Welcome to Refinery Life Australia.
Today we start a series titled The Nature and Ministry of the Church.
These messages focus on the home, the school, the church, and the state, the four great institutions that give meaning and stability to western civilisation.
Today we are talking about The Church and It’s beginning.
Prayer
Holy Father, for the beauty of the earth and the magnificence of its riches, we give you thanks.
We ask your forgiveness for our sins of ingratitude and presumption.
Increase our sensitivity to your blessings around us, and open our hearts and hands to respond by sharing that which we have been blessed.
Receive these gifts we bring this morning for your glory.
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.
Text
Matthew 16:18 AMP
18 And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades (death) will not overpower it [by preventing the resurrection of the Christ].
Scripture Reading
Matthew 16:13-19 AMP
Peter’s Confession of Christ
13 Now when Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14 And they answered, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah, or [just] one of the prophets.”
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of the living God.”
17 Then Jesus answered him, “Blessed [happy, spiritually secure, favored by God] are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood (mortal man) did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
18 And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this [c]rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades (death) will not overpower it [by preventing the resurrection of the Christ].
19 I will give you the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth will have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth will have [already] been loosed in heaven.”
Introduction
What do you think about when you first hear the word “church”?
Some think of a building, a physical structure.
It might be a modern steel building in the suburbs with an open ceiling, acoustic panels on the walls, interlocking chairs, a large stage, and a plexiglas pulpit.
Others might envision a majestic and imposing building with stained glass windows, cushioned pews, and beautiful carpets etc.
Still others, when the word “church” is mentioned, think of a service, a ceremony or ritual, that takes place on Sunday morning, in which hymns or worship songs are sung, prayers are offered, and a sermon is delivered.
These are all connotations of the word church, and they are all right if we have firmly planted in our minds the original and basic meaning of the word.
The purpose of this morning’s message is to establish in our minds the basic meaning of church that Jesus has given to us.
This was not Peter’s idea of the church or Paul’s concept or Matthew’s or John’s.
It came directly from Christ who loved the church and gave Himself up for her, (Ephesians 5:25).
The verses of our text are divided into three parts.
First is the introduction where the author prepares us for what he is about to say.
Second is the presentation.
Here it is a single verse in which Jesus revealed the foundation, mission, and security of the church.
Finally, there is the conclusion or statement in which the author rounds up the design and purpose of what he has said.
- The introduction.
- What happened around Caesarea Philippi has been called the watershed for the gospel.
All that comes before and all that comes afterward flow from this event.
At this point Jesus was only six months away from His death on the cross.
Did these men, His disciples, truly understand Him and His mission on earth?
They had been fascinated by His teaching, thrilled by His miracles, and awed by His divine personality.
But did they truly understand Him and what He came to do?
Certainly Jesus knew their hearts, but they had never articulated their thoughts about Him, they had never verbalised their faith.
Paul said in Romans 10:10, For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation.
There is something about speaking our faith that validates it.
B. In our imagination let us join the disciples and Jesus.
The setting is a relaxed one, because Jesus has taken the disciples away from the crowds.
Everywhere in this historical part of Palestine there are monuments of ancient kings and conquerors, there are also relics of the ancient Canaanite religions as well as the current pantheistic cult.
In the midst of all this, Jesus asks a question He has never asked His disciples before, Matthew 16:13,
Peter’s Confession of Christ
13 Now when Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
No doubt this is a shock to the disciples.
It is a probing question.
One by one they begin to answer.
Of course Jesus isn’t asking the question receive information from His disciples, for He knows what others are saying about Him.
He is simply preparing the disciples for the question of all questions, “Who do you say I am?”
“It does not matter what the others are saying.
I am not interested in your reciting a creed to me.
Rather, tell me who you believe I am!”
C. Perhaps the disciples begin to glance at each other as Jesus’ words fall like heavy stones in their hearts.
They begin to smile.
Undoubted there is a throbbing excitement in Peter’s voice as he speaks for all of them, in verse 16, “You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of the living God.”
Peter speaks what hid heart has already accepted as truth.
Immediately Jesus recognises the reality of Peter’s confession in verse 17, Then Jesus answered him, “Blessed [happy, spiritually secure, favored by God] are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood (mortal man) did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
2. The presentation.
- After Peter’s confession, Jesus reveals to His disciples the most fantastic concept the world has ever known.
Verse 18, And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades (death) will not overpower it [by preventing the resurrection of the Christ].
He begins by saying, “you are Peter”
The name Peter (Petros) means”a little stone or rock.”
When Jesus first met this man, He said to him, “you are Simon the son of Jona, you shall be called Cephas” (John 1:42).
Cephas, the Aramaic form of the Greek name Peter, is by interpretation “a stone.”
Now Jesus is saying, “Peter, you have become a stone!”
And what is the evidence?
His confession of Christ!
Peter is still unstable, but at long last the “rock” is beginning to harden.
Through the sorrow of the crucifixion, the victory of the resurrection, and the glory of Pentecost, Peter will keep on becoming the rock that Jesus has predicted he will become.
B. But Jesus is not through.
After He commends Peter, Jesus changes His emphasis completely.
“And on this rock I will build My church”.
The word Jesus uses for “rock” is Petra, it means a great ledge of rock, like what would be used for a huge building or large city.
Peter was “a little rock” broken off from the great ledge.
There is no doubt that the great ledge is Jesus Himself, and when individuals make a confession of faith in Jesus Christ, they partake of His nature.
And upon the Rock, Christ Jesus, He would build His church.
The church belongs to Christ, who “loved the church, and gave Himself for it.”
3. The conclusion.
- Now Jesus is about to summarise this electrifying revelation He has given to His disciples.
Verse 19 I will give you the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth will have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth will have [already] been loosed in heaven.”
What does Jesus mean by “the keys of the kingdom”?
He isn’t telling Peter that he will be the first pope of the church and, as such, have the authority to retain or forgive sin.
Instead, in Jesus’ day, the keys to a house wee entrusted to a slave who was the “steward” of the owner.
Keys are used to lock and unlock doors.
Each time Christians take the Word of God and proclaim it, they are unlocking the portals of heaven for a lost person.
But if they fail to share it, teach it, and preach it, they are keeping those doors locked to someone who needs entrance!
Jesus is saying that the preaching of the cross, as Paul would later attest, may sound like foolishness to the world, but it is Jesus’ way to introduce lost souls to eternal salvation.
B. It is a glorious privilege to have “the keys to the kingdom” committed to us.
But it is also an awesome responsibility.
We hold in our hands that which contains the power to transform the world!
And if people go away from us because of our silence, it will not be the fault of the gospel or of the Christ whom it preaches, but of His church, His people who have gone missing when it comes to the task that God has placed before us.
Conclusion.
Jesus’ words here are a monumental part of the New Testament.
All the way through this passage there is a ringing note of victory, of conquest.
Yet at the same time this is the most serious challenge God’s people have ever received.
As believers we are members of His church, His body, and we are founded on the Rock, Jesus Christ.
We are charged with the keys that will unlock the doors of heaven, and that is the gospel of redemption.
What are we doing about it?
Until next time
Stay in the Blessings
I really want to encourage you to be diligent with your Bible study time, because God has so much more for us than we can get from just going to church once or twice a week and hearing someone else talk about the Word.
When you spend time with God, your life will change in amazing ways, because God is a Redeemer.
Theres nothing thats too hard for Him, and He can make you whole, spirit, soul and body!
You’re important to God, and you’re important to us at www.refinerylife.org
When it comes to prayer, we believe that God wants to meet your needs and reveal His promises to you.
So whatever you’re concerned about and need prayer for we want to be here for you! Or even if you just want to say Hi, you can contact us
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