We Can Be Sure that Jesus Will Build His Church! - Part 2
The Gospel of Matthew
Matthew 16:13-21
Sermon by Rick Crandall
(Prepared September 2, 2022)
BACKGROUND:
*Please open your Bibles to Matthew 16. This chapter began with Christ-rejecting Pharisees and Sadducees trying to trap Jesus by asking Him for a sign from heaven. The Lord had already given them countless miraculous signs that proved He was the promised Messiah. But no sign would have been enough for those ungodly religious elites.
*By this time, Jesus was in the 3rd year of His ministry. J. Vernon McGee estimated the Lord was only six months away from the cross. Evil scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians had united in their murderous hatred of Jesus. Normally, the scribes and Pharisees were bitter rivals of the Sadducees and Herodians. Scribes and Pharisees radically enforced their man-made additions to God's Law. Sadducees rejected those laws. The divide was so bitter that in Acts 23:10, Paul was almost pulled apart during a clash between these two groups.
*The scribes and Pharisees were also bitter enemies of the Herodians, because they were supporters of the non-Jewish family appointed by Rome to rule Palestine. But all four groups mostly rejected Jesus. They were obsessed with His destruction, and had been plotting His death for months. (1)
*William Barclay explained that "the cross was coming closer, and Jesus needed some time alone with his disciples, so He withdrew to the region of Caesarea Philippi. It was 25 miles northeast of the Sea of Galilee. The people there were mainly non-Jewish, like the soldiers of the Roman Empire. Locals worshiped in temples dedicated to the demonic gods of the Syrians and Greeks. Caesarea Philippi also had a giant, white marble temple that was built to worship the Roman Emperor as god.
*John Phillips explained that there on the edge of the Gentile world, the Lord tarried with His disciples for about a week. There Jesus began to speak plainly about His cross. And for the first time, He spoke about His Church. That's why Phillips called this chapter "the great divide" of Matthew’s Gospel. (2)
*Last week, we began to focus on the sure truth that Jesus Christ is going to build His Church, and today we will focus on this same glorious truth. But what is God's Church. Basically, it is the growing group of all people who have believed in Jesus Christ, everyone who has received Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
*My favorite description of God's Church came from Pastor Russ Blowers when he was speaking to the Rotary Club in Indianapolis, Indiana. Each week, a different member told a little about his job. And this is what Russ said when his turn came up:
*"I'm with a global enterprise. We have branches in every country in the world. We're into motivation and behavior alteration. We run hospitals, feeding stations, crisis pregnancy centers, universities, publishing houses, and nursing homes. We care for our clients from birth to death. We are into life insurance and fire insurance. We perform spiritual heart transplants.
*Our original Organizer owns all the real estate on earth, plus an assortment of galaxies and constellations. He knows everything, and lives everywhere. Our product is free for the asking. (There's not enough money to buy it.)
*Our CEO was born in a hick town, worked as a carpenter, didn't own a home, was misunderstood by his family, hated by enemies, walked on water, was condemned to death without a fair trial, and arose from the dead! I talk with him every day." (3)
*God's Church is all of that, and much more! In the Book of Ephesians, the Holy Spirit led Paul to give us a multi-dimensional view of God's Church. For example, in Ephesians 2:19-22 Paul tells Christians that we are citizens of Heaven, members of God's family, and part of the growing, holy temple where God now lives through the Holy Spirit. Praise the Lord!
*In Ephesians 3:15, Paul confirms that we are part of the family of God. In Ephesians 3 and 4, he also stresses that we are part of the Spiritual Body of Christ on earth. And in Ephesians 5:25-27, Paul confirms that the Lord's Church is the spiritual Bride of Christ.
*There Paul wrote, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish." And in Ephesians 5:32 he added, "This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church."
*Thank God for the Church of Jesus Christ! But always remember that there could have never been a Church, without the cross of Jesus Christ! Please think about these things as we read Matthew 16:13-21.
MESSAGE:
*People are looking for a sure thing. A few years ago, I searched the internet for "sure things" and got over 2 million results. Most of the results on the first page were sports gambling sites, and there is nothing sure about that. But one of those sites was more honest than the rest, because it said, "possible sure things."
*What is really sure in life? Ben Franklin once said that the only sure things were death and taxes, but that's not necessarily true. I'm sure the rapture is coming! And when you get down to it, the only sure things are the things of God.
*God's Word is sure, God's goodness is sure, God's love is sure, and God's judgment is sure. But that's not all. In vs. 18 Jesus said, "I will build My church," and we can be absolutely sure of that! Let's explore today's Scripture and see more reasons why.
1. FIRST: WE CAN BE SURE THAT JESUS WILL BUILD HIS CHURCH, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE STILL WILLING TO RECEIVE THE LORD.
*They are willing to receive the truth about Jesus, and trust in the Lord, just as Peter was in vs. 13-16:
13. When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?''
14. So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.''
15. Jesus said to them, "But who do you say that I am?''
16. Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.''
*James Merritt explained that "there were all kinds of opinions about Jesus in that day, -- just as there are all kinds of opinions about Jesus in our day. There are some who say Jesus was a great preacher like John the Baptist. There are others who would say that Jesus is a great person like Elijah. Then there are some who would say Jesus was a great prophet like Jeremiah." (There are also many people today who say that Jesus is a myth.)
*"But Jesus is not concerned about public opinion. He is concerned about personal conviction, so in vs. 15 He asked the second question: 'Who do you say that I am?'
*When it comes to your life. when it comes to your eternal destiny, it's irrelevant what your parents think about Jesus, or what your pastor thinks about Jesus. When it comes to your eternal destiny, the only thing that matters is this: 'WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT JESUS?'" (4)
*Simon Peter gave the right answer: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'' You see: Jesus is much more than an ordinary man. He is the only begotten Son of God. That means Jesus is God. Simon Peter gave the right answer, and that's why in vs. 17 Jesus joyfully proclaimed, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah (Simon Son-of-Jonah), for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven."
*How have you responded to Jesus Christ? Have you believed in Jesus and received Him as your Lord and Savior? This is the only way to be saved. In Revelation 22:17, God's Holy Spirit and His Church give a great invitation to the lost: "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!'' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' And let him who thirsts come. And whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely."
*Commenting on that invitation to salvation, Jerry Vines said, "Salvation is like taking a drink of water. You don't have to have a PhD to take a drink of water. You don't have to study four years in college to learn how to take a drink of water. All you have to do when you are thirsty is just take the water and drink it. That's how simple salvation is." (5)
*And we can be sure that the Lord will build His Church, because people all over the world are still drinking that spiritual water! We can be sure that the Lord will build His Church, because people are still willing to receive Jesus.
2. WE CAN ALSO BE SURE BECAUSE JESUS CHRIST IS THE ROCK OF OUR SALVATION.
*Jesus is the Rock! As the Lord told Peter in vs. 18, "I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades (Hell) shall not prevail against it."
*Now, the Catholic Church teaches that Peter is the rock in this verse. And yes, it is true that Peter's name means "rock," but that's not the whole story. The name "Peter" is from "Petros," which means a smaller rock or boulder. But the word "rock" we see in vs. 18 is from "Petra." That word is talking about a huge, mountain-sized rock like the Rock of Gibraltar or Mount Rushmore.
*In other words, Jesus said, "You are a little rock Peter. And on this huge mountain of a rock, I will build My Church." Maybe Jesus even pointed to Himself as He said it, because the Rock of our salvation is Jesus Christ!
*There is no doubt that "the little rock" was a big blessing for the early church. By God's grace, Peter had a giant impact that is still bearing fruit today. In Acts 2:1-11 on the Day of Pentecost, all of the Christians were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign languages about the wonderful works of God. But in vs. 14-41, it was Peter who stood up to preach the good news about Jesus, and about 3,000 people were saved!
*In Acts 3-4, Peter and John were preaching in the Temple, and Acts 4:4 tells us that about 5,000 men were saved!
*In Acts 10, Peter was the first to preach the Gospel to Gentiles. At first, Peter didn't want to preach to those non-Jewish people, but God made it clear that he should do it. So, Peter preached at the home of a Roman Centurion named Cornelius, and everybody there got saved!
*In Acts 15, Peter was one of the main leaders in the Jerusalem church who spoke to affirm Paul's ministry to the Gentiles. And in Acts 15:11, he said, "We believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we (the Jews) shall be saved in the same manner as they.'' Praise the Lord!
*On top of all of that, the Holy Spirit used Peter to write two books in the New Testament. And yes, they were short letters, but they are filled with rich treasures for God's Church. God's "little rock" has been a giant blessing for His Church.
*BUT JESUS ALONE IS THE ROCK OF OUR SALVATION! In Deuteronomy 32:3-4, Moses' song says, "I proclaim the name of the LORD: ascribe greatness to our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He."
*2 Samuel 22 tells us this about King David:
1. Then David spoke to the LORD the words of this song, on the day when the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.
2. "The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
3. the God of my strength, in Him I will trust, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; my Savior, You save me from violence.
4. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.
*Later on in the same chapter, David said this about our Lord:
31. As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is proven; he is a shield to all who trust in Him.
32. For who is God, except the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?
33. God is my strength and power, and He makes my way perfect.
*Jesus Christ is the Rock of our salvation! Speaking about the Children of Israel in 1 Corinthians 10:1-4, the Apostle Paul said:
1. Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea,
2. all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
3. all ate the same spiritual food,
4. and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
*We can be sure that the Lord will build His church, because Jesus is the Rock of our salvation. And the Rock of our salvation will stand forever!
3. WE CAN ALSO BE SURE, BECAUSE JESUS WILL GIVE US ALL THE RESOURCES WE NEED.
*We see this truth in vs. 19 where Jesus said, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
*Jesus told Peter, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven." And the Lord will give us all of the kingdom resources we will ever need. As Paul said in Philippians 4:19, "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
*Now surely there are different opinions about these keys to the kingdom of heaven. Catholics teach that the keys were given only to Peter until he passed them down to the future Bishops of Rome. That's why the Popes are the Bishops of Rome, and one reason why Roman Catholics consider themselves to be the only true church.
*Nothing in the Bible supports those beliefs, and I like John Gill's explanation of the keys. He basically said, "'The keys' are the abilities to open and explain the Gospel truths, along with a mission from Christ to make use of them. And the fact that the Lord said He was giving the keys to Peter is understandable when we remember that it was Peter who first preached the Gospel to the Jews on the Day of Pentecost, and to the Gentiles at Cornelius' house." (6)
*Also think about the fact that keys give us access to things, and as Christians, we all have access to the things of God. As Paul said in Romans 5:1-2, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." In Ephesians 2:18 Paul also said, "Through Him (that is through Jesus Christ) we (both Jews and Gentiles) have access by one Spirit to the Father."
*Church: We may not understand everything about these keys. But here is something we know for sure: The Lord will give us every kingdom resource we need to carry out His work in our world. And we can be sure that Jesus will build His Church, because He will give us the resources we need.
4. WE CAN ALSO BE SURE, BECAUSE CHRISTIANS ARE STILL LIVING UP TO THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES.
*In vs. 19, the Lord first gave these responsibilities to His Apostles. There again, Jesus said, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.''
*Those Apostles have been up in Heaven for 2,000 years now, but Christians, we are saved today because somebody else followed their lead. Many people stepped up to the responsibility of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And centuries later, maybe 50 generations or more, one day somebody shared the Gospel with us. And by the amazing grace of God, we were saved!
*Christians: We are going to Heaven one day, because a lot of people stepped up to their responsibility. And Christ followers all over the world are still stepping up today. How about us? You and I can make a difference beyond our wildest imaginations, and we might not learn about it until we get to Heaven.
*It could be God's answer to your prayers for lost people. It could be the fruit of a missions offering you gave. It could be because you invited a friend, or co-worker, or neighbor to church. It could be because you told someone about Jesus and what He has done for you. It could also be the result of your faithful service at church. There are a multitude of ways we can make a difference for Jesus Christ, but we have to live up to our responsibilities.
*You have probably never heard of Albert McMakin. He was a 24-year-old farmer who trusted in Jesus way back in 1934. Albert was so full of enthusiasm that he filled a truck with people, and took them to a revival meeting to hear about Jesus. But one farmer's son was hard to persuade. That young man was too busy falling in and out of love with different girls, and he didn't seem to care about Christianity.
*Eventually, Albert did persuade him to come to the revival. And the way Albert did it was by telling the young man that he could drive the truck! The boy was only 16, and what 16-year-old could turn down that offer? When they got to the revival meeting, the young man was awestruck. And he went back night after night, until one night he went forward and gave his life to Jesus Christ.
*That young man was Billy Graham. And we can't all be like Billy Graham, but we can be like Albert McMakin, doing all we can to bring our friends to Jesus. (7)
*We have no idea how much God will do when we live up to our responsibilities! But we can be sure that Jesus will build His Church, because many Christians are living up to their responsibilities!
5. CHURCH: WE CAN ALSO BE SURE, BECAUSE OUR REDEEMER LIVES!
*Our Redeemer lives! And we can see this truth in vs. 20-21:
20. Then Jesus commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.
21. From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
*After Jesus rose again from the dead, He told His followers to begin spreading the Gospel all over the world, but here in vs. 20, "Jesus commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ."
*Why did Jesus do that? Remember that this is "the great divide" in Matthew's Gospel. William MacDonald explained that "because of Israel's unbelief, no good could come from proclaiming the news, and great harm might come from a popular movement to crown Jesus as King, since that move would be cruelly crushed by the Romans.
*James Stewart explained this Scripture marks the turning point in Jesus' ministry. From this time on, everything began to flow in another direction. The popularity which led the crowd to want Jesus as their king would all be left behind, as the Lord lovingly set His course toward the sacrifice of His Cross." (8)
*So, again in vs 21, "From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day."
*Jesus did go to Jerusalem. He did suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes. He die on the cross for our sins. And Jesus never had to die at all, but He did it for us! And He did it for love! But 3 days later, Jesus rose again in everlasting victory over death.
*Jesus is alive forevermore! And the cross of Jesus Christ has the power to give eternal life to the lost! The cross of Jesus Christ still has the power to save souls! So, nothing can stop Jesus from building His Church!
CONCLUSION:
*Are you a part of His Church? Have you trusted in the Lord who died on the cross for you? Have you received Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Please know that there are only 2 places where you can spend eternity. It's either going to be Heaven or hell forever. And our living Lord wants you to spend eternity in Heaven with Him. Call on the Lord to save you, as we go back to God in prayer.
(1) Sources:
-WORD PICTURES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT by Archibald Thomas (A. T.) Robertson - Published in 1930-1933 - Matthew 12:14; Mark 3:6
-Got Questions: Who were the Herodians? - https://www.gotquestions.org/Herodians.html
-Got Questions: Who are the various Herods mentioned in the Bible? - https://www.gotquestions.org/Herods.html
-Got Questions: What was Herod's temple? - https://www.gotquestions.org/Herod-third-temple.html
-GotQuestions.com - "Who were the Scribes?" - https://www.gotquestions.org/scribes-Jesus.html
-https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jesus/Scribes-and-Pharisees
(2) Adapted from:
-THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH J. VERNON MCGEE by J. Vernon McGee - Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville - Copyright 1981 - "Jesus Announces His Death and Resurrection" - Matthew 16:21-28 - Downloaded to e-Sword by Rick Meyers - Copyright 2021
-BARCLAY'S DAILY BIBLE STUDY SERIES - NEW TESTAMENT by William Barclay - Revised Edition - Copyright 1975 - First published by the Saint Andrew Press, Edinburgh, Scotland - The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - "The Scene of the Great Discovery" - Matthew 16:13-16 - https://bibleportal.com/commentary/section/william-barclay/the-scene-of-the-great-discovery-matthew-1613-16
-EXPLORING THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW by John Phillips, Kregal Publications, Grand Rapids - "Peter and the Christ" - Matthew 16:13-20 - Downloaded to "Bible Study 6" from Olive Tree Bible Software, Inc.
(3) Andy Mason, amason@accs.net, "Leadership Magazine" -- "to Illustrate" - Source: "Dynamic Illustrations - April, May, June 2001 - Topic: Church
(4) Adapted from Sermons.com sermon "The Church Is Alive and Well" by James Merritt - Matthew 16:13-18
(5) SermonSearch.com - "AMEN! COME!" by Jerry Vines - Revelation 22:17-21 - 8/11/2002
(6) Adapted from JOHN GILL'S EXPOSITION OF THE BIBLE by Dr. John Gill, D. D. - 1697-1771 - Published in 1746-1766, 1816 - Matthew 16:19 - Downloaded to e-Sword by Rick Meyers - Copyright 2021
(7) SermonCentral illustration contributed by Martin Dale - Source: QUESTIONS OF LIFE by Nicky Gumbel, pp.193-194
(8) Adapted from BELIEVER'S BIBLE COMMENTARY by William MacDonald - Edited by Arthur Farstad - Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Copyright 1995 - Matthew 16:13-20
