I Will Build My Church
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What is the Purpose of the Church?
What is the Purpose of the Church?
Good morning everyone and happy new year! It is again my humbled joy to be able to share God’s word with you. With the start of the new year we are beginning a new sermon series. Over the next couple months we are going to be working our way through a topical series on “What is the Purpose of the Church?”
I want you to think about that question for a moment. What is the purpose of the church? What would your response be to that question? If you were to do a quick online search there are an array of answers. Such as, the church exists for evangelism and discipleship. Or the church is to be a lighthouse to its community. Or the church exists to provide for the needy.
And while each of these may be an aspect of the church, they may not completely define or fulfill the church’s intended purpose. But before we go much further let us have our minds and hearts brought to attention through our focus verses for this series. Please say with me.
15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Now I will be honest, trying to find one verse or a short passage that captures this topic is rather hard, and is why over the next several weeks we are going to be looking at Scriptures through out the Bible to help us come to a better understanding of what the purpose of the church is. Now you may be asking why is this important? Is it really that difficult to understand our purpose?
Yes, yes in fact it is. And when you look at the landscape of most American churches what you see is that they have lost a clear vision of what their purpose is. Al Mohler, president of Southern Theological Seminary stated it like this.
“An anemic ecclesiology inevitably produces an anemic church.”
What could Al Mohler mean by a statement such as this. Well first we need to understand that this series that we are going to embark on while being a topical series, deals with the systematic theological aspect of ecclesiology. Or rather what all the Scriptures have to say about the church. Who is the church, and what is its purpose.
I appreciate how Mohler describes our understanding here as anemic. Merriam Webster defines anemic as this.
2 a: lacking force, vitality, or spirit 〈an anemic rendition of the song〉 〈anemic efforts at enforcement〉
b: lacking interest or savor: INSIPID 〈anemic wines〉
c: lacking in substance or quantity 〈anemic returns on an investment〉 〈anemic attendance〉
When we lack in our understanding of who the church is and what the church is to do, we will be a church that is lacking. We will be a church without force, a church without vitality, a church without spirit. Ultimately, without this proper understanding we will be a church that says we worship God, but actually worship ourselves. We will be a church that says we care about the lost, but really look to our own concerns. We will be a church that says we want growth, but really we want others too conform not to God’s ways, but rather our ways of doing things.
Now I know some of these things are not fun to hear. They hurt when we look at them and are faced with the truth of God’s word. But that is okay this is to be a refining process. Our whole Christian walk is a process of growth, of being challenged with where our understanding currently is and where God is wanting to take it for his glory. That each step of the way we give up a little more of our rebellion and gladly submit to His holy and righteous ways.
But while some of these truths may sting a little to look at, this series should not be looked at as one of doom and gloom. No we should be excited about this. About coming back to square one and seeing what it is we are to be doing. But before we go any further please join me in prayer.
PRAYER
Father you are so good to us. Your faithfulness time and time again is what causes us to praise your name and find comfort and joy in our times of trials. Lord as we begin this series will you open our hearts and minds, lead us to understand more about what our purpose is as your church. Father continue to grow us, while keeping us humble. We thank you father for this day and ask your blessings upon this message. Amen
Well the title of our message for today is I Will Build My Church: And the Gates of Hell shall not Prevail. For this message we will be looking to the 16th chapter of Matthew starting in verse 13 going through verse 18. If you brought your personal Bible or choose to follow along on your device please turn there now. If you are using the blue pew Bible it is on page 911. Or you can follow along on the screen.
Let us hear the word of our Lord.
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or 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 Son of the living God.”
17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
May the Lord bless the reading of his word.
As we read through this passage we recognize it. It is a familiar passage. It is Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah. We see that this is a dialogue between Jesus and his disciples about who he really is. But why would we look at a passage like this when introducing the topic of what is the purpose of the church? Well our title gives us the most obvious reason and that is verse 18 from our passage today. That within this dialogue Jesus proclaims that he is building his church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.
This passage serves as a great starting passage because embedded within it is what the church is, how you enter into it, and what it is suppose to be doing. Today we are going to look in depth at the first two and then introduce the last one as the next several weeks will be spent spelling that aspect out in more detail.
What Is The Church?
What Is The Church?
This first point looks towards verse 18.
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
When discussing the purpose of the church it is best to start with defining what the church is. How many of you recall the 1934 hymn by Richard Avery I am the church, you are the church!
1. The church is not a building;
the church is not a steeple;
the church is not a resting place;
the church is a people.
(Refrain)
2. We're many kinds of people,
with many kinds of faces,
all colours and all ages, too
from all times and places.
(Refrain)
3. Sometimes the church is marching;
sometimes it's bravely burning,
sometimes it's riding, sometimes hiding;
always it's learning.
(Refrain)
4. And when the people gather,
there's singing and there's praying;
there's laughing and there's crying sometimes,
all of it saying:
(Refrain)
5. At Pentecost some people
received the Holy Spirit
and told the Good News through the world
to all who would hear it.
(Refrain)
I am the church! You are the church!
We are the church together!
All who follow Jesus,
all around the world!
Yes, we're the church together!
This hymn captures the the idea of what Jesus is saying here. The church which Jesus was building was a group of people called out to himself. In fact this is what the Greek word ekklesia, which wee get the term ecclesiology from, means. An assembly. When Matthew records this word from Jesus, he only records it three times. Here and in chapter 18. In fact out of all four Gospels Matthew is the only one to use this word. As we get more into the book of Acts and the Epistles we see this term used much more frequently, but Matthew is the only Gospel writer to use it and he uses it only three time.
17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
The idea that Matthew paints for us is that this assembly exists in a dual type manner. A broad sense and a narrow sense. Or a universal aspect and a local aspect. In our passage from today Jesus is talking about the universal aspect of all that belong to him. In chapter 18 this is the local sense of a body of believers that help each other grow into him who is the head. So the church exists as all those who have professed faith in Christ and as local congregations that in truth and love help each other grow in their faith.
But when did the church begin? Did it begin here at this point of Peter’s profession? It is my belief that the church started at Pentecost and consists of believing Jews and Gentiles and those who died prior to Jesus’ incarnation that had their hope in the future Messiah (Matt 27:52-53; Acts 2). I also want to make clear that I do not believe that the church has replace the nation of Israel. I believe that the promises that were given to the nation of Israel, who as a nation was to operate as a foreshadow of the Messiah, were fulfilled int he Messiah. By this the church dose not replace Israel but rather is the new covenantal community, or rather the assembly under the new covenant.
Which brings us to the question of how does one enter this community?
How Do You Enter The Church?
How Do You Enter The Church?
When looking at how to enter the church first we need to understand that church membership is not like any other membership. You do not simply belong to an organization. It’s not like having a gym membership, or a membership to Costco. It’s not like paying dues to a club or fraternity so that you belong. The reason it is different is because ultimately you do not belong to the organization. No, rather than belonging to something, you belong to someone. Look what Jesus says in verse 18.
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
I will build my church. It is Jesus’ church. Both the universal and the local. And he gets jealous when we attempt to take it away from him and make it our church. It is his church and his church alone, and so before you can belong to the church you have to belong to him. Now hear me, I am not saying that this is proof that membership to a specific church dose not need to exists. In fact I believe both Matthew’s other use and many of the others ones argue for the opposite, that membership to a specific church is good and necessary for one’s spiritual growth and well-being. But that is a topic for a later message.
But to belong to Jesus, to enter into his universal church there is something that needs to be done. Let’s look to the first four verses of our passage for today.
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or 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 Son of the living God.”
As Jesus and his disciples are talking he asks them who people believe he is. Their response indicate that many believe that he is the reincarnation of one of the great prophets of old, or that maybe he was John the Baptist risen from the dead. He then turns the question to his disciples. He turns it to those who had been living and working with him day in and day out for the better part of three years. All that they had seen, all that they had done it was time for them to testify to what they believed. When asked this question Peter was the one to speak up. and he confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the long awaited Messiah, the Son of the Living God.
This is the aspect that we need to see. This is the aspect we need to understand when looking at how to enter this thing that Jesus owns and is building, that he calls his church. When we get down to verse 18 and we see Jesus tell Simon that he is Peter and that on this rock he will build his church we need to keep it anchored to Peter’s profession. There is much debate over what Jesus meant by these words. Whether Peter is simply representative, or whether Peter is the linage for which the true church will emerge. I do not hold that the second is true, but I also do not what to reduce who Peter is to the church. But what we need to remember is that the catalyst was the confession.
Paul bears evidence that the confession is all that is needed to enter the church and to receive the benefit of everlasting life.
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
The confession that saves you is that Jesus is Lord, the Son of God. And you are saved unto him which is entrance into his church. Is being baptized good? Yes, but it is not the key to entrance. Is prayer good? Yes, but it is not the key to entrance? Is partaking in communion good? Yes, but it is not the key to entrance. Is keeping your self pure good? Yes, but it is not the key. Is working to produce godly characteristics good? Yes, but it is not the key. Is giving of your time and money for the benefits of others good? Yes, but it is not the key. The key to entrance is the confession that Jesus is the Lord of your life. Once you make that confession Jesus then says, here my child let me show you a better way to live. And he enters this journey with us where we learn to love and obey him more. Where we learn to trust him more and to see that his ways truly are better then our ways.
Yet there is another aspect that we need to see. What we need to see is that while our confession brings us into the church, this confession, a true confession, is not something our flesh can produce on its own. Look at verse 17.
17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
The understanding that Jesus is your Lord dose not come through your means. It does not come through you own understanding. It comes only as a gift from God. God uses his Holy Spirit to help men come to understanding of who Jesus is. The Spirit is the revealer of truth. He is the one that convicts the world of their sin and testifies to who God is. It is God himself who cause the sinner to understand their need for Jesus and bring them to a point of confession. We cannot do it on our own and why. Because as fallen humans we are enemies of God. We invent ways of doing evil. As Brad Bigney points out our hearts are idol making factories causing us to worship anything other than God. It is a battle that rages on inside of us that often times we are ignorant to the fact that it is happening. Look what Paul says.
17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
Or as James says.
1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?
2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.
3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
We are so opposed to God that we can not manufacture a true confession. It is a grace that comes from God. It is a grace that causes us to fall terrified before him while sensing something better than we have ever tasted before. Your entrance into the church comes at the expense of God crushing his Son while you were still his enemy so that you could be reconciled unto him. Maybe you have flirted with the idea of confessing that you trust Jesus. Maybe you said as a child because all your friends were doing it to. Maybe it was a casual confession, or a step in a process, that has led you to at times wondering if it was real. If that is you and you find yourself struggling today with whether or not it was true. You have not missed out. Jesus is here today, his Spirit is calling to you make that confession today. Act on it while the times is here. Be sensitive to the moving of the Spirit and give your life fully to Christ.
Maybe you did give your life to Jesus years ago in a true confession, but for whatever reason the discipleship aspect of the process was lacking and it has left you feeling stuck or floundering. This brings us to our final point for today and the introduction to the rest of the series.
What Is The Church To Be Doing?
What Is The Church To Be Doing?
When we think about what the church is to be doing there tends to be there passages that come to mind. First and foremost we look towards the Great Commission. This is where many will run.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
After this we run towards the definition of religion.
27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
Oh, but wait, we can forget that we are suppose to be meeting together.
24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
And while each of these is an aspect of what we are to be doing, none fully define what the church is supposed to be doing. Looking to verse 18 again we can gain some more insight.
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail. Whether we could quote the passage reference for this verse or not, many of us could probably recite it if someone began it for us. We recognize this verse, we know that it is Jesus talking about what his church is going to do but maybe we haven’t given it much more thought than that. We’ve established that through the confession of faith which is granted to us by God through the Spirit, we enter into Jesus’ church. But how much thought have we given to what we are to be doing. How much thought is given to the last third of this verse? And the gates of hell shall not prevail.
When approaching this what we need to understand was that the phrase “gates of hell” or “gates of Hades” was a common phrase at that time. It was a phrase that meant that death was near. With this understanding we can again see the connection to Paul’s statement in Romans about salvation comes through the profession of Jesus’ lordship over your life. Yet, there are a couple others ways to understand this that are equally as true.
Let’s consider for a moment what gates do and what they represented in biblical times. Gates are a device that are used to allow passage in to or out of some type of holding place. This could be to a cell, to a pen or coral, or in this case it refers more to like a fortified city. Within a fortified city gates served as a line of defense. They kept out those you did not want in. They held your enemy at bay. But within the overall fortification the gate was typically the weak point. It was the point for an attacking army to gain quickest and easiest access to the city it is laying seige to. I want you to keep that in mind.
See often times when we think about the gates of hell not prevailing, I believe we get in mind that we are on the defensive side of the attack and Satan’s attacks will not succeed. Yet, a gate is a defensive weapon not an offensive weapon. This statement kinda gives the idea that maybe the church is on the offensive. I believe that this is the stance we are to take. The church is to be on the offensive. Let’s look at a couple other passages that supposrt this.
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
Let’s look at verse 16 again. take up the shield of faith so to extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one. How many here have watched time period pieces that show a fortified city being attacked? How to they depict it? There are either archers on the wall or out in the way entrance way, shooting flaming arrows at those who are laying seige. And what do their shields do? The protect from the flaming arrows. The bow and the arrow are more a defensive weapon when locked inside a fortified city. The shield and sword are offensive weapons. One more passages.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
Our weapons are not of the flesh, but have divine power to break down strongholds. Our weapons have a divine power to break down fortified structures. See the church is currently on the defensive because we believe that we are to be on the defensive. Hiding and dodging ever attack. Yet, that is not where we are to be. We are to be on the offensive. We are to understand that we are the offensive and that it has been established that Satan and his army will not prevail against us. And you know why? Because of the other understanding that could come from verse 18.
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
While gates keep out those you do not want out, they also keep in those you want to keep in. The reason that the gates of hell will not prevail in any sense against Jesus’ church, is because the gates of hell could not prevail against Jesus himself. Death came for Jesus. It laid hold of him. But it could not contain him. I want you to imagine yourself being Peter for a moment. Having this interaction with Jesus and hearing the words that Jesus said. Now with this I want you to read what Peter wrote regarding Jesus.
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
The gates of hell will not prevail. The gates of hell did not prevail. Victory was won when the earth shook and the stone rolled away. And what ought that move us towards? What should our response be to that understanding? Now that we understand that we are not a church that is to be running for cover. That we are a church that is to be on the offensive. What we need is to know our weapons and we need to know our battle plan. We need to know what we are suppose to be doing. Over the next several weeks we are going to go in depth to the three primary things a church is supposed to do. If a church has a good balance of these three things they will be a healthy church that is impacting their area for the kingdom of God.
Exalt God
Edify the Saints
Evangelize the Lost
First, and foremost the church needs to exalt God. This is what sets us apart from every other social organization. Second, the church needs to be edifying the saints, training others up for the work of ministry. And finally, the church needs to evangelize the lost.
END IN PRAYER
Father we thank you for this day and for your word and all that you have given to us. Lord we ask that through this series and all that you are doing here in Burr Oak that you reignite the vigor within us to take your word to those around us with out hope. Let your love shine through us Lord, let us not tremble in fear, but grow in you causing us to be equipped for the days tasks. Let us rejoice in our sufferings and proclaim your goodness and mercy from on high.
Amen