen as a member of the living body? Well, our fathers were very clear. The Word of God was clear. There's chaff mixed with the wheat. On the final day, this separation will take place. But Christ has marked off a number of people, and those who He's gathered in, those who come to make this confession unitedly, are confessing we belong to Him. And we as a church don't exist for ourselves. We do not exist even for our own sanctification or for the world. Our task and calling is to represent before this world the glorious rule and character and person of Christ. We are to be the salt and the light to this world. And he's given us this key to be more faithful in accomplishing that. And so if we see each other not as distant members of an organization, but part of our body, and we see someone engaging in something contrary to their confession, we ought to feel this solemn obligation to speak. not because we're better, not because we don't have sin, not because of any of this, but because we care about a brother or a sister. You know, in counseling we, I've heard it said by several people who are giving teaching on, you know, adulterous affairs. They say something like this, you know, the man who goes off and cheats with his secretary didn't happen overnight. It was a gradual more intentional, event that grew over time. And most of the time, when people eventually are put under discipline, even by the authority of the elders, it didn't happen, yesterday he was living this way and now today it was a great sin he fell into, or she. It was a progression. And we are to watch over one another. No, not in the sense of if I'm committing some sin. There's wisdom here and in our own families as well as we minister to one another. But we ought to see this together as a body. If we're seeing someone genuine living in sin, doing things contrary to the word of God, we ought to speak. lest it develop and as a leaven, not only leavens within the heart of this person, but leavens within the body itself. And so Christian discipline does not begin where many of us perhaps think it does, in the consistory room. It begins with you. and me speaking to fellow members. And part of that is not only confronting with sin, but encouraging, comforting, pointing one another to Christ. Because as we speak about these things, our hearts will be warmed. You know, many times people who fall into sin are living on a fringe, at a distance from other members of the flock. Are we reaching out to them? Are we speaking to them? Are we encouraging them? Are we too busy in all that we are doing in our own life? Well, you might ask, how does this process take Well, then we turn, of course, to the well-known passage of Matthew 18. I want to read from verse 15 to 18 to you again. You know this well. But if he will not hear thee, Then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he neglect to hear them, tell it to the church. And if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen and a publican. Verily I say unto you, and here it comes again, whatsoever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Clearly, Jesus is giving this authority about binding and loosing in the context of the idea and the teaching of discipline. And therefore, it's important for us to understand what he's saying in Matthew 18, especially as it regards, perhaps, a private sin. The Lord says, if someone transgressed against you or trespass, You go to that brother or sister alone. If you notice this fault and it caused the separation, if they repent, you have gained them. You have won a brother or sister, Jesus says. Now, we realize that every sin essentially falls into this general category. Any sin might call forth a loving rebuke between brothers or sisters in the faith. But this isn't saying we ought to pursue every last sin in a fellow church member, no matter how small. It means we need prudence and wisdom of how to understand and to minister and disciple each other and know each other well enough. We're all sinners, but there's a difference. between someone who is continuing to live in flagrant sin and those who may have fallen into sin known to a few and have repented and grieve over that sin. There's a vast difference between someone who is flagrantly bragging about, perhaps, their sin, and one who, under conviction, crying out for help and accountability, is seeking forgiveness. Oh, there's some sin, indeed, in which the Bible says love covers a multitude of sins. But when this sin becomes outward also and begins to harm others, when it becomes a serious sin and remains unrepented of, then we begin to see the progression that Matthew 18 and Jesus there is speaking about. And it's out of concern for the soul of this person who would continue in this path and ultimately would evidence themselves as being under God's wrath. Because Jesus says, if he doesn't hear you when you confront them, you take with you two or three witnesses, godly people who you respect and who this person might respect as well and trust to keep it confidential. You go and speak to them so they will witness this conversation, that every word will be established. And if there's still no repentance, Jesus says, tell the church. And what does he mean by this? He means the representatives who hold this key in particular to the membership of this individual, the elders. And in telling the elders, it then becomes, as it were, a public matter. It concerns the whole body. And this is where the process of Christian discipline comes and begins in earnest. And when the elders feel sufficiently it is not being repented of, it's being dealt with over a period of time, they announce, as we have had in the past weeks, the first announcements. What does that mean? It doesn't mean now we can start talking about wondering who that is and what they've done and, oh, I heard this. That's not what it means. It means we talk to God. in prayer. And if we know the individual and we know the situation, we in love and humility speak to them if we have opportunity or seek opportunity. As I repeat again what I've said before to emphasize it, it doesn't mean that the congregation had no part and has no part in anything that has led up to this very point, not at all. There is a unity that we ought to see in the body. Many sins should never reach this level if we are careful in holding one another accountable and speaking together openly. Why do we have a problem with that? Because if I tell you what I struggle with, what happens? You know what happens? Pretty soon the whole church knows. That's not keeping in confidence a struggle that we may have and ask prayer for. We ought to find those with whom we can speak and hold each other accountable. We're all sinners. And this is the design of God by this key within the church body as a united whole to speak together, to hold one another accountable. And I know that's being done among some of you. It's wonderful to hear and to see. It ought to be done, however, I believe, more. I include myself. What do we do in families? You have a family. As parents, you're disciplining your children and they're departing from a way you have set out for them. It shouldn't be any different in discipline also in the church. If you and I belong to this body, the church, we are members of one another. And if we see another member fall into sin, our desire, our heart throbbing desire is to see that member restored. And if it means we don't know who it is, we don't need to find out. We simply pray the Lord will use the medicine of this act of discipline. And of course, when this member, whoever it might be, continues in their path of sin unrepentant, there comes a time after admonition and a period of time the elders are put in the position to proceed with the permission of synod to excommunication. The church is left with one option, where the church unitedly is to speak about this particular individual, they are cut off from the kingdom of heaven. That is the reality. The key shuts the door. And so how are we to view such a person if God forbid that happens? Paul would tell us we view them as an unbeliever. What do you do with an unbeliever? You evangelize them, you still speak to them, you reach out to them to win them to Christ. What I read to you here in this passage in 2 Thessalonians 3 and 14, 15, he says, if any man obey not our word by the epistle, note that man, have no company with him that he may be ashamed, yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. It's not somehow we write off people who've been excommunicated and say, we have no part with you, never speak to you again. Not at all. They were a part of my body. Do you just cut off your finger and want nothing else to do with it? No, we love our body. We cherish our body. And what is the purpose then of discipline? Why do we do it? Yes, to obey Christ. Yes, it is a medicine. But I also want to say that the church is not left to ourselves to pass judgment upon sinners. That's not our calling. It's simply to follow in obedience the words of Christ, His law, His judgment. And again, there's a distinction here I want to make in regard to Romans 13, 1 to 5. There are laws, perhaps, that need to be dealt with, with authorities, the civil authorities, but I'm talking about the spiritual reality of belonging to a body and membership of Christ and his church. It's not our role and task to condemn another. The purpose of Christian discipline is that the sinner would return not forever to be banished. And so the disposition of this body, if God forbid that would happen, is to be like the father in the parable of the sons, looking with eager Prayerful anticipation and longing for return. And should they come to repentance, we want to be first in line to welcome them home. To open the door with the key of discipline. So why do we practice discipline, Christian discipline? A short answer might simply be love. If we love our fellow member, we ought to be seeking their spiritual gain and welfare. The process ought to show this kind of love for the church and for one another in the body. Don't we do that with our children? Even if we have to discipline our children severely for some very serious offense, it doesn't change our love. And we do it also to discipline them for all those who come up as younger children in the family behind them. And so we ought to practice discipline out of love, yes to God, but for also the body. 150 years ago, John Dagg made this statement, when a church leaves off discipline, Christ leaves with it. And we know that every one of the body, every one of us, even as believers continue to struggle with sin, this is part of the calling of the gospel. Be holy. Be sanctified. Be changed. Put to death this. Put on that. But let it never be said of us that we would hear what was said to the church at Pergamos. I have a few things against you. Because you have them there that hold this doctrine, and you have them there that hold that doctrine. And the church at Thyatira. The king said, notwithstanding, I have a few things against you, because you have suffered that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce my servants. If we would have the desire to not lose the fellowship of God, most importantly, we would practice what he's given us in this key for the purpose and love of restoration. And if we don't practice discipline, we are not a New Testament church. And so we are called individually to practice discipline in our own lives. And spiritual disciplines, we're called to discipline one another, and eventually, if it leads to that, if someone living in open sin, to excommunication. Let me read again. The church made this statement. Churches which fail to practice discipline further undermine their spirituality, zeal, and devotion to the Savior. Discipline teaches the church to obey the Lord in an area that is distasteful, unpleasant, and contrary to the broader culture's sensibilities. In exercising discipline, we commit ourselves to Christ's spiritual way, even when reason, compassion, and civility seem to argue that we should not obey. Christians thus learn to trust the wisdom of Christ rather than the wisdom of the world. They learn to obey Christ regardless of the uncomfortable consequences. In neglecting discipline, we train ourselves not to take up our cross, not to fear God, not to suffer willingly for Christ's sake, and not to oppose the world. The once well-trained, by neglect of church discipline, The churches will lose their commitment to the gospel itself. We cannot lose this key he has given us for good, to open, and God forbid, to shut the kingdom of heaven. Have you entered in? In Jesus' day, there were publicans and sinners who, hearing the gospel, the key being turned, came in. Have you entered in to the kingdom of God? And are you assured in the preaching of the gospel? Your sins, for Jesus' sake, are covered. You're free. You're seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Live that way. Don't live in sin. If God forbid we stumble, we fall. This other key is given to us to admonish, to encourage, to speak together, to hold each other accountable. And if necessary for the church to exercise this key, even to the extreme of putting one outside. for the purpose of yearning, longing for repentance and reconciliation. May God give us to use these keys faithfully, lest we lose them and lose Him. Amen. Let us pray. Our gracious God, we come to Thee this evening. Help us to be faithful in what we are called to do. And help us also to see that in the message of the gospel, the key opens and closes clearly. And may we find ourselves entering in to this kingdom of our dear Lord and Savior, not to be shut outside. Remember, Lord, those who have indeed been put under the step of discipline. Grant that thy word and truth may reach their heart. And were it not for thy grace, it would be us and our name. But we pray for love and compassion, understanding, wisdom, And we pray, Lord, that thou would be glorified and thy kingdom come. We ask it in Jesus' name, amen.