I Love My Church Text: Matthew 16:13-19
When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Video: Why you love this church/ Home invasion.
In verse 13, Jesus ask the question, “who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” I believe before your neighbor, relative or a complete stranger will make a move toward Jesus Christ, he or she will need to see Christ through you. (I Love My Church)
The Bible say’s you were made in the image of God, created after His likeness. (Genesis 1:27)
Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
God declared that, you belong to Him. When mankind represents anything other than God, the creator becomes grieved.
Verse 14, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”
Verse 15, But who do you say I am? Verse16, Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Verse 17, Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
Peter actually proclaimed Christ as the foundation, and the head of the body.
Listen to, I Corinthians 3:11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.
Peter is saying, “Everything good, to me, in me, and through me, comes from Jesus Christ.”
You’ll say, “I love my Church, because Jesus Christ is alive in this place!”
Matthew 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
The name ‘Peter’ means Petros, which means a small stone. However, this day, a boulder-like truth came from the mouth of one who was called a small stone.
Latter in I Peter 2:5 Peter’s first epistle; “he say’s, the church is built of living stones.” When you love God’s church, You become as a living stone. (Speaking truth with love.)
Once again Peter said, You are the Christ, “the Son of the Living God.” “Upon this revelation, upon this truth, I will build My Church!”
Listen Church, as long as we build this body around the central truth, that Jesus Christ owes this property, He the miracle worker, He’s our Faith, He’s our Rock and He’s our Savior. This church (Body) will flourish.
I Peter 2:6-7 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,“ The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,”
The greek word for church means, “called out ones.” I love my church because He first loved me!
Finally, after Christ called us His ‘Church’ (the called out ones), He say’s in Matthew 16:19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Here Christ Jesus gives Peter and by extension, the church authority to bind and loose. The body of Christ has been given this authority.
I love my Church because, when we keep this verse in context, Jesus has given every believer authority to forgive the repentant, (to loose them), but to bind the unrepentant. ( and believe for a change). That’s a tall heavenly order; however, as the Church walks in love, this authority will set the unrepentant and the repentant free.
Matthew 18:15-17 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
So, Christ gave His Church (the body) the authority to declare what was bound and loose in heaven. This echos what Jesus said in John 20: 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
I love my Church because Jesus has in-trusted us with great power to help others. First, to retain the sins of people, or to declare the judgement of heaven based on the principles of the Word of God over them, and also, to bind or loose, those set free, and to walk with authority and power as a new person in Christ.
Ephesians 3:14-21For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer
