Sunday School - WCF Chapter 21 Of Religious Worship, and the Sabbath Day
Here is my presentation.
WESTMINSTER CONFESSION
WCF 21.1 The light of nature shows that there is a God, who has lordship and sovereignty over all, is good, and does good unto all, and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the might.(a) But, the acceptable way of worshipping the true God, is instituted by himself, and so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scripture.(b)
Scripture Proofs a Rom. 1:20; Acts 17:24; Psa. 119:68; Jer. 10:7; Psa. 31:23; Psa. 18:3; Rom. 10:12; Psa. 62:8; Josh. 24:14; Mark 12:33. b Deut. 12:32; Matt. 15:9; Acts 17:25; Matt. 4:9,10; Deut. 4:15-20; Exod. 20:4-6; Col. 2:23.”
WCF 21.2 Religious worship is to be given to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and to him alone;© not, to angels, saints, or any other creature:(d) and, since the Fall, not without a mediator; nor in the mediation of any other, but of Christ alone.(e)
Scripture Proofs c Matt. 4:10, with John 5:23, and 2 Cor. 13:14. d Col. 2:18; Rev. 19:10; Rom. 1:25. e John 14:6; 1 Tim. 2:5; Eph. 2:18; Col. 3:17.
WCF 21.3 Prayer, with thanksgiving being one special part of religious worship,(f) is, by God, required of all men:(g) and, that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the name of the Son,(h) by the help of his Spirit,(i) according to his will,(k) with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love, and perseverance;(l) and, if vocal, in a known tongue.(m)
Scripture Proofs f Phil. 4:6. g Psa. 65:2; h John 14:13,14; 1 Pet. 2:5. i Rom. 8:26. k 1 John 5:14. l Psa. 47:7; Eccles. 5:1,2; Heb. 12:28; Gen. 18:27; James 5:16; James 1:6,7; Mark 11:24; Matt. 6:12,14,15; Col. 4:2; Eph. 6:18. m 1 Cor. 14:14.
WCF 21.4 Prayer is to be made for things lawful,(n) and for all sorts of men living, or that shall live hereafter:(o) but, not for the dead,(p) nor for those of whom it may be known, that they have sinned the sin unto death.(q)
Scripture Proofs n 1 John 5:14. o 1 Tim. 2:1,2; John 17:20; 2 Sam. 7:29; Ruth 4:12. p 2 Sam. 12:21-23, with Luke 16:25,26; Rev. 14:13. q 1 John 5:16.
WCF 21.5 The reading of the Scriptures with godly fear;® the sound preaching(s) and conscionable hearing of the Word, in obedience unto God, with understanding, faith, and reverence;(t) singing of psalms with grace in the heart;(u) as also, the due administration, and worthy receiving of the sacraments instituted by Christ; are all, parts of the ordinary religious worship of God:(w) beside religious oaths,(x) vows,(y) solemn fastings,(z) and thanksgivings, upon special occasions,(a) which are, in their several times and seasons, to be used, in an holy and religious manner.(b)
Scripture Proofs r Acts 15:21; Rev. 1:3. s 2 Tim. 4:2. t James 1:22; Acts 10:33; Matt. 13:19; Heb. 4:2; Isa. 66:2. u Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:19; James 5:13. w Matt. 28:19; 1 Cor. 11:23-29; Acts 2:42. x Deut. 6:13, with Neh. 10:29. y Isa. 19:21; Eccles. 5:4,5. z Joel 2:12; Esth. 4:16; Matt. 9:15; 1 Cor. 7:5. a Psa. 107:1-43; Esth. 9:22. b Heb. 12:28.
WCF 21.6 Neither prayer, nor any other part of religious worship, is now under the gospel, either tied unto, or made more acceptable by any place in which it is performed, or towards which it is directed:© but God is to be worshipped everywhere,(d) in spirit and truth;(e) as in private families(f) daily,(g) and in secret, each one by himself;(h) so, more solemnly, in the public assemblies, which are not carelessly, or wilfully to be neglected, or forsaken, when God, by his Word or providence, calls thereunto.(i)
Scripture Proofs c John 4:21. d Mal. 1:11; 1 Tim. 2:8. e John 4:23,24. f Jer. 10:25; Deut. 6:6,7; Job 1:5; 2 Sam. 6:18,20; 1 Pet. 3:7; Acts 10:2. g Matt. 6:11. h Matt. 6:6; Eph. 6:18. i Isa. 56:6,7; Heb. 10:25; Prov. 1:20,21,24; Prov. 8:34; Acts 13:42; Luke 4:16; Acts 2:42.
WCF 21.7 As it is of the law of nature, that, in general, a due proportion of time be set apart, for the worship of God; so, in his Word, by a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment, binding all men, in all ages, he has particularly appointed one day in seven, for a Sabbath, to be kept holy unto him:(k) which, from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week; and, from the resurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week,(l) which, in Scripture, is called the Lord’s day,(m) and is to be continued to the end of the world, as the Christian Sabbath.
Scripture Proofs k Exod. 20:8,10,11; Isa. 56:2,4,6,7. l Gen. 2:2,3; 1 Cor. 16:1,2; Acts 20:7. m Rev. 1:10. n Exod. 20:8,10, with Matt. 5:17,18.
WCF 21.8 This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs before hand, do not only observe an holy rest, all the day, from their own works, words, and thoughts about their worldly employments, and recreations,(o) but also are taken up the whole time, in the public and private exercises of his worship, and in the duties of necessity, and mercy.(p)
Scripture Proofs 21.8 o Exod. 20:8; Exod. 16:23,25,26,29,30; Exod. 31:15-17; Isa. 58:13; Neh. 13:15-17; 18-22. p Isa. 58:13; Matt. 12:1-13.
LARGER CATECHISM
Q. 115. Which is the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment is,_ Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Q. 116. What is required in the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment requireth of all men the sanctifying or keeping holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in his word, expressly one whole day in seven; which was the seventh from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, and the first day of the week ever since, and so to continue to the end of the world; which is the Christian sabbath, and in the New Testament called The Lord’s Day.
Q. 117. How is the sabbath or the Lord’s day to be sanctified?
A. The sabbath or Lord’s day is to be sanctified by an holy resting all the day, not only from such works as are at all times sinful, but even from such worldly employments and recreations as are on other days lawful; and making it our delight to spend the whole time (except so much of it as is to be taken up in works of necessity and mercy) in the public and private exercises of God’s worship: and, to that end, we are to prepare our hearts, and with such foresight, diligence, and moderation, to dispose and seasonably dispatch our worldly business, that we may be the more free and fit for the duties of that day.
Q. 118. Why is the charge of keeping the sabbath more specially directed to governors of families, and other superiors?
A. The charge of keeping the sabbath is more specially directed to governors of families, and other superiors, because they are bound not only to keep it themselves, but to see that it be observed by all those that are under their charge; and because they are prone ofttimes to hinder them by employments of their own.
Q. 119. What are the sins forbidden in the fourth commandment?
A. The sins forbidden in the fourth commandment are, all omissions of the duties required, all careless, negligent, and unprofitable performing of them, and being weary of them; all profaning the day by idleness, and doing that which is in itself sinful; and by all needless works, words, and thoughts, about our worldly employments and recreations.
Q. 120. What are the reasons annexed to the fourth commandment, the more to enforce it?
A. The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment, the more to enforce it, are taken from the equity of it, God allowing us six days of seven for our own affairs, and reserving but one for himself, in these words, Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: from God’s challenging a special propriety in that day, The seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: from the example of God, who in six days … made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: and from that blessing which God put upon that day, not only in sanctifying it to be a day for his service, but in ordaining it to be a means of blessing to us in our sanctifying it; Wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Q. 121. Why is the word Remember set in the beginning of the fourth commandment?_
A. The word Remember is set in the beginning of the fourth commandment, partly, because of the great benefit of remembering it, we being thereby helped in our preparation to keep it, and, in keeping it, better to keep all the rest of the commandments, and to continue a thankful remembrance of the two great benefits of creation and redemption, which contain a short abridgment of religion; and partly, because we are very ready to forget it, for that there is less light of nature for it, and yet it restraineth our natural liberty in things at other times lawful; that it cometh but once in seven days, and many worldly businesses come between, and too often take off our minds from thinking of it, either to prepare for it, or to sanctify it; and that Satan with his instruments much labor to blot out the glory, and even the memory of it, to bring in all irreligion and impiety.