Whenever we look at the religious landscape today that is known by the word “Christianity,” it seems clear that what we see is so different than what we see in the Bible. We see multiple denominations that teach different, and at times, contradictory things. Of course, when teachings contradict, we know that they cannot both be true. Either one of the two teachings is correct (Biblical) or both are wrong. All of these groups cannot be right.
Our lesson for today is an introduction to New Testament Christianity. It will build the foundation for what we look at in the following studies. This lesson is on the universal church of the New Testament. There is obviously a substantial amount of information about Christ's Church in the New Testament and the beliefs and practices they had, so I can only really scratch the surface in this lesson. We will look at more specifics later.
In the context of Matthew 16, we see what many people think about Jesus. It is interesting that so many people saw His miracles and signs, and had such contrasting responses. This seems to be the main point of this section we will look at today. Many saw the miracles and signs (the Sadducees and Pharisees), but it wasn't enough for them to show Jesus was who He claimed to be. Then you have the common people, who believed that Jesus was a great man, comparable to many of the prophets. But this still was not what the signs and miracles were showing about Jesus' identity. God was trying to show so much more, and when Jesus asks His disciples, what do you say about me, Peter gives the answer that God was indeed showing through the miracles Jesus was doing, that we is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. It is this foundational truth that all men must see if they are going to become a member of Christ's church.
There are four points I would like to make about the universal church from this text in Matthew 16:
1. Jesus Is The Builder
2. Jesus Is The Owner
3. Jesus Is The Architect
4. The Church Is Victorious
1. JESUS IS THE BUILDER
“I will build…”
This is in the future tense. Jesus is saying here that He would do the necessary work for His church to be built. We need to remember that the universal church is first and foremost His building project.
In John 14:1-2, Jesus says: "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you."
Many picture in this text Jesus, after His ascension, going to Heaven to get to work, using His carpentry skills for building rooms for us in Heaven. I really do not think this is the point of the text. I do agree that it speaks of Jesus working to prepare a place for us, but I believe He is speaking in reference to His death on the cross (along with the resurrection), which would be His main work in preparing a place for us. He says the dwelling places are already there where God dwells. But without His work on the cross, our sins would keep us out of the kingdom. Commenting on this text, one person said, "Only Jesus could build a bridge to Heaven with two pieces of wood and a few nails." Amen. Jesus' building work made it possible for us to have a dwelling place with God for eternity.
And the church continues to be built as people are added to it. Peter says that we are the living stones that God uses to build His spiritual house (1 Peter 2:4-7). Jesus is the main stone, the cornerstone, and as people are being added to the church by God and grow in their faith and holiness, this temple becomes a more and more magnificent dwelling place for God.
2. JESUS IS THE OWNER
• “…My church”
Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 6 that, as members of Christ, we “are not your own” (1 Cor 6:19). He paid the price to buy us and to make us members of His universal church, and so that each member of His church would be His!
We are God's house: 1 Timothy 3:15 "in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth."
1 Peter 4:17 - "in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth."
The church is also called in scripture:
• The Church of Christ
• The Church of God
• The Body of Christ
• The Temple of God
• The Kingdom of God
• The Bride of Christ
All of these “names” were not put on signs in front of buildings. All of these names were descriptive. They tell us something about this special group of people. This is different from what we see in Christianity today. Usually a local church picks one name to go by… but this was not the case in the New Testament. The one church was described in all of these ways.
my "church" (universal)
Ekklesia = Thayer's definition: "a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly"
In reference to Christ's church (assembly), it simply refers to those individuals who become disciples (more in a moment). Jesus is the builder and owner of this group of people who are called out of the world that become His disciples.
Misconceptions:
When the word church is used in the universal sense, it is not speaking of a building, an organization, a group of local churches (or of all of the denominations put together), or a clergy system; but of individual people who are called by God and become Christians.
This is seen more in the third point I would like to make:
3. JESUS IS THE ARCHITECT
Jesus gives us the blueprint to follow to become disciples (members of His universal church), and He gives us the blueprint to remain disciples.
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom…”
Peter: the “gatekeeper”
What is it that keys do? They either unlock a door so it can be opened or lock a door so it cannot be entered. In Acts 2 and Acts 10, Peter opens the gate to the kingdom for Jews and Gentiles
In Acts 2, when Peter quotes the prophecy in Joel 2, he tells us that the gate to the kingdom is opened to “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord.” Also take note of the command that Peter gives to the crowd. He said, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins…" (Acts 2:38) Each person who obeyed Peter's command to repent and to be baptized was added to the universal church by God; they were saved. We see in this that all who are "in Christ" are members of His universal church.
"the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved" (Acts 2:47).
All who enter the "gate" into the kingdom; all who enter the universal church, belong. This is in contrast to what we see in the local church, which I will talk about shortly. Without meeting the conditions, one could not enter the gate into the kingdom… Peter gave the people on Pentecost (and us) the way to enter. It is interesting that so many who claim to be Christians have not by faith met the conditions that Peter gives when he opened the door to the Kingdom of God.
“Whatever you bind shall have been bound in Heaven…”
Jesus did not only give Peter the keys to the kingdom, He also gave Peter, along with all of the Apostles, the authority to speak for Him and to give His commandments by the Holy Spirit.
There is much debate about what the church will be built upon in Matthew 16. Is Peter the Rock? Is it Jesus? Is it the confession? What is your answer to this question? I do believe in the context that it is the foundational truth that Peter confesses, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, which is what the church is built upon. But I also believe in the context that we see that the church is built upon all of the teachings and commandments of Christ. He says that He will give them the keys to the kingdom and give them the ability to speak on His behalf. It is on all of the teachings of Christ that the church continues to be built. Two other verses we should look at:
"For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor 3:11).
"you are fellow citizens with the saints , and are of God's household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord" (Ephesians 2:19-21)
I believe what these verses are showing is that the church is built upon the foundation of Jesus, whose teachings have been given to us through His Apostles. It is these teachings which bring people to become members of the universal church and to grow as members of the universal church.
Jesus: Head and Shepherd
If we want to continue to be members of the universal church, we must continue to learn, grow, and obey the Lord. Jesus is the Head of the church (Ephesians 1:22; 5:23), and the Shepherd of the Sheep:
• "For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body." (5:23)
• "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (John 10:27)
If we want to be a member of the universal church, which is the bride of Christ and the sheepfold of the Shepherd, we must follow Him and submit to Him. As long as we are in fellowship with Christ and walking in the light (1 John 1:6-7), we are members of the Lord's universal church.
4. THE CHURCH IS VICTORIOUS.
DEATH HAS NO POWER OVER JESUS’ CHURCH
“…the gates of Hades will not overpower it”
If we follow the shepherd's voice, we cannot be snatched from our Shepherd’s hand (John 10:27-29). In Him, we have life (John 1:4; 11:25-26).
Jesus says of Himself, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die…"
Even in death, we are victorious! Our death will not affect our citizenship in the kingdom or our membership in the universal church. In contrast, death does affect our membership in the local church. When you or I die, our names will be taken off the membership roster. But our name is still in the Lamb's book of life!
The Work of the Universal Church?
Another way of looking at this part of the verse: The Work of the Universal Church? We are on the offensive against death. Hades is described here as a city/kingdom with gates that cannot withstand the attacks of the members of the universal church against those gates as we do our work as individuals preaching the gospel and encouraging and equipping our brothers and sisters to remain living victoriously over death. We as members of the universal church are at battle against death and the spiritual forces of wickedness. The local church equips us and encourages us to fight in this battle and to make sure the things of this world do not get in the way of this happening. The Great Commission was given to individuals, to all Christians to fulfill. It is the work of the universal church which is on earth. The local church is given to us by God to equip us for our work as Christians. The gates of death have no power as the church, which is on the offensive, comes against them with the gospel.
CONCLUSION
Since Jesus is the Head of His church, it is only Jesus who can give us the blueprint of what we as His people need to look like. Also, in our following lessons, we will see that Jesus is the One who gives us snapshots of what local churches should look like that we as His disciples should desire to be a part of. Jesus and His Apostles show us how a local church should be organized, how local groups of Christians are to worship, and what they need to be doing together in the Lord’s work.
