The Challenge of Church in the 21st Century
Matthew 16:13-20
13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
Introduction: If Covid has taught us anything it is that there were tens of thousands of people in the American Church who were not fully surrendered to Christ and His Church. We now know that many are more comfortable on their sofa than they are in the sanctuary. I believe that Covid has exposed a weakness in the theology of the church that was there all the time but only came to light in the last two years. We should not be surprised at this lukewarmness. What is the answer you ask? I believe the passage before us this morning has some of the principles concerning the church that we need to hear.
First, let’s look at:
I. The Church’s Founder
One of the first things we notice about our text is the claim of Christ on the church. It is His church.
a. His proprietorship of the church
First, Jesus is the Lord of the church because He is the creator of the church.
“For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.” (Col 1:16)
Secondly, Jesus is the Lord of the church because He is the savior of the church. The bible tells “He is the Savior of his body, the church.” Ephesus 5:23
Finally, Jesus is the Lord of the church because He is the judge. Bible tells us “For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.” 2 Corinthians 5:9, 10
b. His passion for the church
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved
the church and gave himself up for her,
No Biblical writer ever writes anything ugly about the church. The church is always spoken of in endearing terms. Yes, the church had problems to deal with, but the Biblical writers did not degrade the church because of it.
We may look at the church and see all kinds of stains, wrinkles, blemishes, tears, etc. But according to this, Jesus sees only a holy and blameless church, one that he has "repaired" by the washing of water through the word. Let's remember this the next time we down ourselves for our blemishes. Let's see the church as Christ sees it the next time we trash the church, and remember that even though we are not perfect, we are forgiven.
II. The Church’s Foundation
1 Cor 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
The church's one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord;
She is his new creation
By water and the Word.
From heaven he came and sought her
To be his holy bride;
With his own blood he bought her,
And for her life he died.
a. The explanation
(2) Whether he is to be identified with the rock of the next clause is, however, a question on which men may legitimately differ. On the one side there is the probability that in the Aramaic, in which our Lord spoke, there would be no difference between the words in the two clauses; on the other, the possibility that He may have used the Greek words, or that the Evangelist may have intended to mark the distinction which he felt by the use of the two words, which undoubtedly differ in their meaning, p?t??? being a “stone” or fragment of rock, while p?t?a is the rock itself. The Aramaic Cepha, it may be noted, has the former rather than the latter meaning. (3) On the assumption of a distinction there follows the question, What is the rock? Peter’s faith (subjective)? or the truth (objective) which he confessed? or Christ Himself? Taking all the facts of the case, the balance seems to incline in favour of the last view. (1.) Christ and not Peter is the Rock in 1Corinthians 10:4, the Foundation in 1Corinthians 3:11. (2.) The poetry of the Old Testament associated the idea of the Rock with the greatness and steadfastness of God, not with that of a man.
b. The exclusivity
The word translated rock, is not the same word as Peter, but is of a similar meaning. Nothing can be more wrong than to suppose that Christ meant the person of Peter was the rock. Without doubt Christ himself is the Rock, the tried foundation of the church; and woe to him that attempts to lay any other!
III. The Church’s Formation – I will build
I will build my church.—It is significant that this is the first occurrence of the word Church (Ecclesia) in the New Testament, the only passage but one (Matthew 18:17) in which it is found in the whole cycle of our Lord’s recorded teaching. Its use was every way significant.
Christ, claims the work of building as His own. Whatever others may do, He is the supreme Master-builder. As in His sacerdotal character, He is at once Priest and Victim, so under the aspect now presented (consistency of metaphors giving way to the necessities of spiritual truth) He is at once the Founder and the Foundation of the new society.
IV. The Church’s Fellowship – church, GK ecclesia, assembly, congregation
The New Testament does not have a vision of the Christian life outside of the church, the local church. Yet many professing Christians seek to be committed to Christ with no commitment to the church. They do not believe in organized religion. They claim the church is full of hypocrites. They do not find the church necessary, supportive, or beneficial. Thus, they follow Christ but forsake the church. It is wrong. It is unbiblical. It is non-Christian. You cannot have a high view of Christ and a low view of the church at the same time.” — H. B. Charles
The ecclesia was the “house of God” (1Timothy 3:15); it was a “holy temple” (Ephesians 2:21). All gifts were bestowed for the work of “edifying” or building it up (1Corinthians 14:3-4; Ephesians 4:12). Those who laboured in that work were as “wise architects or master builders” (1Corinthians 3:10).
V. The Church’s Future – gates of Hell
Barnes Notes on the Bible: And the gates of hell ... - Ancient cities were surrounded by walls. In the gates by which they were entered were the principal places for holding courts, transacting business, and deliberating on public matters. See the notes at Matthew 7:13. Compare the notes at Job 29:7. See also Deuteronomy 22:4; 1 Samuel 4:18; Jeremiah 36:10; Genesis 19:1; Psalm 69:12; Psalm 9:14; Proverbs 1:21. The word "gates," therefore, is used for counsels, designs, machinations, evil purposes.
"Hell" means, here, the place of departed spirits, particularly evil spirits; and the meaning of the passage is, that all the plots, stratagems, and machinations of the enemies of the church would not be able to overcome it a promise that has been remarkably fulfilled.
Nothing that this world or the devil or all the demons of Hell can defeat the church.
