Old Forms, Living Faith

Discipling Your People into Historic Biblical Christianity

For centuries, the church has used the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Ten Commandments to give shape to its discipleship. I’m intentionally trying to walk in the tradition I’ve received, so I work to weave these elements into our worship and teaching, along with the Larger and Shorter Catechism. Of course, one way to do that is for people simply to memorize them through recitation at home and in the service, but I approach it a little differently. Let me give you a few examples of what that looks like in practice.

Shorter Catechism

I’ll start with this one since it’s the easiest to explain. I build a lot of question-and-answer into my sermons. You’ll hear me say, “What does this mean?” and then immediately follow it with an answer. The goal is to get people used to thinking in a Q&A framework.

From there, I’ll often quote the catechism directly without citing it. For example:

Justification and sanctification often get conflated, but they’re different. This morning we’re talking about sanctification. What is sanctification? It is the work of God’s free grace, by which we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die to sin and live to righteousness.

Sometimes I’ll cite that. Sometimes I won’t. There’s something about not always citing it that makes people want to write it down or memorize it. More than a few times, people have said, “That was a really helpful definition,” and I’ll tell them it wasn’t original to me at all. It’s just a slight paraphrase of the Shorter Catechism.

The Ten Commandments with the Larger Catechism

At East River, we have a corporate confession of sin followed by an assurance of pardon, and we rotate that responsibility among the pastors. When I’m leading it, I use it as an opportunity to teach the Ten Commandments.

There are a few reasons for that. First, if you’re not intentional, public prayers can fall into a rut. A pastor will naturally gravitate toward confessing his own particular sins and proclivities. Before long, the prayer becomes a window into his inner life rather than something that actually shepherds the congregation. Structuring the prayer of confession around one of the Ten Commandments helps me avoid that. It keeps the prayer outward-facing, comprehensive, and from feeling repetitive week after week.

Practically, I go to the Larger Catechism’s exposition of the Ten Commandments (Questions 103–148) and use it as a framework. The catechism first states the commandment, then asks what duties are required and what sins are forbidden. Those answers give a long list of virtues and vices. I don’t cite them exhaustively, but I paraphrase a good portion of them and weave them into a constructive, corporate prayer of confession.

It usually sounds something like this…

Father,

You have searched us, and you know our hearts.

You have tried us, and you know our thoughts.

You know every grievous way that is in us.

And we know that confessing our sins is part of how You lead us in the way everlasting.

So we come now to the throne of grace and ask forgiveness for the ways we’ve sinned this week, especially as they relate to Your ninth commandment, in which You command us not to bear false witness against our neighbor.

By this command, You require us to protect and promote the truth in our relationships and conversations. We are not only to look out for our own reputation but also to defend the reputation of others, particularly when they are falsely accused. We are to speak truthfully and sincerely in all situations, especially in matters of justice. We are to be people who stop the spread of rumors, gossip, and slander. We are to keep our promises and be people of our word. Our minds and actions should be focused on what is true, honorable, and praiseworthy.

And yet, Lord, we break this command by lying, giving false testimony, and supporting unjust causes.

We twist or hide the truth. We purposely misrepresent others. We gossip, slander, backbite, and spread rumors. We flatter and boast. Perhaps we don’t spread gossip, but we willingly listen to it. And instead of defending the truth, we remain silent when others speak lies. We break our promises, even our vows. We are faultfinders who are overly critical of others. Because of our envy, we sometimes rejoice when the good reputation of someone is damaged.

Father, forgive us. Remove lies from our lips. Make us lovers of all truth, especially the truth revealed through Your Word.

We thank You for the grace and mercy we have in and through Your Son.

And it’s in His name we pray.

Amen.

By using the Ten Commandments, I end up covering many sins that people actually struggle with but that rarely get named in prayers of confession. It also helps teach that God’s law isn’t merely negative, just a list of don’ts, but that it has a positive shape. The commandments call us not only to turn from sin, but to pursue the good God requires.

The Lord’s Prayer and The Apostle’s Creed

With the Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer, I cite them all the time by weaving their phrases into my sermons and writing. There’s almost always an allusion somewhere. More recently, though, I’ve started shaping my pastoral prayer around them as well.

The pastoral prayer comes just before the sermon. It’s where I lead the congregation in prayer to God and bring before Him the members and needs of our particular church. For years I followed the ACTS framework—adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. I still use it, but now I rotate between that format, one built around the Apostles’ Creed, and another built around the Lord’s Prayer.

Here’s an example of a pastoral prayer structured around the Lord’s Prayer.

Our Father in heaven,

We come to You as Your children, thankful that through Christ we can call You Father. You are patient, steady, and kind. You know what we need before we ask, yet You invite us to ask anyway.

Hallowed be Your name.

Your name is holy and good. Help us live in a way that honors You—at home, at work, and in this church. Let our words and actions show the world what You are like.

Your kingdom come.

Build Your kingdom among us. Save our children. Awaken our neighbors. Call back the wandering. Give us courage to speak truth and share Christ wherever You’ve placed us.

Restrain the spread of false religions and vain philosophies. Silence the lies of Islam, Hinduism, and secularism that lead people away from You. Turn hearts to Christ in every nation, that the knowledge of the Lord would cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.

Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Teach us to want what You want. Help us trust You in both hardship and joy. Strengthen marriages and families. Give us wisdom to walk faithfully in our callings.

Bless our students as they study and grow. Guard their minds from falsehood and shape their hearts to love wisdom and truth.

Give us this day our daily bread.

Provide what we need, Lord. Bless business owners with wisdom and integrity. Help employees work with joy and diligence. Teach us contentment. Remember those caring for aging parents, expecting children, or struggling to make ends meet. Strengthen and protect pregnant mothers and the little ones in their wombs.

We also lift up Rob Webb, Grace Trelc, and many others who have recently been laid off from Answers in Genesis. Comfort them, provide for their families, and open new doors of fruitful work. Remind them that Your care has not failed and that You will supply every need according to Your riches in glory.

Remind us all that every good thing comes from Your hand.

Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Forgive our pride and unbelief. Wash us clean in Christ. Make us quick to forgive. Heal broken relationships—between parents and children, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters in Christ. Uproot bitterness and sow peace.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Keep us from sin. Guard our hearts, homes, and marriages from the enemy’s lies. Protect our children from the evil one. Deliver our nation from the evil of abortion—spare the unborn, awaken the conscience of our land, and bring repentance and mercy. Give us courage to stand firm for life and truth.

For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever.

Everything good belongs to You. You reign over all. We give You thanks and praise.

Amen.

And here is one built around the Apostle’s Creed:

We believe in You, God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
You made everything we see, and everything we don’t, and You hold it all together.

Thank You for our lives, our marriages, our kids, our homes, and the food on our tables. Keep providing for us, and keep reminding us that You are strong, steady, and good.

We believe in You, Jesus Christ, Your only Son, our Lord.

You stepped into this world, conceived by the Spirit, born of Mary, and took on our frailty. Draw near to the sick, to the hurting, to marriages under strain, and to children learning how to follow You.

You suffered under Pontius Pilate, were crucified, died, and were buried.

You carried our sins on that cross. Forgive our sins and failures, in our homes, in our conversations, in the hidden places of our hearts. Cleanse us again.

On the third day You rose again.

You’re alive, Lord. Give hope to the discouraged, healing to the sick, and strength to those who feel worn thin. You reign over death.

You ascended into heaven and sit at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

You rule right now. So rule in our homes, in this church, and deep within us. Teach husbands and wives to love well, parents to be patient, and children to obey with glad hearts.

From there You will come to judge the living and the dead.
Keep us steady until that day. Help us forgive each other, lift one another up, and live ready for Your return. Strengthen with reminded that every injustice will be set right.

We believe in You, Holy Spirit.
Fill us with peace. Comfort those who are hurting. Give us courage to take the next step of faith. Illuminate our minds so that we can understand and apply your Word in our lives.

We believe in Your holy church, the communion of saints.

Thank You for this church family. Protect us from division or bitterness. Make us a people marked by love, quick to help and quick to pray.

We believe in the forgiveness of sins.

We praise you that, through Christ, we are truly forgiven. Teach us to extend that same mercy to each other as we rest in your grace.

We believe in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.
Our hope rests in You. Comfort the sick, strengthen the dying, and remind us that eternal life is safely held in Your hands.

Amen.

I cycle through these formats and, on occasion, break away from them entirely. I’m trying to strike a balance, enough structure to form good habits, but not so much that the prayers become robotic or rote.

So there you have it.

Those are some of the simple ways I’m trying to cultivate a love for historic, biblical Christianity and for the discipleship patterns handed down from our fathers. I think we often overthink this. In reality, there are pretty straightforward ways to work these things into our services and into our lives, and over time they have a compounding effect.