Westminster Shorter Catechism

Q. 107 What doth the conclusion of the Lord's Prayer teach us?A. The conclusion of the Lord's Prayer (which is, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever, Amen) teacheth us to take our encouragement in prayer from God only, and in our prayers to praise Him, ascribing kingdom, power, and glory to Him. And in testimony of our desire and assurance to be heard, we say, Amen.Today we come to the last question in the Westminster Shorter Catechism. In the last part of the Catechism, we have been looking at the means of grace— Most recently, we have been studying about prayer, and in particular looking at the Lord's Prayer where Jesus taught us the things we need to pray for. Today we come to the conclusion of the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:13).

Q. 106 What do we pray for in the sixth petition?A. In the sixth petition, (which is, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil) we pray, that God would either keep us from being tempted to sin, or support and deliver us when we are tempted.As those who are in Christ, we do not want to be drawn away from the Lord. We love Him. From Him we have new life. We do not want anything to disrupt our communion with Him. That is why we pray that God will not lead us into temptation. In this prayer, we recognise that we are totally in God's hands for deliverance.

Q. 105 What do we pray for in the fifth petition?A. In the fifth petition, (which is, And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors) we pray, that God, for Christ's sake, would freely pardon all our sins; which we are the rather encouraged to ask, because by His grace we are enabled from the heart to forgive others.Forgiveness is letting go of wrongs that have been done to you. You all know about this. God describes forgiveness as not holding our sins against us in His word.

Q. 104 What do we pray for in the fourth petition?A. In the fourth petition, (which is, Give us this day our daily bread,) we pray, that of God's free gift we may receive a competent portion of the good things of this life, and enjoy His blessing with them.You will notice a change that comes with the fourth petition from the use of the word "Your" to the use of the word "our." Here we begin to pray for our own needs. This shows that prayer for the things due to God comes first, for our needs, second. It is the same emphasis that we find in the Ten Commandments. The first four commandments concern our duty to God and the last six our duty to each other. But though it comes second, we are to pray for our needs.

Q. 103 What do we pray for in the third petition?A. In the third petition (which is, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven) we pray, That God, by His grace, would make us able and willing to know, obey, and submit to His will in all things, as the angels do in heaven.As with last week, my text for this sermon is simply the words in Matthew 6:10, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven

Q. 102 What do we pray for in the second petition?A. In the second petition (which is Thy Kingdom come) we pray, that Satan's kingdom may be destroyed; and that the kingdom of grace may be advanced, ourselves and others brought into it, and kept in it; and that the kingdom of glory may be hastened.As we consider what it means to pray for God's kingdom to come, we will begin with a foundational question: What is the Kingdom of God?

Q. 101 What do we pray for in the first petition?A. In the first petition (which is, Hallowed be thy name) we pray, that God would enable us and others to glorify Him in all that whereby He maketh Himself known; and that He would dispose all things to His own glory.You see how important it was to Jesus that God's name would be hallowed. Today, we will see how this desire is foundational to all proper praying.

Q. 100 What doth the preface to the Lord's Prayer teach us?A. The preface to the Lord's Prayer (which is, Our Father, which art in heaven) teacheth us to draw near to God with all holy reverence and confidence, as children to a father, able and ready to help us; and that we should pray with and for others.Why does Jesus tell us to use the plural word Our when we address God? Our Father in heaven instead of My Father in heaven?

Q. 99 What rule hath God given for our direction in prayer?A. The whole word of God is of use to direct us in prayer; but the special rule of direction is that form of prayer which Christ taught His disciples, commonly called The Lord's Prayer.Does it seem strange to talk about a rule for prayer? Isn't real prayer supposed to be spontaneous and free? It is to be a sincere expression of our desires, but it is also to be according to God's will.

Q. 98 What is prayer?A. Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of His mercies.Today in our sermon series based on the Westminster Shorter Catechism, we come to a new section pertaining to the means of grace. Remember that the means of grace are the means God uses to bring grace to us. We have seen how He uses the word read and especially the word preached. We have seen how He uses the sacraments. Today, we are going to begin the section on prayer.

Q. 97 What is required to the worthy receiving of the Lord's Supper?A. It is required of them that would worthily partake of the Lord's Supper, that they examine themselves of their knowledge to discern the Lord's body, of their faith to feed upon Him, of their repentance, love, and new obedience; lest, coming unworthily, they eat and drink judgement to themselves.Today we are continuing to look at the sacraments—specifically at the Lord's Supper. Remember that with a sacrament the Lord takes ordinary physical objects and appoints actions to represent the application of Christ's saving work in us. With baptism, it is washing with water to represent spiritual cleansing from sin. With the Lord's Supper, it is eating bread and drinking wine to represent the ongoing spiritual nourishment we have from Christ crucified. God gives us things we can see to represent things we cannot see. At the Supper, we look to be spiritually nourished, but only if we come in the right way. Today we are going to look at what is required of us in coming.

Q. 96. What is the Lord's Supper?A. The Lord's Supper is a sacrament, wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine according to Christ's appointment, his death is showed forth; and the worthy receivers are, not after a corporal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of his body and blood, with all his benefits, to their spiritual nourishment, and growth in grace.See here how our dear Lord Jesus shows us what to do at the Lord's Table. He gives us a pattern of what He wants us to do until He returns. The central action is the giving and the receiving of the bread and wine. It is distributed in a very simple manner—to be eaten and to be drunk. The main concern is not to satisfy the palate or to nourish the body.

Q. 95 To whom is Baptism to be administered?A. Baptism is not be administered to any that are out of the visible church, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to Him; but the infants of such as are members of the visible church are to be baptised.Today, I want to show you from scripture that we are not to neglect the baptism of either those who profess or of their children.

Q. 94 What is Baptism?A. Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, wherein the washing with water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, doth signify and seal our ingrafting into Christ, and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace, and our engagement to the Lord's.I will endeavour to explain this and to support it from the Bible so that you can better understand what baptism is. Mark begins his gospel with baptism, calling it the beginning of the gospel. He doesn't explain what baptism itself is because it was already known from the Old Testament.

Q. 93 Which are the sacraments of the New Testament?A. The sacraments of the New Testament are, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper.That is a simple question to memorise and answer, but it is not such a simple question to explain because the church has very divergent views. The view presented in our catechism is that of the churches of the Reformation (500 years ago) which sought to return to the teaching and worship appointed by Christ in the scriptures by Christ and His apostles. Ritualism had grown up in the first 1000 years or so such that the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church held to seven sacraments. Some modern evangelical churches do not believe there are any sacraments at all. Today I will attempt to set forth the Biblical teaching about this.

Q. 92 What is a sacrament?A. A sacrament is an holy ordinance instituted by Christ; wherein, by sensible signs, Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant are represented, sealed, and applied to believers.What a gracious Saviour He is to give us sacraments as an additional help to our faith! Our scripture reading is from a passage that shows us His zeal for helping our faith.

Q. 91 How do the sacraments become effectual means of salvation?A. The sacraments become effectual means of salvation, not from any virtue in them, or in him that doth administer them; but only by the blessing of Christ, and the working of His Spirit, in them that by faith receive them.Do not think that you are blessed simply because you were baptised and eat the Lord's Supper.

Q. 90 How is the Word to be read and heard that it may become effectual to salvation?A. That the Word may become effectual to salvation, we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation, and prayer; receive it with faith and love, lay it up in our hearts, and practice it in our lives.As you can see, the reception of the Word is a very serious matter. There are four soils, and only one of them receives the Word for salvation! Only the soil that is said to "hear the Word with a noble and good heart, keep it, and bear fruit with patience" bears fruit for eternal life. God must give us such a heart because none of us has it on our own, but if we are to be saved, we must have such a heart. The parable of the lamp shows that we must receive the Word instead of avoiding it. Jesus' command summarises it all when He says, in verse 18: Take heed how you hear.

Q. 89 How is the Word made effectual to salvation?A. The Spirit of God maketh the reading but especially the preaching of the Word, and effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort through faith, unto salvation.This afternoon we are going to look at how God uses the Bible in our lives.

Q. 88 What are the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption?A. The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption are His ordinances, especially the word, sacraments, and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for salvation.He Himself uses these means to bring the benefits of His redemption to us.

Q. 87 What is repentance unto life?A. Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavour after, new obedience.The essential action of repentance is turning from sin to God. It is turning to Him as our God, as our Lord and Master whom we obey and serve.

Q. 86 What is faith in Jesus Christ?A. Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation, as He is offered to us in the gospel.Understand that you must have faith in Jesus Christ if you would be saved from God's wrath and curse. Faith is indispensable to salvation.

Q. 85 What doth God require of us that we may escape His wrath and curse due to us for sin?A. To escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin, God requireth of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption.The Jews are here brought face to face with the fact that they crucified their own Messiah. They cry out (v. 37), What must we do? (like question 85) and Peter tells them. I will follow the outline of the Catechism—faith, repentance, means of grace—and show you how each of these is found in Acts 2:36-47.

Q. 84 What doth every sin deserve?A. Every sin deserveth God's wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come.In this passage, Paul shows the Galatians that they were foolish to act like they could be accepted by God on the basis of their law-keeping. Jesus had been crucified for a reason! We need Him to save us. Didn't they realise that anyone who relies on the law is under a curse?

Q. 82 Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?A. No mere man since the fall is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but doth daily break them in thought, word, and deed.Today, our focus is on Q. 82—whether any of us can perfectly obey God in this life.

Q. 79 Which is the tenth commandment?A. The tenth commandment is, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.Q. 80 What is required in the tenth commandment?A. The tenth commandment requireth full contentment with our own condition, with a right and charitable frame of spirit toward our neighbour, and all that is his.Q. 81 What is forbidden in the tenth commandment?A. The tenth commandment forbiddeth all discontentment with our own estate, envying or grieving at the good of our neighbour, and all inordinate motions and affections to anything that is his.Today, we are going to look at the problem of discontentment and how we ought rather to be rejoicing and giving thanks instead of complaining and disputing with God.

Q. 79 Which is the tenth commandment?A. The tenth commandment is, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.Q. 80 What is required in the tenth commandment?A. The tenth commandment requireth full contentment with our own condition, with a right and charitable frame of spirit toward our neighbour, and all that is his.Q. 81 What is forbidden in the tenth commandment?A. The tenth commandment forbiddeth all discontentment with our own estate, envying or grieving at the good of our neighbour, and all inordinate motions and affections to any thing that is his.In the introductory message, I showed you that covetousness is a sin of the heart. It stands as a reminder that God not only weighs our actions, but also our hearts. But covetousness rarely stays contained in our hearts. Last week, we saw that it often brings us into quarrels with others. This week, we will see how it misdirects our whole lives and produces sinful worry.

This week in our sermon series on the Westminster Shorter Catechism we come to the tenth commandment. All the commandments should be understood as addressing our hearts, but this is the commandment that explicitly does so. We need to recognise that God's authority reaches even to the very desires of our hearts.

Q. 76 Which is the ninth commandment?A. The ninth commandment is, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.Q. 77 What is required in the ninth commandment?A. The ninth commandment requireth the maintaining and promoting of truth between man and man, and of our own and our neighbour's good name, especially in witness bearing.Q. 78 What is forbidden in the ninth commandment?A. The ninth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever is prejudicial to truth, or injurious to our own or our neighbour's good name.In verse 21, notice how it speaks about hearing Christ—being taught by Him—as the truth is in Him. When we hear Him, we believe the truth and we become a people who are of the truth. As such, there is no place among us for lies… Therefore, we are instructed to put away lying.

Q. 76 Which is the ninth commandment?A. The ninth commandment is, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.Q. 77 What is required in the ninth commandment?A. The ninth commandment requireth the maintaining and promoting of truth between man and man, and of our own and our neighbour's good name, especially in witness-bearing.Q. 78 What is forbidden in the ninth commandment?A. The ninth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever is prejudicial to truth, or injurious to our own or our neighbour's good name.Today, as we look in more detail at this commandment, I want to focus on badmouthing and its close relative, boasting.You see how the Holy Spirit tells us through James what a problem our tongues are! There is not a person alive that does not sin with their tongue. Much harm is done by these sins. Our tongue is a major outlet from our wicked hearts.

Q. 76 Which is the ninth commandment?A. The ninth commandment is, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.Q. 77 What is required in the ninth commandment?A. The ninth commandment requireth the maintaining and promoting of truth between man and man, and of our own and our neighbour's good name, especially in witness bearing.Q. 78 What is forbidden in the ninth commandment?A. The ninth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever is prejudicial to truth, or injurious to our own or our neighbour's good name.Bearing false witness is really quite a nasty thing to do! You ought to hate all sins that have anything to do with this sin.

Q. 73 Which is the eighth commandment?A. The eighth commandment is, Thou shalt not steal.Q. 74 What is required in the eighth commandment?A. The eighth commandment requireth the lawful procuring and furthering the wealth and outward estate of ourselves and others.Q. 75 What is forbidden in the eighth commandment?A. The eighth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever doth or may unjustly hinder our own or our neighbour's wealth or outward estate.This week, I want to show you that God gives us possessions not only for our own use and enjoyment, but also to share with others.

Q. 73 Which is the eighth commandment?A. The eighth commandment is, Thou shalt not steal.Q. 74 What is required in the eighth commandment?A. The eighth commandment requireth the lawful procuring and furthering the wealth and outward estate of ourselves and others.Q. 75 What is forbidden in the eighth commandment?A. The eighth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever doth or may unjustly hinder our own or our neighbour's wealth or outward estate.This week, we are going to look at how we ought to respect our own wealth—in fact, that we ought to rejoice in the wealth that God has given to us.

Q. 73 Which is the eighth commandment?A. The eighth commandment is, Thou shalt not steal.Q. 74 What is required in the eighth commandment?A. The eighth commandment requireth the lawful procuring and furthering the wealth and outward estate of ourselves and others.Q. 75 What is forbidden in the eighth commandment?A. The eighth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever doth or may unjustly hinder our own or our neighbour's wealth or outward estate.Today I want to look at an important implication of this, namely: We should respect the property that God has given to our neighbour—and make sure that we do not unjustly diminish what God has given to him.

Q. 73 Which is the eighth commandment?A. The eighth commandment is, Thou shalt not steal.Psalm 104 shows that God is the Creator of all things, who provides for His creatures by:Supplying water to the beasts and to the earth itself (v. 10-13). Providing all sorts of things for man (v. 14-15). Not just for our necessities, but also for our enjoyment (John 12:1-8, 1 Tim 4:3-4). Providing homes for the various animals He has made (v 16-18). Ordaining means by which each creature obtains its food (v. 19-23). For man, it is by labour and industry.Truly the earth is full of God's possessions (Psalm 104:24)!

Q. 71 What is required in the seventh commandment?A. The seventh commandment requireth the preservation of our own and our neighbour's chastity in heart, speech, and behaviour.Q. 72 What is forbidden in the seventh commandment?A. The seventh commandment forbiddeth all unchaste thoughts, words, and actions.Today, we will look at the place that sex has in the three-fold purpose of marriage. Remember that marriage is the only place where sexual expression is allowed. God will judge us if we engage in it elsewhere (Heb 13:4). So as marriage is the only relationship that is meant to be sexual, it is very important for us to understand the place that sex has in marriage.

Q. 71 What is required in the seventh commandment?A. The seventh commandment requireth the preservation of our own and our neighbour's chastity in heart, speech, and behaviour.Q. 72 What is forbidden in the seventh commandment?A. The seventh commandment forbiddeth all unchaste thoughts, words, and actions.Last week, we focused on the importance of preserving our own and our neighbour's chastity by avoiding anything that breaks marriage apart. Today, I want to preach to you about one of the greatest plagues upon our society—what I am going to call soul-shrinking lust. When sex is longed for and even worse, engaged in, outside of marriage, it shrivels up your soul in such a way that you treat other people more like objects than persons.

Q. 71 What is required in the seventh commandment?A. The seventh commandment requireth the preservation of our own and our neighbour's chastity in heart, speech, and behaviour.Q. 72 What is forbidden in the seventh commandment?A. The seventh commandment forbiddeth all unchaste thoughts, words, and actions.You will notice that in question 71, it speaks of the preservation of our own and our neighbour's chastity. Today, I want you to think about what that means in marriage. We are going to look in particular at the problem of separating what God has joined together in marriage—both divorce as well as more subtle ways.

Q. 70 Which is the seventh commandment?A. The seventh commandment is, Thou shalt not commit adultery.What is adultery? Technically, it is voluntary sexual relations between an individual who is married and someone who is not that individual's spouse. But as we have seen all along, the Ten Commandments are to be taken more broadly, including all sin that is associated with the sin that is expressly spoken of. From that perspective, adultery speaks of all sexual sins.

Q. 68 What is required in the sixth commandment?A. The sixth commandment requireth all lawful endeavours to preserve our own life, and the life of others.Q. 69 What is forbidden in the sixth commandment?A. The sixth commandment forbiddeth the taking away of our own life, or the life our neighbour unjustly, or whatsoever tendeth thereunto.This week, we are going to look at further implications of the sixth commandment. That we are to preserve life and health of our neighbour rather than putting them at risk.

Q. 68 What is required in the sixth commandment?A. The sixth commandment requireth all lawful endeavours to preserve our own life, and the life of others.Q. 69 What is forbidden in the sixth commandment?A. The sixth commandment forbiddeth the taking away of our own life, or the life of our neighbour unjustly, or whatsoever tendeth thereunto.The root of murder is unjust anger. Jesus tells us this. He begins with what we all know: that murder puts you in danger of judgment (21). But then He tells us that anger without a cause does too (v. 22)!

Q. 67 Which is the sixth commandment?A. The sixth commandment is, Thou shalt not kill.Today we are going to look at this commandment in an introductory way. In future weeks we will look at its broader implications. What does the word kill or murder mean in the sixth commandment? At first, it might seem a little silly to ask such a question… but there is much confusion about it as can be seen from the questions people ask about it.

Q. 66 What is the reason annexed to the fifth commandment?A. The reason annexed to the fifth commandment is a promise of long life and prosperity (as far as it shall serve for God's glory and their own good) to all such as keep this commandment.The promise is that we will live long as God's people in the earth! God graciously gave Israel this land so that there could be a visible expression that He was their God and they were His people. But the Lord warned them that if they did not continue in His covenant, they would be cut off from the land! In other words, they would not "continue long in the land." But God also promised that they, as a nation, would never be entirely cut off.

Q. 64 What is required in the fifth commandment?A. The fifth commandment requireth the preserving the honour, and preforming the duties, belonging to everyone in their several places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals.Q. 65 What is forbidden in the fifth commandment?A. The fifth commandment forbiddeth the neglecting of, or doing anything against, the honour and duty which belongeth to everyone in their several places and relations.These questions help us to see the scope of this commandment. It pertains to all relationships where one person has authority over another. It pertains not only to inferiors (this week's focus), but also to superiors (last week's focus).

Q. 64 What is required in the fifth commandment?A. The fifth commandment requireth the preserving the honour, and preforming the duties, belonging to everyone in their several places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals.Q. 65 What is forbidden in the fifth commandment?A. The fifth commandment forbiddeth the neglecting of, or doing anything against, the honour and duty which belongeth to everyone in their several places and relations.Let's begin with the obvious—our reading in Ephesians shows that those God has put in authority are to exercise their authority.

Q. 63 Which is the fifth commandment?A. The fifth commandment is, Honour thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.Today in our sermon series based on the Westminster Shorter Catechism, we have come to the first question that pertains to the fifth commandment (Q. 63).

Q. 62 What are the reasons annexed to the fourth commandment?A. The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment are, God's allowing us six days of the week for our own employments, His challenging a special propriety in the seventh, His own example, and His blessing the Sabbath-day.A lot of people will tell you that they cannot keep the Sabbath Day because they have too much to do. Some have pride about the importance of their work. Some are unwilling to give up their recreations. Some are just lazy and don't have time because they don't work when they ought. The problem here in every case is idolatry!

Q.61 What is forbidden in the fourth commandment?A. The fourth commandment forbiddeth the omission or careless performance of the duties required, and the profaning the day by idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about our worldly employments or recreations.The problem here is that these Sabbath keepers are so busy focusing on keeping the Sabbath day holy that they don't keep the Sabbath. For them, the Sabbath is more like a sacrifice where you give up things. As you can see, these Pharisees completely missed the point!

For the last few weeks, we have been looking at the Fourth Commandment. First we had a general introduction… Then I exhorted you to keep it… Then we looked at how, under the New Covenant, the Lord changed the Sabbath Day from the seventh day of the week to the first day of the week. Today we are going to look at how the Sabbath is to be sanctified or kept holy.

Q. 59 Which day of the seven hath God appointed to be the weekly Sabbath?A. From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly Sabbath; and the first day of the week ever since, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian Sabbath.So you see that this is simply telling us that after Jesus was resurrected, God changed the weekly Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. This is not as simple of a subject… you will need to follow along in your Bibles.