Summary: Hell shall not prevail against the church

MATTHEW 16:18 “HELL SHALL NOT PREVAIL”

A) Christ came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, and He withdrew Himself to be alone with

His disciples!

* He was facing the end very, very soon ... There was much to reveal and teach them.

* It was time for them to learn that He was building a church ... An assembly of people who would

be confessing Him to be the Messiah.

B) Jesus asked them a critical question, “Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am?”

* We must know what others say about Jesus, just who He is.

* What men think of Jesus determines their destiny and how we are to reach them.

* There were false confessions regarding Christ ... Peter’s confession is not the confession of the

world. * Jesus was considered one of the greatest of men.

C) Some said Jesus was John the Baptist! * Herod thought this – Matt. 14:1-2 “At that .......”

* He was professing that Jesus was a great spirit that was willing to be killed for His faith.

D) Some said He was Elijah ... Elijah was considered to be the greatest prophet of all time!

* William Barclay points out that even today the Jews expect Elijah to return before the Messiah.

* In the celebration of the Passover, they always leave a chair vacant for him to occupy.

E) Some people said Jesus was Jeremiah!

* They were professing Jesus to be a prophet who was revealing some very important things about

God and religion to men.

* The Apocrypha (2 Maccabees 2:1-12 and Esdras 2:18) says that Jeremiah was going to return to

earth right before the Messiah and bring with him the Tabernacle, ark, and altar of incense.

* He was said to have taken these and hid them in Mt. Nebo right before he died.

F) Some said Jesus was one of the Prophets!

* They were professing Him to be a great prophet, who was brought back to life or, one in whom

the spirit of a great prophet dwelt who had been sent for their day and time.

* Read Deut. 18:15; 18 “The Lord thy God shall raise up ... The Lord thy God will raise up .......”

G) It should be noted that the same false confessions about Christ exists in every generation!

* There are some people who think that Jesus was only a great man of righteousness who was

martyred for His faith and leaves us an example of how to live and stand up for what we believe.

* There’s others who think He was one of the great teachers and prophets of history.

H) There are still others who think that Jesus was only a great man who revealed some very

important things to us about God and religion!

* There are some others who think that Jesus was just a great man and prophet sent to the people

(Jews) of His day.

* Early Christian writings not included in the New Testament.

I) Then Jesus asked a second critical question, “But whom say ye that I am?”

* The answer to this question is all important ... It determines a person’s eternal destiny.

* Note Peter’s words, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

* Jesus’ response – v.17-19 “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art .......”

J) Some believe the church is built on Peter, but that’s not what Jesus said!

* Peter, in the Greek, is “Petros” meaning a single stone ... This speaks of a stone that can be

tossed aside, crushed, chipped, or lost.

* “Rock” in the Greek is “Petra” which means “a solid, immovable rock, a great mass like a cliff.”

K) The “Rock” that the church is built upon cannot be tossed aside, crushed, chipped, lost, or

destroyed in any way ... Why? ... Because that “Rock” is Jesus!

* And hell cannot prevail against that which is built on that “Rock.”

* Let me tell you why hell cannot prevail against the church.

(1) BECAUSE OF THE BASIS OF HER FOUNDATION – THE ROCK!

A) Speaking of the Lord, Moses said in Deut. 32:4 “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all

his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.”

* 1 Sam. 2:2 Hannah said, “There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither

is there any rock like our God.”

* 2 Sam. 22:2 David said, “The Lord is my rock,” ... v.32 “... who is a rock save our God?”

* v.47 “The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my ...”

* Psa. 61:2 “From the end of the earth will I cry unto ... , when my heart ... lead me to ... rock ...”

* Jesus is the Rock and the church is built on Him, and hell cannot prevail.

B) He is the smitten Rock in Exodus and Numbers ... He is the altars built by Moses out of

white stones (rock) ... He is the Rock of shelter from the storms!

* He is the Stone that the builders rejected ... He is the Cornerstone, the Rock of Salvation.

C) I’ve shook on the Rock, but the Rock’s never shook under me!

* Paul said in 1 Cor. 10:4 “And did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of that

spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”

* Hell cannot prevail against the church because of the basis of her foundation.

(2) BECAUSE OF THE BIBLE SHE PROCLAIMS!

A) The Book above all books is the Bible ... The number one best seller ... There will be a test!

* Heaven sent, earthly men wrote it, God preserved it, Jesus fulfilled it, I believe it, I love it.

* I like to stroll through its pages ... Sometimes I walk with Adam in the Garden.

* Sometimes I’m in that number that leaves Egypt ... Sometimes I’m eating quail and manna in the

wilderness ... Sometimes I march around Jericho with Joshua.

B) Sometimes I stand beside David as he faces Goliath ... Sometimes I climb Mount Carmel

with Elijah and see the fire fall!

* Sometimes I work on the wall of Jerusalem with Nehemiah.

C) Sometimes I sit with Job as he suffers ... Sometimes I sing Psalms of praise with David!

* Sometimes I sit at the feet of Solomon the preacher ... Sometimes I cry with Jeremiah.

* Sometimes I’m in the crowd in the streets of Jerusalem going toward a place called Calvary.

D) Sometimes I sit in the Garden as the stone is rolled away and Jesus comes forth!

* Sometimes I stand gazing up into heaven and wonder, “Could this be the day?”

* Hell cannot prevail because of the Book she proclaims.

(3) BECAUSE OF THE BLOOD THAT BOUGHT HER!

A) 1 Pet. 1:18-19 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible .......”

* 1 Cor. 6:20 “For ye are bought with a price ...”

* Jesus never bought food; house; land; clothes; lodging; donkey or camel ... But thank God He

bought one thing ... The church by His own blood.

* Hell cannot prevail because of the blood that bought her.

(4) LAST: BECAUSE OF THE BLESSED HOPE WITHIN HER!

A) Titus 2:13 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God ...”

* You may take away everything I have, but not my blessed hope.

* What will be so blessed at His return?

* The word “blessed” is “makarios” (mak-ar’-ee-os) and means “to be filled with happiness,

prosperity, richness, benefits, the highest good, all the great and glorious benefits imaginable.”

B) If you can imagine the highest good and all the richness of life possible, the appearing of the

the Lord Jesus will be that, and much more!

* The return of Jesus Christ will mean a glorious union ... We shall see Christ for the first time,

and be united with Him forever. * John 14:3 “And if I go and prepare a place for .......”

C) The return of Christ will mean a glorious reunion – 1 Thess. 4:16-17!

* The dead in Christ shall rise, and we who live shall be reunited with our loved ones and friends

forever ... And what a reunion that will be. (Think of all your loved ones and friends)

D) It will mean a glorious transformation of the body!

* We shall receive our new incorruptible and eternal bodies – 1 Cor. 15:51-54 “Behold, I .......”

E) It will mean a glorious life of happiness!

* We shall receive perfect joy and freedom from trials, sufferings, pain, evil and death.

* Rev. 21:4 “And God shall wipe away .......”

F) The return of Christ will mean a glorious remaking of the heavens and the earth!

* We shall receive a perfect world of love, joy and peace – Rev. 21:1 “And I saw a new .......”

G) The return of Christ will mean a glorious reward! * 2 Tim. 4:8 “Henceforth there .......”

* 1 Pet. 1:3-4, Peter calls it “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth .......”

* 1 Pet. 5:4 “And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory .......”

H) It will mean an eternity of ruling and reigning!

* We shall receive the position and the responsibility of serving Christ through all eternity.

* Rev. 22:5 “And there shall be no night there; and they need ... and they shall reign forever .......”

I) It will mean a glorious dwelling place and mansion! * John 14:2 “In my Father’s .......”

*And hell cannot prevail because of the blessed hope within her.

CLOSE

A) I’m glad that hell cannot prevail against the church ... We are the church!

* When Jesus said what He said here in our text, it confirms that all of hell will fight against us.

* The Greek word for “prevail” is “katischuo” (kat-is-khoo’-o) and means “to overpower.”

* “Overpower” means “to overcome by superior force; subdue.”

B) Jesus has promised us that hell will not overpower, or overcome, or subdue us!

* On our worst day, we need to remember, satan is not winning against God, and he never will.