THE INVINCIBLE BRIDE
Matthew 16:13-19 13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" 14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
Intro: When two people are dating each other, usually a particular question lurks in both of their minds: “I wonder what kind of husband he would be? Or, “I wonder what kind of wife she would be?” Women have different needs than men. Women often need a sense of security, and anything that threatens that security is uncomfortable & unwelcome. If the husband is affectionate towards his wife, some of her need for security is met. She also feels secure from conversation (husbands, sit down and talk with your wives), honesty & openness, financial support, and a commitment to the family. A good husband not only makes his wife feel extra special, but he does all he can to provide her with that sense of security that she needs. He will make her feel safe – an invincible bride – because of his love and protection of her.
-The Bible describes Christ’s relationship with the Church as husband to wife. Husbands are told to love their wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for her. Let me tell you from experience, Christ takes good care of His Bride. Because of His love and protection of her, she is an invincible Bride. Here is the main thought of the sermon today:
Prop: The Lord’s Church is secure in His hands, and will not be overcome by the powers of darkness.
Interrogative: How do we know that, and what difference does it make in our lives?
TS: I’d like to show this truth from Scripture today, because it gives us boldness to step out and do God’s will, knowing that we are fighting a winning battle. We know that the Lord’s Church is secure, because…
I. The Church Has an Indestructible Foundation (18)
“On this rock I will build my church.”
-Each local church is being built upon on who Christ is to them. Who is Jesus to us? If He is anything less than our Creator, Lord, Savior, and groom, then our foundation is too weak to build on.
-People have a lot of ideas about Jesus. He was a good man, a good teacher, a good moral person who helped lots of people. But people’s ideas about Jesus in general do not really matter. What matters is when Jesus turns to you and asks, “Who do you say I am?” The answer from your heart will reveal the foundation of your life.
-1 Corinthians 3:11 11”For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
-The truth that Jesus is the Messiah, Lord & King, is the only foundation that will endure.
-When we understand this by revelation from God, and confesses Christ as Lord and Savior (the One who leads us & forgives us), then we are established on an indestructible foundation. When we are joined to Christ, we are part of an invincible Bride because of who we are joined to.
-Peter was used by the Lord in mighty ways, as you can read in the first half of the book of Acts. However, here in our text, Jesus was not saying that He would build His Church on Peter, but on Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Christ, Son of the living God. That is the gospel! That is what gives us hope! That is what builds the Church that the gates of hell can never overthrow!
TS.: We know the Church is secure, because…
II. The Church Has a Special Bond with the Groom (15, 18)
A. The Bride knows the true identity of the groom. "WHO do you say I am?"
B. The Bride belongs to the Groom (18) Jesus said, “I will build MY church.” It is not the govt’s church, it is not the Pastor’s church, it is not even the people’s church. It is the Lord’s Church.
C. The Bride is intimate with the Groom (Ephesians 5:23-32)
-We find many wonderful truths in Eph. about the close bond w/ Christ & His Bride.
1. Christ is the head of the church, his body, the Savior.
2. The church submits to Christ.
3. Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 4. Christ feeds and cares for the church
5. We are members of his body.
6. We are united to Him so closely that it is compared to intimacy within a marriage.
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32 This is a profound mystery-- but I am talking about Christ and the church.
-It is this special bond between Christ and His Church that makes her secure, an invincible Bride. No wonder Paul wrote, “If God be for us, who can be against us?”
TS.: Thirdly, the Church is secure because…
III. The Church Receives Perfect Provision from the Groom
A. He Loves His Bride Sacrificially
“Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Eph. 5:25).
B. He Makes His Bride Pure & Beautiful
”To make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (5:26).
C. He feeds and cares for His Bride (5:29)
D. He gives gifts to His Bride (Acts 1:8; Eph. 4:8-13; 1 Cor. 12; Rom. 12)
-Acts 1:8 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses.” Acts 2:38-39 38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-- for all whom the Lord our God will call."
-He gave ministry gifts to men… apostles for His Bride, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.
-God gives spiritual gifts to help His Bride: the word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healings, the working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, different kinds of tongues, the interpretation of tongues.
-In Romans 12:6-8 God gives His Bride motivational gifts of prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, and showing mercy.
-Each of the gifts that Christ has given to His Bride is designed to protect & strengthen her, to help her grow & mature, so that she can be a blessing to the world around her. Because she is treasured and cherished by her groom, she can love & cherish others. She is able to love, because she has been loved perfectly by her husband. She can live and move with the bold confidence of an invincible Bride.
TS.: Finally, the Church is secure, because…
IV. The Church is Being Built By the Master Builder (18)
-Why is the Church indestructible? Because the Groom is a Master Builder! He drew up the perfect blueprints. He has all the right materials. He knows how to build for eternity.
-Our text in Matt. 16 quotes Jesus as saying, “I will build My church!” Man will not build Christ’s Church! Programs will not build Christ’s Church! Christ Himself will build His Church on the reality of who He is! When someone confesses Jesus as Lord and Messiah King, as Peter did, the Church is added onto. Another rock has been added to the structure. Did man do this? No! Christ did, through His perfect life, atoning death, and powerful resurrection. He is the Christ, Son of the living God, and He lives in the lives of His people today. He lives, seated at the right hand of His Father in heaven, always interceding/praying for us, that we will be strong and trust Him completely. He will come for us, and take us to be with Him at the greatest wedding celebration ever, when we are joined to Him for eternity.
-And no demon in hell can prevent this! The councils of hell have no authority over the invincible Bride of Christ – unless she leaves the protection of the groom. Such things as unfaithfulness and disobedience will create distance between the bride & groom. We leave ourselves unprotected when we leave the warmth of His presence. When we are close, we are safe, but if we set out on our own, we may be leaving ourselves open to temptation or attack.
-There is one thing we would do well to remember. We are working for the Master builder, but we are not the Master builder. He leads us to the place He wants us to work for Him, guides us in how He wants us to work for Him, and He determines how long we should labor in a given place. Sometimes people leave a place long before God wants them to. Other times people may linger too long in one place, when God is calling them elsewhere. Let’s be sure we are hearing from the Master Builder before we ever make any major life decisions. Even minor decisions should include acknowledging God in all our ways, so He can direct our paths.
- Psalm 127:1 “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” He is building His Church. Are we cooperating with Him as He builds us up as His dwelling place? Jesus is the Master builder of Christian Life Center. We are part of the indestructible Church He is building. If we try to build on our own, it will fall. However, when Christ builds His church, the very forces of evil don’t stand a chance against it!
Conclusion: As we close, are you part of the invincible Bride? Membership is obtained simply by calling on the Lord. The Lord’s Church is an invincible Bride because of its foundation- the deity of Jesus. He is Lord, He is Messiah, He is our King & our God. His Bride is invincible because of the special bond she has with her groom. She is invincible because of His perfect provision for her. Finally, she is invincible because He is the Master builder and He is creating a masterpiece – holy, clean, glorious, radiant, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish.
-If you are part of the Bride of Christ, be sure that you are living like it. Be completely faithful to your groom. Don’t let anything come between you and Him. Submit to Him and let Him build you up and provide for you.
-If you are not part of the Bride of Christ, I hope you will accept His proposal today. He offers you all you could ever want or need, but most importantly, He offers you His love, acceptance, and forgiveness. He will make something beautiful with your life. He will cherish you and give you gifts, and help you become all that you can be, as you live in close relationship with Him. The greatest gift of all was His own life. He gave it up so we could be united with Him forever. As Paul says, “So shall we ever be with the Lord.”
On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand, #290
Amazing Love, How Can it Be?
I’m forgiven because You were forsaken
I’m accepted, You were condemned
I’m alive and well, Your Spirit is within me
Because You died and rose again.
Amazing love, how can it be
That You my king would die for me?
Amazing love, I know it’s true
And it’s my joy to honor You
In all I do, I honor You.
You are my king…
2005
