Being built by the Lord

From the beginning of our history, human beings discovered that we could do more and better things when we partnered. Each of us separately has skills, but our ability to do things or achieve goals is quite limited. That's why we soon learned that when we partnered, we achieved more, and we could do things that one person could never have done.

It was in that way that we managed to do really big things: great buildings, bridges, huge pyramids, great technological, social developments and much more. We have reached out to each other, organized ourselves according to our abilities and preparation, set goals for each other, and achieved them.

God created us that way. We were not created for individual performance and isolated from others, but we carry in our DNA the ability and need to operate in partnership with others. Yes, you and I are part of an intricate social structure in which, as a whole, we do and achieve more than we ever could individually.

In the same way, and according to His plan, throughout history God has been developing His project for us, that project that involves our salvation, our connection with Him, our growth and our development to serve and honor Him. That project of God also has to do with the relationship between people, mutual collaboration and organization to carry out what each one on his own could not achieve. In the New Testament and in the mouth of our Lord and Savior Jesus, this project of God is called the church.

You and I, who believe in Jesus, are part of a collective organization meant to serve and honor God, our Creator and the Author of our salvation.

1 – The church, the building of the Lord. (Definition)

In chronological and biblical order, the concept of church first appears in the New Testament in the mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It happened on that occasion when the Master was in a kind of spiritual retreat with his apostles and asked them some exploratory questions:

Mateo 16:13–18 ESV

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.

On that occasion, Jesus was evaluating the faith of his disciples, exploring what level of knowledge they had acquired according to His revelation. The Lord did this, not because He did not know the heart of each one of them, but so that they themselves would express their faith. The key was to make sure they had clearly grasped His identity as the Son of God, which Simon Peter outvoiced for all of them (v. 16). Then the Master communicated to Peter himself and to all who believed just as he did, that this knowledge was the product of God's revelation: the Father had spoken to them.

But then he makes a statement that is very important to us, and in which he mentions for the first time the name of his project, the church.

…on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (v. 18)

There is something Jesus will do on that rock. Which rock? The one Peter had just mentioned, the reality that He is the Son of God, the Christ foretold for the centuries. That revelation of His identity as the Son of God, the One who was proclaimed by the prophets and whose coming was longed for by all who sought God, would be the basis on which the project that he would develop for the rest of history would be based. You and I are part of that project that rests on the revelation (with which the Father also inspired us) that Jesus is the Savior, the Son of God.

Now, Jesus reveals what the fulcrum of God's work would be, but He did not tell His disciples that they would have to do it. Jesus announced that He Himself would build God's work. This work supported by Jesus' identity as the Son of God is not the product of human creativity, inspiration, or intentions, but the result of Jesus' own work. Beyond the historical development of the church, you and I have to be part of the church that Jesus continues to build to this day.

So he mentioned it, called it by name, but called it His own. That would not be just any project: in the words of the Lord Himself, it would be "mychurch," the church of Jesus Christ. It is not Peter's, Constantine's, Luther's, or Calvin's. The church to which we must belong is the church of Jesus Christ.

2 – The purpose of the church

Every project has a purpose. No effort, time and resources are invested in ventures without a reason for being. So what is the purpose of the church?

Yes, let's talk about purpose. Because in reality the church is not just about you feeling good in it, that your needs are taken care of or that you like everything. Jesus builds His church with a purpose. Which one?

Jesus expressed it very clearly after his resurrection:

Mateo 28:18–20 ESV

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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.”

Let's see if we can express this in other words: the purpose of the church is to communicate God's revelation (that which is based on Jesus' identity as the only Savior, the Son of God) to the very corners of the planet, producing the committed involvement of people of every nation and culture in God's family and plan.

The mission communicated by the Lord was addressed to the church, not just its leaders. That means you and I are part of this. If you are part of the church, the responsibility to participate in the unfolding of God's plan also falls upon you. That is, you also have to be part of the work that God is doing, that of making disciples of Jesus where you are, reaching people, no matter what culture or background they are.

But we must remember that it is Jesus who is building the church.

Hechos de los Apóstoles 1:8 ESV

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

We have been entrusted with a mission that cannot be done simply by our means or according to our own plans. It is about the edification of Jesus, done according to His direction and His resources. God has called us to participate in a work that cannot be done without His direct intervention.

3 – The finished product (Goal)

When architects elaborate a construction project they make plans, and in many cases a model of how the finished product will look.

Do we have access to the model, can we glimpse in any way what the fulfilled mission of the church of Jesus Christ will look like?

Of course! God has wanted to reveal to us what will be the result of all the effort, faith and sacrifice invested throughout history in his project, the church.

Apocalipsis 7:9–10 ESV

9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

That's where we're going. One day, those of us who believe in Jesus will be there, we will be part of this countless multitude of the redeemed, the disciples of the Lord. On that day we will all be surrounded by people from all nations, to the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:19, Acts 1:8) and yet, despite our obvious differences, we will have everything in common. We will be clothed in the purity that Jesus obtained for us on the cross and we will not be able to stop exalting the Savior and announcing that from Him we have received our righteousness.

The church has a high cost. It cost, to begin with, the precious and valuable sacrifice of our Lord on the cross, being the Lamb of God without spot or defilement, with no crime to accuse Him of, who was sacrificed so that we sinners might receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life. In addition, the development of history costs effort, investment, sleeplessness, worries, and often the lives of its martyrs, until Christ returns for it.

We are not being asked to be part of an easy and uncomplicated task, but we have been called to row against the current, carrying out God's plan and honoring Him in a world that opposes and attacks Him. Our Lord and Owner gave everything for His church, gave His life, shed His blood, so that one day the redeemed may be in His presence. That is why he deserves that we too are willing to give everything, to do our part, to dedicate our time, our resources and effort to serve him. And yes, sometimes that also means giving up our own comfort or convenience to serve Him, and sometimes we have to suffer, face obstacles, and opposition.

Jesus continues to build that church, and His purpose is still to reach as many as possible so that one day we will come joyfully into His presence to exalt Him for being our Savior.

Focus, dedicate, participate. Be an active part of God's plan.