Please turn with me to Psalm 87, Psalm 87, and also if you would turn in the back of the Psalter Hymnal to page 27. Last week we began our consideration in the Apostles' Creed of the third section, the Holy Spirit and our sanctification. We know the Holy Spirit is the one who applies that work which Jesus Christ has accomplished And really, these articles that come after our confession of the Holy Spirit are a part of His work. The Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins. Tonight, we consider together just question and answer 54 of Lord's Day 21, which we will consider, first of all, giving expression to what we believe. Question 54 asks, what do you believe concerning the Holy Catholic Church? I believe that the Son of God, through His Spirit and Word, out of the entire human race, from the beginning of the world to its end, gathers, protects, and preserves for Himself a community chosen for eternal life and united in true faith. And of this community, I am and always will be a living member. psalm 87 as we hear now the word of god he has set his foundation on the holy mountain the lord loves the gates of zion more than all the dwellings of jacob glorious things are said of you oh city of god i will record rahab and babylon among those who acknowledge me philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush, and will say, This one was born in Zion. Indeed, of Zion it will be said, This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High himself will establish her. The Lord will write in the register of the peoples, This one was born in Zion. As they make music, they will sing, All my fountains are in you. Beloved in Christ the Lord, what do you think of when you hear the word church? Very simply, what do you think of when you hear the word church? Now, boys and girls, you might most likely think of the place where we go on Sunday, where we're gathered right now. You might think of this building. We're going to church today, and you think of the building that we are sitting in. For those who are older, a bit more mature, you might think of the body of believers, the body gathered here on the Lord's Day and other places. There are many bodies of believers, many churches scattered, not only in our community, but of course around the world. But either way, most likely, most often, I think, we think of the visible church or of visible churches. And I dare say that that's true of society as a whole, that when they hear the word church, they think of what is visible. But now let me ask you another question. What do you think about? The church. What is your attitude toward or about the church? Is it important? Is it necessary? Is it worthwhile? Is it something you take joy in? Or do you see it as a source of embarrassment down here on this earth? Something that you'd really rather not talk about, for example, with your co-workers and neighbors. You want to keep quiet about it. You don't even really want them to know that you belong to a church. If you ask many people today what they think about church or about the church, some will say, well, it's okay if you need it. It's a matter of convenience. If there's nothing better to do, then you might as well go to church. It's handy if you want to be married or buried. And of course, many people claim some sort of affiliation with a church here or there. Others who are not quite so charitable, they would answer that question and say, well, faith is for weak people, it's for losers, and therefore the same is true of the church. It's for the same weak people. It's for those who can't make it on their own. It's for those who cannot find fellowship in better places, and therefore they settle for the church. And these same people might also say, you can't trust the church because there's corruption in the church. It's filled with a bunch of hypocrites who can't get along. Yet the visible church, and now when I'm talking about the visible church, please understand that I'm talking about the true visible church. I'm not talking about all those out there that call themselves church but really aren't the true church. But the true visible church, which is the church militant with all of her warts and all of her imperfections and problems, we know represents something far greater than simply what is visible to the eye. The true church on earth or the fellowship of true believers is where our desire ought to be, beloved, because she represents the salvation of God as the holy Catholic church is the glorious body of Christ. Of course, Psalm 87 talks about the glory of the church, doesn't it? Now we know, of course, that Zion, the city of God, is a reference in Scripture often to Jerusalem in a very general sense. In a more broad sense, it might be a reference to the mountains that housed Jerusalem. In a narrower sense, it is sometimes a reference to the Temple Mount itself. But generally speaking, it is a reference to Jerusalem. But the psalm points out, beloved, that the name Zion is not only about a physical place, but it's also about a community. A community of people. And therefore, as many rightly believe, Psalm 87 is prophetic. It is forward-looking to what the New Testament calls the church. Paul in Galatians 4, verse 26, speaks of the Jerusalem that is above and says she is our mother. In Hebrews 12, we read, beginning at verse 22, But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. The church, the glorious body of Christ is chosen by God. She is built by God. She is loved by God. And she is preserved by God. First of all, she is chosen by God. Notice again, the psalmist begins verses 1 and 2. He has set his foundation on the holy mountain. The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Her foundation, that which is, boys and girls, the support and the strength of a building, that foundation, her foundation has been established by God. He is the one who chose Jerusalem. In Psalm 78, we read that God abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh, that He rejected the tents of Joseph. But in verse 68, we read, He chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which He loved. He built His sanctuary like the heights, like the earth that He established forever. You see, Jerusalem, physical Jerusalem, especially in her glory days of David and Solomon, was majestic. And by the very fact that it was surrounded on three sides by deep valleys, as the people literally went up, as we read in the Psalms of Ascent, they went up, they ascended, they went up to worship. As they went up to worship, Jerusalem was a visible picture of strength, a refuge, a mighty fortress. But even the Old Testament believers did not put their confidence in the city itself. They looked for something better. They knew that that city, Jerusalem, pointed to something far better. Even Abraham, long before the time of David and Solomon, in Hebrews 11.10 we read, Abraham was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. He was looking forward to the spiritual Jerusalem. The spiritual Jerusalem is the church. The company of believers called the body and the bride of Jesus Christ chosen by God from before the creation of the world, as Paul says in Ephesians 1, of which Jesus Christ is the foundation and the cornerstone. The refuge of the church. To Peter, Jesus said, upon this rock. He was talking about Peter's confession of who Jesus was. You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Upon this rock, upon that confession, upon the truth of who I am, I will build my church. And that also then points to her glory as the chosen of God. She is the possession of God. Jerusalem was glorious. Because it was the place back then where God chose to dwell in His temple. The psalmist speaks of the holy mountain, but that mountain was not holy in and of itself, but it was holy because it was set apart by God. It was the place of His holy presence. Verse 3 says, Glorious things are said of you, O city of God. And those glorious things include what the psalmist says in Psalm 48, It is beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth, like the utmost heights of Zaphon, is Mount Zion, the city of the great king. God is in her citadels. He has shown Himself to be her fortress. And Psalm 132 says, For the Lord has chosen Zion. He has desired it for His dwelling. And from there, Isaiah 2, verse 3 says, He will teach us His ways so that we may walk in His paths. The law will go out from Zion. The word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Her glory included the fact that she was the possession of God. The place of His dwelling. the place from which he would speak. He would commune with his people from which he would teach. So glorious was Jerusalem that even in captivity, God's people, for example, Daniel, prayed toward Jerusalem. And this too then points to the glory of the church. The church of which you and I are a part is the possession of God. Paul, in 1 Timothy 3, speaks of the church of the living God. In Ephesians 1, he says she is the body of whom Jesus Christ is the head. In chapter 5 of that letter, she is the bride, and Jesus Christ is the bridegroom. Peter makes it clear that the church is the purchase of Christ's blood. And that she is considered by God Himself to be a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God. Is the church important? Is the church worthwhile for you and me? What are we just saying? Let the world deride or pity. I will glory in thy name. Is that how we speak of the church and see the church when we're out in the world? But also the church we know is the place where God dwells, not only does the Holy Spirit dwell in the hearts of believers, boys and girls, not only does the Holy Spirit make the hearts of believers His temple, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6, but in 1 Corinthians 3 of the church, he says, don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple? He's talking in the plural there, to the body in Corinth, to the church, that you yourselves are God's temple, and that God's Spirit lives in you. And in the book of Revelation, we learn that God's glory will be the church's light for all eternity. The church is holy, not because believers are holy in and of themselves, but because God's people have been set apart by God and made holy by virtue of salvation in Jesus Christ and faith in Him. And therefore, no matter how the world sees the church, this is how God sees her, in Christ Jesus, as His very own possession, holy in Christ. And indeed, it is the Holy Spirit who joins us to Jesus Christ by faith. And that points to an even more specific, glorious thing that the psalmist speaks of as the church is built by God in the second place. Verses 3 and 4. Glorious things are said of you, O city of God. And what are those glorious things as well? I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me, Philistia 2 and Tyre along with Cush, and will say this one was born in Zion. How in the world could the mention of those nations be considered a glorious thing that is spoken about Zion, city of God? We confess in answer 54 that the Son of God out of the entire human race gathers and defends and preserves His church out of the entire human race from the beginning of the world to its end. The Holy Catholic Church includes true believers that make up the visible churches today, but it extends far beyond that. It's not just those who are alive and kicking today on this earth. It extends far beyond that as God builds His church in diversity. She is Catholic. We know that doesn't mean Roman Catholic, but the word Catholic, boys and girls, I trust you've heard before, means universal. Universal. That's what we mean when we say that we believe a holy, Catholic, universal church. and it is universal in time, from beginning of time to the end of time until Jesus Christ comes again. He is busy gathering His people. That is the task of the Holy Spirit, along with caring for you and me, building the church of Jesus Christ, but also universal in space or place, every tribe, every tongue, every nation. And this is anticipated by verse 4. Again, amazing words, especially for Israel. It's the mention of her national enemies. And this is the glorious thing that is spoken about Zion. Rahab is not talking about the prostitute from Jericho. But we know in other verses of Scripture that Egypt was considered as Rahab. And Egypt, we know, was Israel's powerful, oppressive enemy to the south. And then Babylon, Judah's captor to the east was a persecutor of Israel along with Egypt. And then there was Philistia to the west, which we know was the enemy from which Israel never seemed to be able to get free. And then the other point on the compass to the north was Tyre, a powerful place, an affluent with commerce, a place known for greed. All the points of the compass, all those around Israel, but even more so than Cush, which we know as Ethiopia, rounds this out. Cush is a symbol of the nations that were far away, not only those who were close in to Israel, but even those far away. And these point to that glorious thing. These point to the heathen nations being brought to the light of God's truth, becoming a part of the glorious body of Christ. And this was visibly fulfilled, we know, beginning on Pentecost. As early in the history of the New Testament church, the early New Testament church, they enjoyed the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. And if we would go to Acts chapter 2, we see there a number of nations listed, maybe not the exact same ones here, but again, from all points on the compass. Indeed, she is built by God in diversity, but also in unity. In the unity of true faith, all those who are brought from every tribe, every tongue, every nation, enjoy the same confession. They will acknowledge the Lord. Through His Spirit and His Word, Christ brings those for whom He died to know Him, to believe in Him, to trust in Him alone for salvation. And therefore, that means that when one is brought to faith and joins the true visible church by a credible profession of faith, that is visible proof, beloved, of God's invisible work of joining that one to that company of those united in true faith, as we confess, under the only Savior, Jesus Christ. And to the church as He builds her up. To the church our Lord has given His means of grace, the ministry of the gospel, the preached word confirmed by the sacraments. The ministry of the gospel by which God saves those who believe, who are then considered to be born in Zion. You see, no matter where one has his or her earthly citizenship, no matter where your birth certificate says you were born, no matter what city or place, all those who know Jesus Christ by faith are recorded in God's register as citizens of heaven. Our spiritual birth certificate lists that we were born in her in Zion. is through the church of Jesus Christ and the gospel message delivered through that church that the Holy Spirit brings many to faith to believe. God's people are registered as citizens of heaven because the glorious body of Christ is also in the third place loved by God. Verse 2, the Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. I believe this is pointing to the fact that Jerusalem, again, was the center of Israel's religious life, Jerusalem was the place of the corporate worship of God, especially that annual day of atonement when God's people came, made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to come together for that annual day of atonement that pointed to God's redemption and His forgiveness of His people. Indeed, God was pleased with the devotion and the praise of His people wherever they might be wherever they live, but his special delight is when his people came together corporately and his special delight was in the corporate worship of Israel. He loves the gates of Zion. The church is the crown of Christ's work. Those redeemed, those reconciled to God, it is the company of those called out of the world, called to be separate from the world of unbelievers. The church is that body upon whom God has set His love, His love demonstrated in the crucifixion and death and resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, His love that continues to be demonstrated in the continual existence of the church. And indeed, as individual believers, beloved, we are to be devoted to Him in all of life and offer our lives as living sacrifices to Him, holy and pleasing to Him. But He delights, especially in the corporate worship and the corporate gathering of God's people. Those who are called out of the world, those who are called to be separate, He delights when God's people come together as a united body, separate from the world, yet in the midst of the world, to worship Him. As the writer of Hebrews says, we are not to forsake. There are some today we know, even some that we have considered to be in the form camp who have said that the church has no place anymore, at least the visible church. And the worship of God's people is meaningless. It's not necessary. Faulty interpretation of the Bible, it simply isn't true. It's a lie. God loves the gates of Zion. He loves the gathering of His people, and therefore we too, beloved, we are called to delight. in the gathering of God's people. We are called to seek the worship of God's people, to make worship with God's people a priority because even with all of our imperfections, the sinful man on the pulpit and sinful hearts in the pews, even with all of our imperfections here on this earth, this gathering of God's people is a foretaste of the glory of heaven. And even though the world thinks we're crazy, Even though the world thinks we're wasting our time on this excellent day off for so many other things, yet the worship of God's people, beloved, is His blessing to us. It's where He promises to nourish us with His Word. It is evidence that indeed He has set His love on the church, the purchase of Christ. He's not set His love on worldly nations, worldly kingdoms, or worldly powers. He has not set His love on sports teams or music groups or anything of this world. The things that we might set our affections on or put our money into or spend our time with. Because it's not those things that will last. They will not. But the glorious body of Christ, hated and despised by the world, is preserved by God in the fourth place. And that includes His provision. Verse 7, As they make music, they will sing, All my fountains are in you. The Lord delights in music. We know that. Read the Psalms. Many of our calls to worship come from the Psalms and call us to praise Him with a voice of singing. With instruments. And we have every reason to do that. And the church will forever make music to God. Even in the glory of heaven, The church will continue to make music to God for the salvation of the church. That is the ultimate fountain that we have in Him. The salvation of the church. Psalm 46, verse 4 says, There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God. The holy place where the Most High dwells. Glad with His salvation. Isaiah 12, verse 3 says, With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. Beloved God dwells in His church. He is her salvation, and since she is the body of Christ, we can confess with confidence, as we do in the Belcher Confession, that outside of the church there is no salvation. Outside of the church, beloved, there is no hope. Is the church necessary? And along with salvation, as someone has said, all we are or hope to be, all we have or ever hope to have, all we attain or ever hope to attain is from Him. all of our fountains are in her for this life and the next. But as she is preserved by God, the church not only enjoys His provision, but also His protection. Because He has established her, because He is the foundation of the church, she will not be shaken. Because God has set His love on the church in Jesus Christ, no matter how many afflictions trouble her, no matter how weak she may be when compared to the kingdoms and the societies and the powers of this world, no matter how despised and hated she might be, no matter how torn and tattered and worn out she may look. The church's beauty in Christ endures. And her place in Christ is secure forever. She will not perish. You know, the same cannot be said of the kingdoms of this world, of the powers of the strongholds that we know about in our history books of the great cities in history. It cannot be said of them that they will not perish because it's simply not true. The great cities of this world, for example, have been destroyed by enemies and by natural disasters. If you don't believe it, go in an archaeological dig. Dust away the dirt and the dust and look for the remnants of the great cities of the past. But not the church. The church will never perish. The church, by the grace of God, transcends time and space. It endures forever. John Calvin speaks about this amazing truth. And to paraphrase what he says, he says, in essence, in the midst of earthly revolutions, the revolutions among the nations, the powers that arise and later on the other powers that come and conquer them, in the midst of the earthly revolutions and in the midst of the ongoing spiritual warfare which we know the church will be a part of until Christ comes again in the midst of all of that. When the kingdoms of this world are coming and going, when cities are being built and destroyed in the midst of all of that, the church endures and not just exists, but the church even grows. That's unheard of for the kingdoms of this earth, isn't it? They're destroyed. They don't grow. The church grows. And even more than that, one day she will be crowned with glory. The church is preserved by God, enjoys His provision, enjoys His protection, and will also enjoy His completion. Completion in persons. Verse 6 says, The Lord will write in the register of the peoples, this one was born in Zion. In the Lamb's book of life, not one name that is listed in there will not have a checkmark, will be void of a checkmark. They will all have a checkmark. This one is in. That one is in. Jesus Christ said that of all that God had given to him, he loses not one. How comforting that must be for you and me. Maybe even as we struggle with loved ones who do not yet know the Lord Jesus Christ or who seem to be falling away for a season. It must be comforting to you and me to know that all whom God has chosen, all whom God has elected from before the foundation of the earth, each and every one will be brought in. Each and every one will testify to the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ one day before Jesus Christ comes again. She will be completed as far as persons, but also in perfection. Ephesians 5.27 speaks of Christ making His bride radiant without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. Beloved, we sing in that beautiful hymn, crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane, but the church of Jesus constant will remain. Gates of hell can never against that church prevail. We have Christ's own promise, and that cannot fail. Those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ can confess as we do, and of this community, of this church, I am and always will be a living member. I am a member today, and one day when I die and my soul is translated to glory, I am still a living member of that church which is alive and well, here militant, there triumphant. In this life, the church may look battered and bruised and beaten, and yet the truth is, only the church of Jesus Christ is the joy of the Lord. She is His project. And only the church of Jesus Christ will outlast this world and things of this world. As believers, we are members of the church by the grace of God, and therefore we are called to glory in the name of Christ and rejoice, not be embarrassed, but to rejoice to be members of His church and to respond to that grace by loving her and demonstrating that love for the church in the visible church, demonstrating that love among each other for the church in this place, for the church worldwide, defending her, promoting her, supporting her, helping her, caring for her. Beloved, whenever a believer says, whenever a believer says, for example, in conversation, well, I belong to such and such church, if it's a true church, Which is a visible expression of the Holy Catholic Church. Whenever someone says that, that is a glorious testimony to the work of Jesus Christ and His salvation. It is a confession of His saving work. It is to say, I belong to Him who loved me and gave Himself for me and has made me a part of that glorious company that will never come to an end. You see, faith and the church is not for losers. Not at all. But faith is a means and a gift by which God has brought you into His glorious family, the church, that company of those who are victorious in Christ Jesus. The church and being a part of it is not optional. It's essential. It's not a matter of convenience, but necessary. It is not a source of embarrassment, but a source of comfort and joy to be a part of it. Why? Because she belongs to God. Because she is the body and the bride of Christ and because God will live with her forever and ever. Now, beloved, that's worth talking about. So, again, what do you think about the church? Amen. Let's pray together. Dear Heavenly Father, we do rejoice in Your work, the purchase of Jesus Christ, a church for Himself. And sometimes it's so easy for us here in our own little corner of the world to not think outside of these walls. Indeed, we praise Your name for this family of God here in this place, this visible representation of the invisible church here in this place. We thank You for the love that we share with one another and for one another. May that love grow. But help us to also be mindful, O Lord, that Your church extends far beyond this place and that our brothers and sisters, the family of God, is all around this world. And again, we pray that You would bless her and preserve her and keep her in Your care. And thank You that we have Christ's own promise indeed. A promise that cannot fail that she will last forever. That she will look forward to her bridegroom coming on the clouds of heaven to take her home to the glory of heaven forever and ever. Oh, Father, may we look forward to that day with great hope and great anticipation. And may we, with joy, be able to tell others about the church of Jesus Christ. In His name alone we pray. Amen. Thank you.