Christ's Army - The Church Series

This country is in a civil war. It’s not the north and south like the conflict that was fought 160 years ago. This civil war is for the hearts, minds, and for the very soul of America. And it would appear that America is losing its heart, mind, and soul to the dark forces of the world. The sides are not very clearly drawn because there are people scattered throughout the spectrum from conservative to moderate to liberal to leftist. But there is another side, there are godly and the ungodly. Where is God’s people in all of this?

As a I was preparing for this message, I was studying about the functions, purpose, and mission of the church. And what I found disturbing, is that the church, throughout all of this current conflict, has been on sideline, been merely a commentator, relatively uninvolved and as a result, the church is actively being attacked and marginalized by the world. There are some denominations that have surrendered and gone over to side of the world and popular culture. One article I was reading an article by Perry Noble about the future he sees for the church. His last comment was, “I believe God has called the church to CHANGE the world…not complain about it!!!” That hit me between the eyes, because I’m good at saying what is wrong with the world and our nation, but I do very little to make a change.

We know that our fight is not flesh and blood but:

Ephesians 6:12 (NASB95) For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

So how do we fight this battle. We will get into the tools, the weapons for this battle later, but for now, Let us consider the fact that we do not fight these spiritual battles alone. Jesus has given us the church, we are His body here on earth. We are the Church, Christ's Army here on earth.

Our passage today deals with Jesus’ first mention of the church in the gospels. It comes right after Peter makes the confession that Jesus is the Christ, the long waited Messiah, the Son of the living God.

Matthew 16:18–19

Is it Possible To Be Christian Without Church? Answer: Yes, it is possible. It is something like being:

A student who will not go to school.

A soldier who will not join an army.

A citizen who does not pay taxes or vote.

A salesman with no customers.

A sailor without a ship.

An author without readers.

A tuba player without an orchestra.

A parent without a family.

A football player without a team.

A politician who is a hermit.

A scientist who does not share his findings.

A bee without a hive.

Jesus instituted the church. It is the church through which the fight is taken to the enemy. It is the church that Christians are organized to accomplish the mission. It is to the church that Jesus gives us our marching orders. And what are those orders? the Great Commission:

Matthew 28:18–20 (NASB95) And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

This Great Commission is a tall order, especially in today’s world. But I hope you catch what is being said here. We fight by spreading the gospel. That is the only thing that will save us as a people. One method of spreading the gospel is with our testimony. What has Jesus done for us. Do not underestimate the power of your testimony concerning Jesus.

Revelation 12:11 (NASB95) “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

Note that “him” in this passage is the devil. We all hold to the same testimony and it is far easier to hold to it when we hold to it together.

Now for our focal passage today. Let’s put it into context. Look in your Bibles back a few verses to verse 13. We see that Jesus had taken his disciples to the area of Caesarea Philippi. This area was a strong Roman settlement, few Jews lived there. It was a pagan stronghold. Perhaps Jesus went there to escape the crowds so to be able to instruct his 12 disciples without interference. There in Caesarea Philippi was a number of temples to the various Roman gods. This area is in northern Israel near the base of Mt Hermon in the area we call the Golan Heights. Here is were the Hermon Springs are, the headwaters of the Jordan River. One of these temples was to the Roman god, Pan, the half goat/half man god. Behind the temple was a grotto or cave with a very deep pit. This grotto was also known as the Gates of Hades, or the entranceway to the underworld. Today this grotto or cave is very visible. It is against this backdrop that Jesus asks the question, “Who do you say that I am? (Matthew 16:15). Upon Peter’s confession of faith, saying that Jesus was the Christ, Jesus went on to say, against the backdrop of the gates of Hades that He would build His church and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.