August 4, 2024: Sunday School

Order of Service

• Sunday School Lesson — Christ Rules His Church

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Sermon Title: Christ Rules His Church — An Introduction to Presbyterian Polity

Scripture: Ephesians 1:22

I. What It Means to Be Presbyterian

A. The teacher describes himself as a "Presbyterian Reformed Christian" — three distinct layers of identity

1. Christian first — a great sinner in need of a great Savior
2. Reformed Christian — holds to the Reformed system of doctrine regarding salvation
3. Presbyterian Reformed Christian — holds to a specific understanding of church government

B. Presbyterian polity is distinct from being generically Reformed

1. Some denominations hold Presbyterian polity while departing from Reformed doctrine
2. Members of this church have made vows to uphold Presbyterian polity

C. Every human institution has some form of government

1. Family government, civil government, and church government are all ordered societies
2. The church is no exception — Christ orders his church according to specific scriptural principles
3. The PCA's Book of Church Order (BCO) opens with Christ as King and Head, from which all polity flows

II. Christ Rules His Church — Key Scriptural Foundations

A. Matthew 16:18 — "I will build my church"

1. The first use of the word "church" (Greek: ekklesia) in the New Testament
2. Peter's confession — "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God" — is the rock on which the church is built
3. The Roman Catholic interpretation (Peter as first Pope) is addressed and rejected
4. The church is built on the confession of Christ, not on Peter personally
5. The gates of hell shall not prevail — Christ promises to protect and preserve his church

B. John 18:37 — Jesus declares his kingship before Pilate

1. Pilate asks, "So you are a king?" — Jesus affirms: "You say that I am a king"
2. "For this purpose I was born" — Christ came to be King
3. A king requires a kingdom; the kingdom of God/Heaven is closely related to the church
4. Christ's kingly work is seen in his earthly ministry: teaching (Matthew 5–7), healing, casting out demons, calming storms
5. Tolkien's Aragorn as a literary echo — the king as healer, pointing to Christ's perfect kingly rule

III. Christ as Head and Cornerstone of the Church — Ephesians

A. Ephesians 1:19–22 — Christ as Head of the Church

1. God raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places
2. Far above all rule, authority, power, dominion, and every name — in this age and the age to come
3. "He put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church"
4. The church is his body — an organic, Spirit-united relationship
5. Christ watches over, protects, and cares for the church as a husband cares for his body

B. Ephesians 2:19–22 — Christ as Cornerstone

1. The church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets
2. Christ Jesus himself is the Chief Cornerstone
3. The whole structure grows into a holy temple — word ministry is foundational
4. Christ rules the world through the church and its word ministry

C. Ephesians 4:11 — Christ Gives Officers to His Church

1. Having ascended to the right hand of the Father, Christ gave: apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers
2. Apostles required direct calling by Christ and eyewitness of his resurrection; the original Twelve plus Paul
3. Old Testament prophets were God's direct mouthpieces to the people
4. After the apostles and prophets, word ministry continues through evangelists, shepherd-teachers (elders), and deacons
5. New Testament terms overlap: presbyteros (elder), episkopos (overseer/bishop), shepherd — all describing the same office
6. See also 1 Timothy and Titus for Paul's direct address of elders and deacons
7. 1 Peter 5 — Christ as Chief Shepherd; elders as under-shepherds

IV. Summary — The BCO's Foundation Statement

A. The BCO preface declares that Christ, from his throne of glory, rules and teaches the church through his Word and Spirit by the ministry of men B. Christ as King has given his church officers, oracles, and ordinances

1. Officers — those who carry out word ministry and governance
2. Oracles — the preaching of the Word
3. Ordinances — the sacraments C. He has ordained a system of doctrine, government, discipline, and worship — all derived from Scripture expressly or by good and necessary inference D. Nothing is to be added to or taken away from what Christ has established E. The church is not built by the sword or by subjugating earthly kings, but through the proclamation of the Gospel — as seen in the book of Acts from Jerusalem to Rome F. Our hope is not in earthly governments but in Christ who is head of his church