Intro: Jesus as the most important question anyone can ever ask. Who do you say that I am? Peter who normally suffers from foot in mouth disease gets a chance to shine. As the spokesman of the disciples he stands up and says you are the Christ the Son of the living God.
Jesus not only tells Peter well done, He also tells the disciples this is How I will build my Church.
We know God is the master architect. He designed the entire universe and through Jesus the word spoke it all into existence. Because of Adam and eve and your and my sin God’s original design was demolished.
Jesus as the master builder tells us that He has plans for a church that will be around forever. “and the gates of hell will not overcome it.” It is a way of saying Death, Hell and the Devil will not be able to destroy my church. Death lost its sting in the resurrection, the Deavil lost His bite at the Cross, and Hell is not the eternal home of the redeemed.
Jesus says Upon this rock I will build my church. As God designed it Jesus is still in the process of building His Church. As anyone makes the same confession as Peter they are added to the building program called the Church.
So what type of foundation does this project have that will make it last forever?
I. The Church’s Foundation
A) The Profession of Jesus Christ as Savior, and Lord
Matthew 16.18 “upon this rock I will build my church”
1) Confusion about the “rock”
-- some would say that Peter is the rock.
We have to ask ourselves the question how would the hearers have understood what Jesus said. He was speaking to people familiar with symbols and pictures of the Old Testament
Deuteronomy 32.3-4 “For I proclaim the name of the Lord; ascribe greatness to our God! The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice Righteous and upright is He.”
1 Samuel 2.2 “There is no one holy like the Lord, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.”
2 Samuel 22.2 “He said, The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer.”
1 Corinthians 10.4 “and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.”
Jesus was speaking to Jews. In the Old testament the word rock was never used to speak figuratively of a man. It was always the used to speak symbolically of God.
Jesus came down from heaven clothed in human flesh suffered bled and died to become the foundation of our relationship with God.
Jesus is the reason we come together on Sunday. Church
Why speak of Him as a rock. A rock is unmoved by the winds and waves of adversity. A rock is not shaken by public opinion. A rock is not rattled by dislike. A rock stands in the force of winds and waves of life and so does our Rock.
He can be our only foundation because when we face the reality of life we need the real presence of God.
--That is why God’s church was never meant to be built on programs, or personalities.
It was and is always to be built on the person and work of Jesus Christ!!!
1 Corinthians 3.11 “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Christ Jesus.”
Why do churches fail today? Not culturally relevant? Not enough programs for the people. Oh no I believe it is simply because of a faulty foundation.
A church that Is blessed by God will have no other foundation!!
B) The Preaching of the apostles
Ephesians 2.20 “having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone.”
Revelation 21.14 “And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the lamb.”
It is because of the confession, teaching and sacrifice of the Apostles that we know who Jesus is!!
1) The proclamation of God’s Word
1 Corinthians 1.21 “For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe.”
a) -- God’s word is practical for us
1 Timothy 3.16 “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness.”
b) – God’s word probes us
Hebrews 4.12 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the hearts and intentions of the heart.”
Like a surgeons life it lays bare our desires our designs and our devotions
c) – God’s word provokes us to action (cattle prod?)
Matthew 8.28 Go!!, Joshua 24.15 choose whom you will serve, Matt 5.13-16
You are salt and light
2) The Invitation to God’s Family
The Church has the awesome responsibility of being Jesus’ ambassadors.
A Church that is blessed by God will confess and proclaim the truths of Jesus our firm foundation.
II. The Church’s Formation
A) A temple not made with hands
“On this rock I will build my church”
It is something we never think about. We say my church. But here in God’s word Jesus Christ said I will build my church. The only ownership of the church belongs to Jesus.
It is not carved out of stone but written on hearts. Many may know romans 8.28
But how many of you know Romans 8.29 “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many breather;”
A church should be a place where sinners saved by grace are being shaped into living stones that resemble Jesus more and more each day.
B) A temple of living stones
1 Corinthians 3.16 “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
1 Peter 2.5 “you also as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
The church is not the brick and mortar that we see around us. It is never a polished building but always a praying people. Christ is the head and we are the body His spirit guides and leads us.
Charles Colson
Biblically the church is an organism not an organization—a movement, not a monument. It is not a part of the community; it is a whole new community. It is not an orderly gathering; it is a new order with new values, often in sharp conflict with the values of the surrounding society.
A church only grows as the members grow
The church that God will bless is the church that God builds
III. The Church’s Faithfulness
A) To Our Good Shepard
The apostle Paul several times in his letters to churches calls himself a loves slave of Christ. I know that in today’s society that paints a very perverse picture. However in Paul’s day that painted a picture of some completely and utterly devoted to their master. A bond slave was one who was set free from slavery only to go back to their master because of their grace and goodness.
All to Jesus I surrender all to Him I freely give.
B) To the Great Commandment
-- The great commandment came before the great commission. It takes people filled with Gods love to complete God’s work
Mark 12.28-31 “Jesus answered, “The foremost is, Hear O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord. And you shall love the Lord Your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.”
Love God with every fiber of you being, spiritual, emotional, intellectual, physical.
“The Second is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Can you imagine the change that would come over just a city if this were lived out in the life of every Christian in that city? The love of Christ is shed abroad in our hearts what if we let it out into the streets, the work place, the market place?
The world at its worst needs the church at its best.
C) To the Great Commission
Matthew 28.19-20
1) Reach the lost with the Gospel
2) Teach the saved with the life of Christ and Word of God
3) Encourage the saved with the presence of Christ
Conclusion: God wants to build His church at Perche, and He will if we have the right foundation. For there is not other foundation that can be laid than Jesus Christ.
As we share our real and relevant Lord Jesus and people confess “He is the Son of the Living God”
Jesus will continue to build his church. And nothing will overcome it.
Are you a living stone. Are you being built up into the House of God. If you have never met the master builder won’t you let me introduce you today. He wants to remake you into a place for God to live.
