June 1, 2003
Title: Church 101
Text: Matthew 16:13-18
Introduction
1. When I was in college, some of the classes would be designated "101"
For example, Psych 101 (intro to Psychology)
Greek 101 (intro to Greek)
Sociology 101
English Lit 101
and so on.
The "101" simply means an introduction...
or "back to the basics"
So, as we kick off our month long emphasis on the church...
2. I thought I would start off with "Church 101"
Obviously, there is much more about the church than we could cover in 1 sermon.
For that matter, we will hardly scratch the surface in a month!
But, as we have designated 2003 the year of putting "Christ 1st"
And the "C" among other things, stands for Church
It is my hope that during this month that:
we will have a greater appreciation of the church
we will have a greater understanding of the church...
and, we will have a great desire to participate in building Christ’s Church.
Read Text: Matthew 16:13-18 (focus on "I Will Build My Church)
Body
1. First of all, Jesus said, I....will build my church...
Obviously that can’t be right...
I mean, it was men and women, just like you and me, who built this church.
Maybe there are some of you that were around 25 years ago when this church was built.
I’m sure they didn’t see Jesus out here pouring cement
I’m sure Jesus wasn’t up on the church pounding nails into the shingles.
Well, since Jesus didn’t build this church, I guess we should back up a little bit.
I remember taking a Christian Doctrine class at Olivet
and Dr. Sayes asked us what the Greek word for "Church" was...
of course, many of us had been in Greek 101...
so we knew the answer....ekklesia "Called out ones"
The Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionary says, ekklesia is a "gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly—Strong’s Greek & Hebrew Dictionary
The Church doesn’t refer to the BUILDING....
the Church refers to people...
people who have been "called out" of the world...
called out of their homes...
to a common assembly.
But Dr. Sayes gave us HIS definition, he said that ekklesia meant "called FORTH ones"...
We aren’t "called out" in the sense of separating ourselves from the world...
Which, I’m afraid, many churches have become!
We have become little "monasteries" where just our own people come for spiritual blessing.
We are CALLED FORTH to serve and to work and to submit and to build and to grow and to reach new people!
So when Jesus said "I...will build my church...
He wasn’t talking about taking on the actual physical construction of a building that we call a Church!
He was talking about PEOPLE being called FORTH with a purpose!
and then Dr. Sayes asked all of us first year Greek students if that definition would be a proper definition of ekklesia.
And what were we going to say to the great J. OTIS SAYES!
We said, "yes sir"!!
If you go back to Matthew 16:16, you see that Peter had just responded to the question that Jesus asked, "Who do YOU say that I am".
And Peter says, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God"
And in the words of our text, Jesus says, "I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church " Matt 16:18 (NIV)
Some commentators indicate that Jesus was referring building the Church upon PETER; since Peter’s name (petros) means "stone or rock" and because Peter become a great leader in the early church.
BUT, others indicate, (and I agree) that Jesus was referring to the TRUTH that Peter had just professed...
Therefore, what Jesus was saying was that "Upon the truth that I am the Christ, the Son of the Living God and upon this rock (Petra)
So, Jesus is indicating that HE is the foundation upon which the Church will be built.
So, when Jesus says, "I...will build My Church"...
we know that it is only when the Church is built upon the Rock of Christ Jesus...
that the Church is truly being the Church as God designed it.
2. Jesus said, "I...WILL BUILD...My Church"
Some people think that the best days of the Church are behind her.
Some people think that the Church is in decline...
Some people think that the Church is ineffective...
But Jesus said, "I WILL BUILD My Church"
He didn’t say, "I will see My Church falter"...
He didn’t say, "I will just watch from a distance while the Church struggles"
He said, "My Church is going to grow"
"My Church is going to flourish"
Acts 9:31, says, The Church "was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord" Acts 9:31 (NIV)
3. Jesus said, "I will build...MY CHURCH"
He didn’t say, "I will build the Pastor’s Church"...
He didn’t say, "I will build the rich people’s Church"
He didn’t say, "I will build the Baptist Church"...
He didn’t say, "I will build the Nazarene"
He said, "I will build MY CHURCH"
We’ve already said that the Church isn’t buildings...it’s people.
And people who have given their hearts to the Lord...
those people BELONG to God...
Well, not only do we belong to God individually...
but together, as a group, we belong to God...
and we make up God’s Church
4. Jesus said, "I will build My Church, and THE GATES OF HELL WILL NOT OVERCOME IT"
Isaiah 54:17 says, "no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD". Isaiah 54:17 (NIV)
Our heritage is to be victorious.
Although many come up against the Church...
and against Christians...
They will not prevail.
Satan has been trying to defeat the Church since the beginning of time as we know it.
He has tried to bring us down...
But we know the end of the story...
we’ve turned to the last page and read the conclusion.
We know that we will win!
Conclusion
1. That’s the end of Church 101 for today...
but before class is over...let me tell you some things about the Church that I think are important.
First of all, I think it is important that you actually ATTEND Church.
Some people think "I don’t need the Church"...
and remember what the Church refers to...people...who belong to Christ.
so in essence, those so-called Christians are saying they don’t need to spend time with other people who call themselves Christians.
Evidently this was even a problem in the early Church, because Hebrews 10:25 says, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Heb 10:25 (NIV)
The Church is a place where we can encourage one another...
We can pray for one another...
we can see the needs of other people in our Church...
and God can use us to minister to one another...
Some people think, "I don’t need the Church...because I can watch Church on TV or listen to it on the radio".
Now, I believe that Christian TV and Radio certainly have their place...
and they can reach people with the gospel that might not be reached in "conventional" methods...
BUT, this can’t take the place of the Church!!
It’s been said, that trying to be a Christian without the Church...
is like being a soldier without an army;
a student who will not attend school,
a salesman without a customer,
a sailor without a ship,
a bee without a hive,
an author without a reader,
or a baseball player without a team.
These situations might exist, but it is not the plan. (author unknown)
The plan calls for Christians to be in Church
2. I think it’s important to NOT ONLY attend...but you must be INVOLVED!!
Someone once called a preacher to say he wanted to become a church member.
But, he went on to explain that he did not want to:
worship every week,
study the Bible,
visit the sick,
or serve as a leader or teacher.
The minister commended him for his desire to be a church member,
but told him the church he was looking for was located in another part of town.
The man wrote down the address and hung up.
When he arrived at that address, the man came face to face with the result of his own attitude of not wanting to be involved....
There stood an abandoned church building
boarded up
and ready for demolition.
Someone has estimated that the average member of the church has heard 6,000 sermons, 8,000 congregational songs and led zero people to Jesus Christ!
Here is the way the problem stacks up in a Church with 200 members:
20 are too old to work, that leaves 180 left to work,
but of the rest, 18 are too timid to accept much responsibility
that leaves 162 left to work,
but 12 are out of town or away for school,
so that leaves 150 left to work,
but 25 of those work long hours six or seven days a week,
so that leaves 125 left to work,
but 20 of those are tied down with children
that leaves 105 left to work,
but 20 of those are unable to work because of poor health,
that leaves 85 left to work,
but 55 are unfaithful, do not attend regularly, or don’t care...
that leaves 30 left to work,
but 20 of those will attend church...but they refuse to work...
that leaves 10 left to work,
8 of those are very tired of doing all the work and have asked to be relieved
That leaves 2 people, you and me...
But I’m too busy with other things, so you do the work.
(author unknown)
3. And, not only is it important to attend...and to be involved...
but it is important to love and support your church.
This goes back to our attitude...
do you recognize that the Church is people?
And do you love and encourage these people?
Do you support them and pray for them?
Or are you critical?
judgmental?
harsh?
finding fault?
and derogatory?
Have you heard the story of Jim Smith and Ron Jones?
Jim went to church one Sunday morning.
He heard the organist miss a note, and he made a face.
He saw a teen talking when everyone else was praying.
He felt sure that the usher was watching to see how much money he put in the offering plate, and it made him mad.
Five times, he actually counted, he caught the preacher in slip-of-the-tongue mistakes.
During the altar call, he slipped out the side door, all the while muttering to himself, "What a waste of time!"
Ron went to church, also.
He heard the pianist play an arrangement of "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,"
and he was stirred to worship by the majesty of it.
A special missions offering was received,
and he was glad his church was doing what they could for people around the world.
He especially appreciated the sermon that Sunday; it really spoke to a particular need in his life.
He thought, as he shook the preacher’s hand and left, "How can anyone come here and not feel the presence of the Lord?"
Both men were in the same church on the same day.
Each one found what he was looking for.
Church is a place where you basically get out of it...what you put into it.
(author unknown)
Closing prayer
