Why the Church
I want to share some staggering statistics about church. Since the year 2000, more than 4000 churches in America have closed the doors to their buildings each year. That's more than 40,000 churches.
At the turn of the 1900’s there were 27 churches to every 10,000 people. At the start of this millennium, there were only 11 churches to every 10,000 people.
And the numbers don’t stop there. Every year, 2.7 million church members drop into inactivity. Now those statistics are evident in our own congregation, but this is a culture wide problem. And it leaves us with a question.
When we look at the world around us; when we read statistics that thousands upon thousands of churches are closing each year, do we ever wonder why Jesus chose the church?
If our culture is any indicator, the church seems like a flawed concept. So you and I may be asking, “Why the church?”
That is a question we are going to explore today as we look at our text.
Text: Matthew 16:13-20
• As we turn there, I want to frame the answer we seek in a question that Jesus asked, “Who do you think I am?”
Turn with me to Matthew 16:13-20
Jesus has been traveling around preaching and the text tells us that he comes to the region of Caesarea Philippi, and he asks his disciples a question. Look at verse 13.
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.”
Jesus had left an impression on the culture around him. People thought they knew who he was. Some said, “he reminds me of John the Baptist.” You realize don’t you that Jesus and John the Baptist were related. So I image Jesus shared a common appearance with John the Baptist. Not only that but John the Baptist and Jesus preached a similar message. They both preached a great deal about how the Kingdom of God was near.
So some say, “He kind of reminds me of John the Baptist.”
Others were saying, “He reminds me of Elijah.” It is an intriguing comparison.
Just before Easter this year, the Jews for Jesus came to talk about the Jewish celebration of the Passover. Sarah Asher came and told us about some of the traditions the Jews have during Passover. One of them is to put an extra place setting at the table and to leave an empty seat. No one is allowed to have that spot. And when a child asks about the seat they are told, “That’s a place for Elijah.”
It is the hope every Passover that Elijah will come to dine with his people. Why? Because traditional Jews believe to this day that the coming of Elijah will be a prelude to the coming of the Messiah.. It is a belief that goes back to before Christ.
Now I want us to catch the irony of this belief that Jesus is Elijah. Some Jews in Jesus’ day see Jesus as the PRELUDE to the Messiah, rather than the Messiah himself.
Still others see Jesus more like Jeremiah. Jeremiah, has a nickname. He is often called the weeping prophet. Read the book of Jeremiah sometime. He weeps bitterly because of Israel’s sin and because of her captivity. Some people in Jesus day see Jesus as a weeping prophet.
There are two instances I can recall where Jesus weeps -- At the tomb of Lazarus whom Jesus would then raise from the dead. And as he entered Jerusalem the week before he was crucified.. However, I have to believe that Jesus wept fairly often over Israel and over her sin if he is compared to Jeremiah.
Others see Jesus as an unnamed prophet. However his name was known and he had made an impression on the culture of Israel.
Back in our text, Jesus takes the question he asks in general and he makes it personal.
He says, “That’s who others think I am. What about you?”
Matthew 16:15
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Jesus is specifically asking his disciples in this text, but that is still a relevant question to us today. In our world, every major religion has to wrestle with that question.
Some have chosen their answer
The atheist says Jesus is a myth. God is simply a way for the religious to manipulate the naïve. Or he is for the weak minded who need a crutch.
The Muslim says “Jesus is a prophet along the same lines as Mohammed.
I have an aunt who says that Jesus was a good moral teacher but nothing more. She claims that he N.T. has been embellished and corrupted.
But in the question is application.
You and I have to answer the same question. Who is Jesus?
Everyone of us must make a choice as to who Jesus really is. Who do you and I say that Jesus is?
Illustration:
It is important that we make that determination. Because what we believe about Jesus will determine what we think about the church. It’s a question I ask when someone comes to me to talk about baptism. It has to be answered with conviction.
As we look at our text, listen to how Peter responds. Now remember, Peter is one of the twelve disciples that Jesus has been training for almost three years. Listen to how Peter responds.
Matthew 16:16
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Now understand that the words “Messiah” and “Christ” are synonyms. The both have the same meaning. They both mean chosen one. In Jewish terms, they refer to the one anointed. That anointing was as King. Don’t miss the implication of what Peter professes.
Peter has just answered, “I believe you are the chosen King Jesus; I believe that you have come from God. “ Peter is making a bold, heartfelt declaration of allegiance
Beyond this I think Peter implies something. I think Peter is saying, “Not only are you the one chosen to be King, but I want to be a part of your Kingdom when you take your throne.”
Don’t miss the culture in which Peter says this. When Peter says this he has just crossed the line of treason in the eyes of Rome. Israel is occupied by Rome and In Rome, there is only one King, Caesar. Peter is making a risky declaration.
I also don’t want us to miss the personal element of this.
When you and I choose to become Christ followers, we make the same declaration of allegiance. How many of you before you were baptized made this confession. “I believe in my heart that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God and I take him to be my Lord (Master, King) and Savior.
We call it the good confession. But the confession we make is a pledge to become part of the Kingdom in which Jesus is ruler. What is that Kingdom? Listen to how Jesus describes His Kingdom.
Matthew 16:17
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, 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[d] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
I have been reading Ed Stetzer and Mike Dodson’s book, Comeback Churches. In part because the numbers I shared with you in the beginning of this message about the state of the American church are derpressing In the book Ed Stetzer gives 10 reasons why Jesus chose the church. I want to express three of them today.
3 Reasons Why the Church
1. The church is the only N.T. institution that Jesus specifically promised to bless and to build.
Did you catch it? Peter is blessed because of his confession. And Jesus says on that confession, He will build His church.”
Think about that. Jesus never specifically promised to bless the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He never specifically promised to build the Shriners. He didn’t promise the bless the VFW. He never promised to build the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts. Jesus never promised to Bless and build Christian colleges. These organizations and institutions have a place, but they never specifically received Jesus’ promise.
The only N.T. institution Jesus promised to bless was the church.
I could make a point today that this even includes the United States.
The only NATION God promised a blessing to was Israel. And I believe that blessing was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. I don’t know if the nation of Israel has a role in God’s future plans or not. But even if it does, it is an O.T. promise.
The only N.T. instituion Jesus promised to bless and build was the church.
If that’s true, then….
The Kingdom of God will not be built on Americanism.
The Kingdom of God is not always defined by “American” values. Now don’t her me wrong. America can BE a blessing, but it is not the institution Jesus promised to bless or to build. That’s not to say we haven’t been blessed. The reason I think America has been blessed is because it started with some Kingdom principles. But IT is NOT the Kingdom.
The CHURCH is the Kingdom.
That carries even further. I hope you don’t hear me wrong on this, but the Constitution is not the word of God. It is not a divinely inspired document. In fact, the Constitution of today and the Kingdom Jesus established are often at odds with each other.
The constitution tries to protect life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But the Bible declares we have life, service (defined in terms of slavery), and the pursuit of Holiness.
So if we want to be the church. If we want to be built and to be blessed, we need to make sure we are acting as Christ followers before we act as Americans. The really cool thing is that if we act as the church, even if all those other institutions falter, even if they are dismanteld or forgotten, the Kingdom of God, the church, will still stand. It’s Jesus guarantee. Reason number one why the church. Jesus made a N.T. promise to build and to bless it.
Reason number two why the church.
2. The church will ultimately triumph both universally and locally
Jesus says in our text, “the gates of Hell will not stand against it.”
The church is Jesus choice of offensive weapons. We are marching on the gates of Hell. Question: Why are gates built? To keep people out. So are gates offensive or defensive? Gates are strictly for defense. And where does Jesus say the gates are attached? Hades, not on the church. If this is true, then our job as the Kingdom is to sharpen and use our offensive skills. As the church we are an offensive weapon.
I find it amazing when people who profess to follow Christ fear Hell. Hell has been locked up. Satan is on defense.
• Let me use a different analogy to help illustrate this. If Satan and his team were playing baseball, they would always be on defense. Think about that. If a team spends all their time on defense in baseball, can they score? No. Hell is playing defense against the Kingdom in a losing battle. Hell can get outs, but it can’t get any runners across the plate to win the game.
• When Jesus established the church as His Kingdom, he guarantees the win. Jesus gives a glimpse into the future. Do you remember the movie Back the Future? I remember Marty traveling to the future in that Delorean and one of the things he does is he picks up a magazine that tells who won the World Series. His plan is to return to the past and place a large bet on the World Series. He had seen the results so it wasn’t a gamble. It was a sure thing. I’m not encouraging gambling, I’m trying to point to the sure thing.
If we KNEW who the winners would be, it wouldn’t be a gamble; it would be a sure thing. Jesus in this passage guarantees the sure thing. The gates of Hades will not be able to stand against the church.
We don’t have to mope about how culture changes and about the demise of the church. The church can and will ultimately win locally and universally. Is that not encouraging as we talk about BEING the church.
3 Reasons Why the Church
3. The church is the earthly expression of the heavenly reality
Where do I see that? Jesus tells Peter and the other disciples, “Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven.’
There’s a direct relationship between the seen and the unseen. There’s a direct relationship promised between the Spiritual and the Material. This takes place in the context of the church. The church is the earthly expression of the heavenly reality.
Have you ever recited the Model prayer? Thy Kingdom come they will be done ON EARTH as it is IN HEAVEN. It’s the same concept. If this is true, then when people look at the church within the community, they should see a little piece of heaven.
The church is supposed to be the earthly expression of the heavenly reality. Now I know the objection some people are thinking. The church is far from the reality of heaven. (And for some being part of the church can feel like HELL rather than Heaven.”
Please remember that we are an imperfect expression. Scripture tells us that right now we see dimly as if looking at our image in a price of dull metal or frosted glass. So while the church is to be an expression of the heavenly reality, we see it and we do so imperfectly. But that does not excuse us from not reflecting heaven at all.
So what if we took this idea the church being an expression of the heavenly reality and we ran with it as we strive to BE the church. What if the world saw the sins of injustice and oppression being bound? What if they saw healing and generosity and meaningful fellowship being loosed? What if they saw us being the Kingdom for the King, not just coming to church?
We have looked at the questions, “Why the church?” We have seen that the answer is tied to the answer, “Who is Jesus?”
Today, we must each begin to answer the question, “Who is Jesus?”
Some will leave answering from the heart, “\Jesus is myth?” As his church then, we won’t offer an real sacrifice. We won’t accept the promise of life. We will bemone the power of this world and hide behind the gates of the church. You see if Jesus is a myth, we won’t make much of a sacrifice to be the church.
Others will leave Jesus as a prophet. I call that the Peter Parker Problem. In the movie Spider Man 2, Peter Parker is supposed to go and see his girlfriend Mary Jane as she performs in a Broadway play. However, because he gets caught up in being Spider man, he is late arriving. When he arrive the doors have been closed. And the usher doesn’t allow him to enter during the performance. His seat remains empty. After the play is finished, Mary Jane discovers Peter waiting outside.
He can’t tell her that he’s Spiderman so he says, “Something came up.” She says this line.
“Peter, I’m tired of the excuses, I’m tired of the disappointment. That’s all you really are to me is an empty chair.”
We learned that to some of the Jews of Jesus day and to many traditional Jews today, the Messiah remains an empty chair to them. What about you and me? Is Jesus just an empty chair?
Is Jesus a good teacher?
I love CS Lewis response to the question. In his book, Mere Christianity, he writes this.
He writes (I’m trying to prevent someone from foolishly saying,) “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
What about you? Is Jesus the Christ, the Messiah. Is Jesus the one promised by God, and anointed by God to establish a new Kingdom. As the church have you and I chosen him to be Lord and savior?
As we conclude, I think it is important to realize that it is this passage is used as a pattern of the Confession we make before baptism. Today, if you have made that confession and you believe that confession I want you to stand up. And I am going to ask you to repeat that confession as the Kingdom.
Would you repeat after me.
I believe … that Jesus is the Christ … The Messiah … the anointed one from God…
… the Son of God….. And risking everything..... I declare my allegiance to Him…. confessing him as my Lord…my master…my Savior…and my King.
Prayer:
