In this sermon, Eric Bechler discusses the importance of prayer and communion among churches, as outlined in the Second London Baptist Confession, Chapter 26, Paragraph 14. The sermon emphasizes the duty of each church and its members to pray for the good and prosperity of all churches of Christ, highlighting that this is an obligation and not an option. It explains that a 'church of Christ' refers to a gathering of believers who are part of the family of God, despite differences in doctrine or tradition. The sermon stresses the need for continuous prayer for other churches, not just in times of crisis, and encourages the exercise of gifts and graces for the benefit of all churches. Using biblical examples, such as Paul's letters and the actions of early churches, the sermon illustrates the necessity of communion, communication, and mutual understanding among churches to foster peace, love, and edification. It concludes with a call to stand firm in God's word amidst worldly pressures, maintaining the authority of the Bible.

Our reading today from the Second London Baptist Confession again comes from Chapter 26 of the Church, paragraph 14. As each church and all the members of it are bound to pray continually for the good and prosperity of all the churches of Christ in all places and upon all occasions, to further everyone within the bounds of their places and callings in the exercise of their gifts and graces. So the churches, when planted by the providence of God so as they may enjoy opportunity and advantage for it, ought to hold communion among themselves for their peace, increase of love, and mutual edification. We continue in our examination of the doctrine of the church. Lately our focus has been on a particular local church, the governance, the membership, the leadership, and the discipline.

Today we turn our attention to the importance of praying for the good and prosperity of all the churches of God, of Christ. This seems obvious, but in reality I would wager most churches aren't praying for other churches under normal circumstances. This could be why it's in our confession to remind us that this is something we should be doing regularly. So let's take a closer look at the first half of our paragraph and see what scripture says about this. It starts with every church.

Does this really mean every church? What if it's not reformed? Should that matter? We're talking here about a church of Christ. So what is that?

Is that every church that's out there? Probably not. Remember, a church of Christ is an assembly or gathering of people who have been called out of the world, called to be saints, believers. The church is compared or comprised of the family of God. When you are called, you become an adopted son.

Ephesians 1-5 states, having predestined us for divine adoption as sons to himself through Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will. You become a member of the household of God as stated in Ephesians 2.19. Now therefore you are no longer strangers or foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. We are fellow citizens with the saints, and there may be differences between us, conscience, doctrine, traditions, etc., that prevent us from being members of the same local church, but we are all part of the family of God. We're all in union and fellowship with Christ and subsequently in communion with each other.

We'll speak more about the communion of the saints in a couple of weeks when we move on to the next chapter. Now what does it say that the churches and all members must do? They are to pray. They're to pray continually And it's easy for us to remember to pray for a church that has had a shooting or some other tragedy. We become aware of a need and we pray faithfully.

What the confession is saying here is that we must pray continually, continually for all churches of Christ in every place. The confession uses the word bound, the more modern version uses the word obligated. This expresses a necessity, advice, or a rule that's not optional. We have to do it even if we would rather not. So as a church and as members of a church, we must be praying for other churches.

This church where we meet. The churches down the street and across the state and churches across the nation and around the world. This is just part of being a member of Christ's church. Well, what are we to be praying for? We should pray that the gospel is being faithfully preached in other churches, God's word fully taught.

We should pray that these churches are having an impact in their communities and that their pews would be full. The confession states to pray for the good and prosperity of all churches of Christ in all places. Paul writes to his brethren to be praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, being watchful to this and with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. Ephesians 6, 18. We should be praying for Christians everywhere.

In the third epistle of John, verse 2, we read of the Apostle John praying for his beloved co-worker Gaius. Beloved I pray that in every way you may prosper and enjoy good health as your soul also prospers. Likewise we too should be praying for the good and prosperity of other Christians in their churches. The psalmist declares, pray for the peace of Jerusalem. May those who love you prosper.

Barnes notes on the Bible comments on this verse. This is the language which those who were going up to the city, Jerusalem, to the house of the Lord, it breathes the desire that all would pray for the peace and prosperity of a city so dear to their own souls, where the worship of God was celebrated and where God himself dwelt. To us now, it inculcates the duty of praying for the church, its peace, its unity, its prosperity, its increase, its influence in our country and on the world at large. It is a prayer that the church may not be divided by schism or heresy, that its members may cherish for each other right feelings, that there may be no jealousies, no envying, s no quarrels, that the different branches of the church may regard and treat each other with kindness and with respect and with mutual recognition that prosperity may attend them all. But the confession goes a step beyond just praying.

It states that every church and all its members must also exercise their gifts and graces to benefit every church at every opportunity or all occasions within the limits or bounds of their stations and callings. This begins with Jesus's giving of a new commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another, John 13, 34. We find examples of this throughout the New Testament. In Romans 16, 1, and 2, Paul commends to the Church of Rome, Phoebe, our sister, who is a servant of the church in Centria, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you, for indeed she has been a helper of many and of also myself. He's asking the church in Rome to help her, for she has herself been a helper to him and many others." In Romans 16, 3 through 5, Paul also commends to the Church of Rome Priscilla and Achilla, fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but also to the churches of the Gentiles, likewise greet the church that is in their house." Paul also writes of the generosity of the churches in Macedonia and Achaia, for it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem." Romans 15 26.

And he goes into more of the details in this second letter to the Corinthians, Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia, that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the Saints, 2 Corinthians 8, 1 through 4. It is not known now what the great trial of affliction was for those churches, but frequent trials came from both the Jews and the pagans in Macedonia. Yet throughout that, they still managed to collect among themselves an offering to be taken to Jerusalem and distributed to the saints in need. In the second half of our paragraph today, the confession states that the churches of Christ should have communion among themselves.

Paul gives us a metaphor using the human body for describing the body of Christ and its connectedness in 1st Corinthians 12, 12 through 26. It's a long passage but I'd like to take a moment to read through this in case you're not familiar with it or can't remember the passage. For just as the body is one and has many members and all the members of the body, though many are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one spirit we were all baptized into one body, Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, and all were made to drink of one spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many.

If the foot should say, because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body, that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body. That would not make it any less part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, Where would be the sense of smell?

But as it is God arranged the members in the body each one of them as he chose If all were a single member Where would the body be? As It is there are many parts yet one body The eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor. And our impresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.

If one member suffers, all suffer together. If one member is honored, all rejoice together. All believers are connected together in and through Christ. We are all part of Christ's church, part of the body of Christ. Just as the hand or the foot has a unique design and purpose, each of us have gifts and a purpose as well.

And we must use them for the benefit of the churches. Paul tells us there are different gifts, but the same spirit. There are different ministries, but the same Lord. There are different ways of working, but the same God works all things in all people. Now to each one the manifestation of the spirit is given for the common good.

1st Corinthians 12 4 through 7. Paul furthermore tells us in Ephesians 4 11 and 12 and he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, edifying the church. He continues in verse 16, from whom the whole body joined and knit together by what every joint supplies according to the effect of working by which every part does its its share causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. We are to exercise these gifts and graces for the common good of the churches of Christ. This is an exercise in love.

Each church and its members ought to be in communion with other churches and believers for their peace, their increase of love and mutual edification, and to know various needs of a church or its members or for others to know our needs, there must be communication. There must be some connection, fellowship, or communion between the churches. We see actual examples of this in scripture. Paul opens his letter to the Galatians in a way that indicates his connection with other believers. Paul, an apostle, not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead, and all the brethren who are with me to the churches of Galatia, in Galatians 1, 1, and 2.

In another example, Paul spent 15 days in Jerusalem with Peter and seeing also James the Lord's brother, but no other apostles, yet the word of his conversion had spread throughout Jerusalem and beyond. And Paul writes, afterwards I came into the region of Syria and Cilicia and was unknown by faith unto the churches of Judea, which were in Christ. But they had heard only that he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed, and they glorified God and me." Furthermore, we see Paul's desire that his letters be read among other churches. From Colossians 4.16 we read, now when this epistle is read among you see that is read also in the church of Laodiceans and that you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea. We also see evidence in Revelation 1-4 from the seven churches in Asia showing communion, communication, and cooperation.

The angels of these churches are most likely the messengers between the churches and John. Again, each church and its members ought to be in communion with other churches and believers for their peace, increase of love, and mutual edification. Sam Waldron answers the question, why communion is necessary for these things. Because knowledge and communication are prerequisites to love and edification, while lack of knowledge breeds suspicion and division. Looking at 1 John 4, 1-3, and compare it with 2 John 1, verses 1 through 13 and 3 John, the first 14 verses, shows that communication and knowledge are prerequisites for love and edification.

Testing must precede receiving. The events of Joshua 22 regarding the two and a half tribes actions who settled on the east side of the Jordan after helping the other tribes conquer the promised land by setting up altars as memorials. These teach us that the lack of knowledge can breed suspicion, division, strife. Communion which has for its byproducts communication and mutual understanding is necessary in order to avoid all such contradictions of Christian love and it is therefore a solemn duty. I'll close with some thoughts from Simon Martynian's commentary.

Many are the instances in Paul's letter concerning sending greetings from one church to another, praying for each other, financially supporting other churches. This should be done with 2 John 10 and 11 in mind. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting. This is also the more needed in our day when we see the world pressing Christians on things like homosexuality, abortions, even the authority of the Bible. Some churches have already given in to the world, but we should pray for the churches of Christ in all places that they stand uncompromised In His word and uncompromised in His authority not fearing man but fearing God Amen