We'll invite you to turn once again tonight to Matthew chapter 16, and as well, once again, in the back of this altar, hymnal to page 19, where we find Lord's Day 12. For those of you who may not have been here this morning, as you look at the outline on the order of worship. We considered points 1 and 2 this morning in connection with question and answer 31 of Lord's Day 12. Why is he called Christ, meaning anointed? Tonight we consider together the third point of this sermon in connection with question and answer 32. And we'll look to that first, question 32, giving a response to this question. But why are you called a Christian? Because by faith I am a member of Christ, and so I share in His anointing. I am anointed to confess His name, to present myself to Him as a living sacrifice of thanks, to strive with a good conscience against sin and the devil in this life, and afterward to reign with Christ over all creation for all eternity. Before we read from Matthew 16, I would also like to, if I may, just draw your attention to the words of Acts chapter 11, beginning at verse 19. Acts chapter 11, beginning at verse 19, as we give our undivided attention to the Word of God. Hear now God's Word. Acts 11, verse 19, Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks, also telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord's hand was with them and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul. And when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year, Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. Turning back to Matthew 16 again, beginning at verse 13 through verse 20. When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do people say the Son of Man is? They replied, Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. But what about you, he asked. Who do you say I am? Simon Peter answered, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus replied, Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, And whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Then He warned His disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Christ. Again, we pray the Lord will add His blessing to the reading and consideration of His Word tonight. Well, beloved, in the Lord Jesus Christ, we deal a lot with hearsay and rumors and opinions about others in life, often with information that is not totally accurate at best and at worst is completely false. or incorrect. But the concern of Jesus for His disciples was always the truth. And especially the truth about Himself. We see that with this first question, who do people say the Son of Man is? And the disciples through Peter have stated the popular opinions of the day. Some say John the Baptist. Others say Elijah. And still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets. And then, it's as if Jesus looks each disciple in the eye individually, but He asks them as a body, but you, who do you, and you, and you, and you, and you say that I am? A question that each one of them and each one of us must answer individually because salvation is a personal matter. And notice the question is not who is Jesus to you? Because that is a question that is also meant with a variety of answers. Well, He's my friend. Well, He comforts me. Well, He is an encourager to me. The question is not who is Jesus to you, but the question is who is Jesus, period. What is the truth about Him? and what do you believe about Him? Again, notice Jesus does not focus on the popular opinions of Him of that day, but He focuses on the belief of those that He had called to represent Him. He focused on those who would be His sent ones, His apostles whose teaching of His person and work would be the very foundation of which He would be the cornerstone. It would be that by which those who believe would be saved. Well, tonight we continue our consideration of this Jesus, the ordained Messiah. Ordained, as we said in the first place, by His Father, who anointed Him by the power of the Holy Spirit for His threefold office of prophet, priest, and king. Ordained, secondly, for our complete redemption. He is the one who, as prophet, shows us the way of salvation, as priest, has opened and secured that way of salvation for us, and as King, guards that way of salvation. As we said this morning, we are secure in Him. Salvation is ours. But indeed, the truth is it doesn't end there, does it? Because the purpose of Christ's work is not simply to get us to heaven as all-important as that is. But there is a purpose on this side of glory. That purpose necessarily includes renewing us, renewing His purchased ones, renewing His believers by His Holy Spirit. It includes restoring us to man's original created status as prophet, priest, and king. That is our office of believer by which He is to be represented. That's our third point that we consider tonight. You see, we represent many things in this life. We represent our families, we represent schools and employers, we represent our country, a whole host of things we represent. And we are not to do so poorly. We are not to do so in such a way that would cast shame or cast these things into a negative light. But we are expected to represent them well. To promote them in a way that honors them. And the same is true as Christians. A Christian, as answer 32 begins, is one who by faith is a member of Christ. We belong to Him. But that means something further, as the catechism says, and share in His anointing. And therefore, if you by faith claim Him as the Christ of God, if you claim Him as the only Savior for your sin, then being a Christian is indeed a blessed privilege, but it also comes with an awesome and a blessed responsibility to represent Him well. To follow Him. That's what it means to be a Christian. To follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Our complete redemption includes this. And indeed, beloved, it is a great honor to represent our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in this life, in this world. Indeed, it won't win you or me a popularity contest with the world. But it will honor and glorify Him and it is to give others a glimpse of Jesus as prophet, priest, and king. By faith, He unites us to Himself which becomes evident in the lives of those who are His to those of those who belong to Him. By faith, He unites us to Himself with a life-giving union as Paul says in Galatians 2, verse 20, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. Christ lives in you. He lives in me. And you see, beloved, it is impossible for that life of Christ in us to lie dormant. It is simply impossible for that life of Christ not to be lived as it were. But instead, it is expressed, it is represented through the practice and exercise of that threefold office of prophet, priest, and king, which is evidence of being a true Christian. He is to be represented as prophets. We have been anointed to confess His name because of His complete redemption as prophet, priest, and king. We have been restored to that true knowledge of God with which man had been created. Not a perfect knowledge, not a sinless knowledge, but a true knowledge of God. And that true knowledge of God by faith is necessarily to result in something. And this is it as prophet. To confess His name. To confess His name in word and deed. Not only by telling others, but in deed, kind of like the prophets of the Old Testament. They often were called upon to confess His name in deed. And not always in such glamorous ways. Hosea, you remember, was called upon to confess His name, as it were, by taking to himself a prostitute for a wife. A wife of adultery in order to teach the nation something about God. Or we think about Ezekiel. Ezekiel was not allowed to mourn for his wife after she had died. Again, to confess the name of God by teaching the nation something about God to that act. Confessing Him in word and deed, but not only in deed, of course, in word. We read in Acts 11 that those who have been scattered because of the persecution were busy telling the Greeks the good news about the Lord Jesus. These who came to be called Christians, what were they busy doing? They were telling the good news about the Lord Jesus. Now, boys and girls, we like show and tell in school. I always did. I trust you still do today. That was a great day. You get to decide what you're going to bring. Maybe days in advance, you decide what you're going to bring. Something special to you and you're going to bring it. You're going to show it to your classmates and friends. you're going to tell them about it. And you do so with excitement in the same way we are to confess Christ's name. With excitement, there ought to be nothing that excites us more. There are many things that give us excitement in this life, but nothing ought to excite us more than who Jesus is and what He has done. And it is our privilege to tell exactly that of who He is and what He has done for us. And to show by our Christian love the transforming power of God. And in doing so, introducing others to the one who alone can give the gift that is needed by all. Indeed, we must confess that often we do so with some embarrassment. If someone asks us about our faith, if someone asks us if we go to church, or as I remember having it years and years ago in business, as I think I've mentioned with you before, not because I deserved to be or because I had intended it, but had a customer that out of the blue after months said, you're a Christian, aren't you? Kind of embarrassed me because I had not let him know that I was. I'm glad that he noticed. But we often respond with some embarrassment as if someone to apologize for being Christians. Let me ask each one of us, is it really possible to truly be a Christian and be embarrassed about it? I hope not. We are called to represent Him as prophets in word and deed and with excitement and to do so comprehensively at all times, everywhere. You see, the office of believer is our identity. It is to characterize us. Our hope ought to be that those we have contact with, those with whom God brings us into contact, that it doesn't take very long for them to recognize that there's something different about you and me, that we are Christians. that we are members of Christ, especially through the office of prophet, which is to be exercised, indeed, outside with those in the world, but also with those who are closest to us, with our children and our grandchildren. Beloved, we ought not act as if our children have only a body and a mind with physical needs that need to be met, or a need for intelligence in order to get ahead in life. But we must remember that they have a soul. A soul that will either be taken by God to Himself in glory when they die, or will be sent to hell. We must remember that they have a soul that needs to be saved, and therefore we are called to represent Him well as prophets, confessing His name, teaching our children of Jesus Christ by word and deed. Indeed, this flows from being redeemed, from being one with Jesus Christ. And again, we know our weakness, we know our failure, but again, our hope is in Jesus Christ and our security in Him. And therefore, our prayer ought to be that the Holy Spirit would restore us more and more and give us greater courage to confess His name. And the life of Christ is also to be represented and expressed not only as prophets, but as priests. Again, because of Christ's complete redemption as prophet, priest, and king, we have been given a love for God, not only a true knowledge of Him, but we have been given a love for God who loved us first, that love with which man had been created, and therefore that too ought to result in something. As the catechism says, as priest, I am anointed to present myself to Him, to Christ, as a living sacrifice of thanks. A lot of love for Him. Already in the Old Testament, God described His people as a kingdom of priests whose lives were to be completely devoted to the service of the Lord. 1 Peter 2, there Peter calls the church a royal priesthood. We are called to present ourselves as living sacrifices, again, with excitement. You see, no doubt we have all experienced the desire to please, even briefly, one who has done something extremely nice for us or given generously to us. Boys and girls, maybe you have a favorite uncle or aunt or a favorite someone who gives you gifts and does so many wonderful things for you. And when you know that they're going to be coming to your house, you want to sacrifice yourself for them. You want to give yourself to them in some way to please them. Maybe our motives aren't always correct, hoping to get something else again. but yet we desire to please them because of their generosity to us, to sacrifice to them. That ought to be the ongoing joy and excitement that floods our hearts and minds for that precious gift, that undeserved gift of eternal life from Jesus. Offering ourselves to Him as living sacrifices comprehensively, again, in word and deed, with all that we are, with all that we have, with our time and our talents and our treasures, Because it is all a gift from God. Paul instructs the church in Romans 12 to offer our bodies. He's talking there about not just these physical bodies, but offering our lives, our thoughts, our words, our actions. Offering every fiber of our being as living sacrifices holy and acceptable to Him. As priests who know the love of God and who love Him in return by His grace, We are to be love offerings by which the recipients around us know that we are Christians. By which of God's wills they are blessed, maybe with their needs met, or maybe by our example, or maybe, most of all, showing them Christ. And again, we must admit that this sacrifice is difficult, isn't it? Because our three sworn enemies never cease to attack the Christian life. Satan's temptation for you and me is to get and to get and to get a little more. To make life and the things of life and the situations and details of life look so attractive that we just want to grab and grab and pull into ourselves, to get and get and not to give. And the world attacks by making fun of Christians, really pointing out through their living, pointing out to us what is missing if we give so much up. But the worst struggle is most likely our sinful self, our own selfishness that we struggle with. And again, we know our weakness. Yet, beloved, the priesthood of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for sin is to comfort and to give encouragement and motivation to us to delight in spending and in being spent for Jesus Christ. Offering, offering, offering. And that includes offering ourselves in intercession. We sang that, blessed be the tie that binds, really fits this life of a Christian, doesn't it? We sang especially about this intercession, praying on behalf of one another. The Old Testament priests interceded on behalf of the people to God. Christ interceded by giving Himself for us as we considered, and He still does. He is praying for us even at this moment. In the same way, Christians are prayer warriors interceding on behalf of others. And that's easy when others are sick or needy, isn't it? But when others have hurt us, or when others are living in sin, it seems a lot easier to complain about them, to talk about them, to gossip about them. Yet Jesus is praying for them. He doesn't say gossip about them. He doesn't say talk about them or complain about them. He says pray for them. Offering ourselves as priests. But also, representing the life of Christ is to be expressed, represented finally not only as prophets and priests, but as kings. Again, as we said this morning, because of His complete redemption, Because he has indeed given himself and reconciled us to the Father. And as king, as the catechism says, he guards us and keeps us in the freedom he has won for us. We are secured in that eternal life which God created man originally to enjoy with him. But we have a responsibility as Christians in this life. Indeed, as the catechism says, we look forward to reigning with Him forever in eternal glory. But it also says that as kings, we strive with a good conscience against sin and the devil in this life and afterwards to reign with Christ over all creation for all eternity. But notice again, to strive with a good conscience against sin and the devil in this life. You know, it may be hard for us to understand how we reign as kings for Christ in the midst of a sinful world. But the truth is we are called to guard and defend the truth of Jesus Christ in this world. A world that suppresses that truth. A world that distorts that truth. A world that tries to really alter that truth. We are called to guard and defend the truth of Jesus Christ as kings. And also as kings, we are to remember that God does not hear the world, But He does hear and answer the prayers of His children in the world. And prayer is often the means by which God accomplishes His purpose. We act as kings in the world and over the world by prayer. The prayers of God's people that He hears and answers. As kings, we also rule in the church. We rule alongside of one another through mutual discipline. Out of love for God and one another, for the glory of God, And for the good of Christ's church, we rule as kings through mutual discipline, whether that be admonishing one another, calling one another to account, pointing out sin in one another, encouraging one another, building one another up in that most holy faith. We rule as kings in the church through mutual discipline, not for our selfishness, but for the glory of God and the good of Christ's church. And once again, most likely the greatest ruling struggle we have, we find close to home in our own heart because of the sin that I struggle with, because of the sin that you struggle with. Yet again, our confidence is that Jesus Christ has set us free from slavery to and from the tyranny of sin and Satan, and he strengthens us to persevere in that way of salvation which He promises to guard and protect. He equips us, as the Bible says, to guard your hearts. And as kings, we are to rule with a conscious effort to obey Him, with a good conscience. Our Savior and King, beloved, has entrusted His kingdom citizens with a responsibility to carry on the king's business until he returns. And in all of life, because all of life is under His dominion, In all of life, we are called to exercise dominion and obedience to Him, including reigning over the lust of our own eyes and flesh and the pride of life. Beloved, how blessed are we if from the heart, by the grace of God, we have confessed Jesus as our prophet, priest, and king. Because by faith in Him, we are privileged to share in His anointing by the Holy Spirit to then serve Him, to follow Him, to represent Him as prophets, priests, and kings. Something reserved only for believers. A privilege given only to those who believe in Him by faith. And also something that is not optional for His people, but it is the believer's identity. It is your identity and mine, secured by Jesus Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit. We belong to Him just as the branch belongs to the vine. with His life in us. His life reflected in us. His life represented by us. And therefore, may our prayer be that more and more may it be our desire to love Him more dearly. To follow Him more nearly. And to represent Him more clearly. So what does this have to do with farewell? Maybe nothing. But maybe everything. For the past ten and a half years, we have served the Lord together. Together, we have grown in faith by His grace. We have loved and prayed for one another in Jesus' name. Together, we confess Jesus as the Christ of God, our Savior. We are members of Christ together. And may it be that by God's grace through our years together, we have grown in faith and matured as Christians and most of all been drawn nearer by God to Himself. You and I, beloved, are called Christians not because of one another, but because of our relationship with Him. And praise be to God, we don't stop being Christians. We don't stop being members of Him alongside of one another when we are separated by miles or states or zip codes. our identities do not change when pastors and members come and go. We continue to be Christians. We continue to be members of Christ by faith. We continue to be a part of His one holy Catholic and apostolic church. And praise be to God, we still get to follow Christ together and to serve Him as a part of His church in the world. And may we do so with joy and gladness. Our time together is quickly coming to a close. But God's time with us, corporately and individually, continues. Because Jesus Christ is that tie that binds our hearts together in Christian love. And He does not stop keeping us as His own. He does not stop keeping us bound as brothers and sisters just because we are separated from one another in this world. His work continues. It's His work. And it continues here. It continues in Hudsonville. It continues over the whole earth wherever His members are found as He continues to gather His church and prepares us along with all of His people to be united together with Him in heavenly, eternal glory. It has been a blessing to serve Jesus among you. It has been a blessing to serve you in Jesus' name and to serve Him alongside of you. And I, with my family, thank God for you. And I thank you for your love and your care for me and my family. We cherish you as our brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. I'm not saying goodbye. We have that for next week yet. And then it's only farewell. And may God bless us all and keep us all in His care until we meet again. Amen. Let's pray together. Father, indeed we are overwhelmed as we consider what it means to be a Christian. The privilege of being a member of Christ by faith. But also the responsibility that you give to us as your children, as your people, as your believers, to represent you in this world. Indeed, we must confess that we fail so miserably but we thank you for the perfect prophet priest and king jesus christ and all that he has accomplished for us and all that he has accomplished for all those whom you will be pleased to bring to yourself by faith oh father we thank you for your love we thank you for your grace we thank you for the gift of salvation eternal life that we might know it and have the assurance of it now and look forward to living in your presence side by side with fellow believers for all eternity. In Jesus' name we pray these things. Amen.