Bible Study 01/29/23

Jonathan Edwards

1. How does a believer grow in grace? How does a church grow in grace?

Through the means of grace, which means are: the Word, prayer, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and fellowship of the saints (Baptist Catechism Q&A93). What does that look like? Well, it looks like reading your Bible every day, praying that the Lord would ‘open your eyes, that you may behold wondrous things out of his law.’ It looks like obeying what you read. It looks like engaging in family worship. It looks like being involved in the life of the church, her times of public worship, and her fellowship. All of these are means through which Jesus Christ meets with your soul. Jesus said that eternal life is to know him and his Father. Paul said that sanctification is beholding the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. How does this happen? Through the means of grace. It is you experientially receiving Christ and living in Him. Should we look for mountain-top experiences in our sanctification? We shouldn’t reject overwhelming feelings of refreshment if the Lord be pleased to send them; but we also shouldn’t give up on the means of grace for a more ‘emotional’ Christianity.

2. How does the Regulative Principle of Worship (RPW) guide both the congregation and ministers in worship?

LBCF 22.1. What is worship? It is a life lived devoted to God, in one sense. In another sense, it is a public occasion whereby God calls his people to worship him in a particular way. Is worship only for the Pastors? How might calling the congregation the ‘laity’ be misleading? The congregation is not supposed to be passive, but active. Public worship is not a performance of the ministers that the congregation is supposed to watch. The minister actually functions as the mouthpiece of God whereby the congregation, his people, are called to worship him. Think about the elements of worship Scripture commands. All aspects of public worship are God speaking by the mouthpiece of his minister, and the congregation responding appropriately to their God. Identify the speaker in the following elements:

Call to Worship (God via minister)

Hymn (Congregation in unison)

Invocation (Congregation via representative)

Hymn (Congregation in unison)

Catechism (God via minister with congregation responding in unison)

Scripture Reading (God via minister)

Corporate Prayer (Congregation via representative)

Hymn (Congregation in unison)

Sermon (God via minister)

Baptism (God via minister with congregation responding in unison)

Lord’s Supper (God via minister with congregation responding in unison)

Hymn (Congregation in unison)

Benediction (God via minister)

Doxology (Congregation in unison)

Make sure to mention the use of the corporate ‘amen’ and the need for the congregation to be actively involved via their hearts through faith.