The Church.
In the world today there are many kinds of people.
There are many races, classess, occupations - languages and so on.
Among a myriad of distinctions that qualify people in different ways to belonging to one group or another there is a distinction of incredible importance.
MT 16:13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"
MT 16:14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
MT 16:15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, 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.
There are those who are part of the church that Jesus has built and those who are not.
This morning I would like us to think what is it God reveals to us about the church and secondly to ask what should we be doing about it. The first thing that is revealed about the church is that God is going to build the church on a rock called Peter. God chooses to use people to build the church. There are some things about Peter that reveal the character of the Church.
Peter was faulted - on one occasion Jesus rebuked him and Get behind me Satan - because Jesus was suggesting the easy way out - on another occasion Peter denied Jesus three times and broken hearted he wept tears of bitterness and grief. On another occasion after being filled with the spirit - we find Peter being rebuked by Paul for siding with the world instead of with the people of God -
if Peter is a type for the Christian church then we should not be surprised to find the church faulted. People in the church make mistakes they are human. I remember on one occasion being told I am a hypocrite - a hypocrite is someone who pretends they are something they are not.
I am a sinner you are - the truth is we are forgiven sinners - we do not try to sin but we do make mistakes it is part of the human condition and it is to people that Jesus trusts the church to.
We must allow people to make mistakes and we must allow ourselves to as well. Because that was the condition of Peter.
But we also need to remember that Peter responded to the call of God and gave it absolute priority over his life God’s call took priority - and so we find Peter being wonderfully used by God -
Just a representitive selection of events Peter is involved in was:-
MT 4:18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." AC 2:14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: AC 2:14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd:
AC 2:36 "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
AC 2:37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"
AC 2:38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call."
AC 2:40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
AC 3:6 Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
AC 4:1 The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day.
Acts chapter 419 But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. 20 For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."
Peter fulfills his destiny and makes possible the great commission.
AC 11:4 Peter began and explained everything to them precisely as it had happened: 5 "I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. 6 I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds of the air. 7 Then I heard a voice telling me, `Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’
AC 11:8 "I replied, `Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’
AC 11:9 "The voice spoke from heaven a second time, `Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ 10 This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.
AC 11:11 "Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. 12 The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, `Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14 He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’
AC 11:15 "As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered what the Lord had said: `John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?"
AC 11:18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, "So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life."
so through Peter we see God choosing to use people to build his Church.
Peter if you like becomes not only our forefather in the faith but also a type for us to imitate.
In these readings we see him preaching - moving in the power of the Holy spirit and releasing the gospel into the world.
surely God looks today for his believers to do that.
The second thing we learn about the Church from this passage is in the words of Jesus
RESIST.
and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
The christian church is incredibly enduring - throughout the scriptures we find incredible encouragement that there should be a local church and we find many encouragements about how it is to be. In Revelation for example we find words from Jesus to the seven churches in seven different areas - no question is raised about the necessity of their existence - the scriptures are clear that where there is a local areas with chrisitians there needs to be a scriptuarally based church that lives out the precepts of God in that area. |What he does do in Revelation is offers some very robust advice about how they should be living to ensure their longterm good.
Likewise when paul writes to the Galation church he is pretty outspoken about their lives - you foolish Galations he says who has bewitched you? But for all the struggles the church goes through Jesus says the gates of Hades will not prevail against you. What is he saying. My understanding is that he is saying that evil will not triumph over the church. the Church may go through all kinds of testing but Jesus’ promise is good will triumph.
In 1871, an American named Heinrich Schliemann began ex-cavating an ancient city in Turkey. To the amazement of many, this retiredbusinessman had discovered the lost city of Troy. To-day, you can still see the ruins of its towers and its walls, which were 16 feet thick. According to the Homer’s Illiad, the Greeks besieged Troy for ten years without success. After the death of the warrior Achilles, many wanted to give up the fight. But the king of Ithaca, Odys-seus, came up with a plan to get the Greek army into Troy. Odys-seus built an immense wooden horse. He and his warriors hid inside it. After leaving the horse at the gates of Troy, the Greek army sailed away. The Trojans thinking the Greeks had given up and had left the horse as a gift, brought it inside the gates. That night, while the Trojans were sleeping, the Greek ships quietly returned. The soldiers in the horse slipped out and opened the city gates. The Greek army quietly entered Troy and started fires all over the city. The Trojans awoke to find their city in flames. As they tried to flee, they were killed by the waiting Greeks.
Troy was destroyed because it had an enemy who was persistent and cunning.
We also have an enemy but as it says in LK 10:18 He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.
The christian church has the authority and power to defeat Satan and all his deviousness.
Here God shows us how:-
1PE 5:8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
example;-
The third point is Ch - Christ.
MT 16:13 When Jesus came to the region of Caeserea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"
MT 16:14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
MT 16:15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
MT 16:16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
MT 16:17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church,
This passage has the three great ch’s
Christ the chosen and the Church - together they make a powerful brew.
Without Christ though you simply have the chosen and the church looking a bit like Alice in Wonderlands mad hatter’s race everyone running any old way they want and everyone wins a prize.
Last week someone - shared with me how they shared with a dying person that when you die you just go to be with God full stop - no need for Jesus a personal saviour salvation or the work of the cross on their lives.
When Peter speaks of Christ the son of the living God he not only describes precisely who Jesus’
is but he descrivbes the function of the church as well.
