Preaching Series: The Tie That Binds
The Necessity of the Church
Text: Matthew 16:13-20
Introduction: A husband and his wife arose one Sunday morning and the wife dressed for church as the husband sat sipping his coffee. It was just about time to leave when she noticed her husband hadn’t moved a finger toward getting ready. Perplexed, she asked, "Why aren’t you getting dressed for church?" He said, "Because I don’t want to go." She asked, "Why not?" He said, "Well, if you must know, I have three reasons. First, the congregation is cold. Second, no one likes me. And third, I just don’t want to go." The wife replied, wisely, "Well, honey, I have three reasons why you should go. First, the congregation is warm. Second, there are a few people there who like you. And third, you’re the pastor! So get dressed!"
Today we’re beginning a series on the church called "The Tie That Binds." We plan to spend the next ten or so weeks looking at God’s instructions for this sometimes confusing, occasionally carnal, yet always divinely-led community of true believers. Someone has said of the church, "It has many critics, but no rivals!" Why is this true? The church is the only institution ordained of God that exists for sole purpose of depopulating Hell. As we shall see, it is absolutely necessary and vital to the triumphant plan of God.
In Matthew 16, Jesus uses the word "church" for the very first time. Leading up to it we find the famous confession of Peter regarding the identity of Christ. Jesus asked His disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist (See Mark 6:16); others say Elijah (See Matthew 17:10-13; Malachi 4:5); and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets (See Deuteronomy 18:15)." "But what about you?" Jesus asked. "Who do you say that I am?" Ever the spokesman for the group, Peter stepped forward with the answer. "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." The term means, ’Messiah or Anointed One.’ It was linked in the mind of the Jews to King David, as the anointed king of Israel (See 2 Samuel 5:3). But beyond this identification, the word was also applied to the descendant of David who, in the last days, would conquer the enemies of Israel (See 2 Samuel 7:11b-13; Psalm 2:2). CLEARLY PETER HAD GOTTEN IT RIGHT! HIS WAS NOT THE FIRST RECOGNITION OF JESUS AS MESSIAH (See Luke 2:25-32), BUT IT WAS THE FULLEST CONFESSION TO THIS POINT (Note that Peter acknowledges Jesus’ special relationship with the Father--the Son of the Living God--that sets Him apart from any other Messianic figure).
Once Peter makes his famous confession, Jesus confesses a few things of His own. These statements provide us with some helpful insight into the Lord’s plan for the future of this fledgling group of disciples who would form the foundation of the church. Let’s take a look at them together.
I. The Work of the Father (See Matthew 16:17). Jesus declared that Peter was blessed as the personal recipient of revelation from the Father. The word ’revealed’ means to uncover something that was previously covered. In the Gospel of John, we’re told that Jesus came to His own (the Jews) but they did not receive Him (See John 1:11). Unlike Peter and the other disciples (See Matthew 14:33), the nation of Israel had failed to rightly identify Jesus as the Promised Messiah. Why? Because God, in His good pleasure, had not revealed this truth to them (See Matthew 11:20-26). Though they had witnessed Jesus healing the sick, cleansing a leper, feeding 5,000 with a few loaves or bread and some fish and even raising the dead, they did not believe because God did not open their eyes to the truth. The Apostle Paul calls this lack of understanding a ’mystery (See Romans 16:25),’ something that is outside the range of unassisted human comprehension. Application: Did you know that it is impossible for us to grasp God’s spiritual realities apart from His revelatory work in our lives? Peter did not deduce from logic that Jesus was the Messiah. He did not come to this conclusion based on a careful evaluation of the empirical evidence. It was exclusively the work of the Father that enabled him to discern the identity of the Son. So many of us today believe that entrance into the church is determined by a reasonable and rational explanation of the Gospel, answering all the arguments and filling in all the holes so that we are left with only one possible conclusion. Yet, we all know that there are countless individuals who have sat in church pews or listened over the airways to the best expositors of the Word since the 1st century who will spend eternity in Hell. Just like Peter, our spiritual journey must begin with God revealing the truth to us. He, alone, makes the blind to see.
II. The Work of the Son (See Matthew 16:18). "I tell you that you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church..." Jesus informed Peter that he was going to play a foundational role in the establishment of this new entity called the church, which in fact he did! Make no mistake, however, that Christ is the One who builds it. The word "church" means ’called out ones.’ It refers to those who were dead in their transgressions and sin, but have been made alive in Christ (See Ephesians 2:1, 4) by virtue of His call which cannot be changed (See Romans 11:29 - literally ’repented of’’). We are told by Christ that the gates of Hades will not prevail against His church." Hades, the realm of the dead, will in no way exert its power over those whom God has called (See Romans 8:30) and who have received the gift of life through our Lord’s sacrifice on the cross. Application: There is only one way to enter into the church...through Jesus (See John 10:7-9). PRESENT THE GOSPEL AND GIVE AN INVITATION.
III. The Work of the Church (See Matthew 16:19). "I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." There is much confusion about these verses, particularly as they relate to Peter. Jesus is not conferring upon Peter supreme authority over God’s people. Later, after the resurrection, Christ uses similar language when speaking to all the disciples (See John 20:23). True, Peter is given the authority to admit entrance into the kingdom, but it relates entirely to the preaching of the Gospel. Through it he declares the terms under which God grants entrance to and exclusion from the church. Later, Peter uses the keys of the kingdom of heaven to open the door to the Jews (See Acts 2:5, 14, 38-39), Samaritans (See Acts 8:14-17) and Gentiles (See Acts 10:44-47). Once Peter does so, he gradually plays a lesser role. Once the doors are opened, the keys are no longer necessary. Application: A. T. Robertson has it right when he says, "The same power given to Peter belongs to every disciple of Jesus in all the ages." He is the first to bring the Good News to these people groups, but not the only one to do so. That responsibility falls on the church as it ministers to each succeeding generation. We dare not drop the ball. There is too much riding on our faithfulness.
Conclusion: On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occur, there was once a crude little lifesaving station. The building was no more than a hut, and there was only one boat; but the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the sea. With no thought for themselves, they went out day and night, tirelessly searching for the lost. Some of those who were saved, and various others in the surrounding area, wanted to be associated with the station and give their time, money, and effort to support the work. New boats were bought and new crews trained. The little lifesaving station grew. Some of these new members of the lifesaving station were unhappy that the building was so crude and poorly equipped. They felt that a more comfortable place should be provided as the first refuge of those who were saved from the sea. They replaced the emergency cots with beds and put better furniture in the enlarged building. Now the lifesaving station became a popular gathering place for its members, and they decorated it beautifully and furnished it exquisitely because they used it as sort of a club. Fewer members were now interested in going to sea on lifesaving missions, so they hired lifeboat crews to do this work. The lifesaving motif still prevailed in this club’s decoration, and there was a memorial lifeboat in the room where the club initiations were held. About this time a large ship was wrecked off the coast, and the hired crews brought in boatloads of cold, wet, half-drowned people. They were dirty and sick, and some of them were foreigners. The beautiful new club was in chaos. Immediately, the property committee hired someone to rig up a shower house outside the club, where victims of shipwrecks could be cleaned up before coming inside. At the next meeting, there was a split in the club membership. Most of the members wanted to stop the club’s lifesaving activities because they felt they were unpleasant and a hindrance to the normal social life of the club. A small number of members insisted upon lifesaving as their primary purpose and pointed out that they were still called a lifesaving station. The small group’s members were voted down and told that if they wanted to save lives, they could begin their own lifesaving station down the coast, which they did. As the years went by, however, the new station experienced the same changes that had occurred in the old station. It evolved into a club, and yet another lifesaving station was founded. History continued to repeat itself, and if you visit that seacoast today, you will find a number of exclusive clubs along that shore. Shipwrecks still occur in those waters, but most of the victims drown.
