New Church1

Our Father, we come into your presence this evening with honor and praise. I ask that the words coming out of my mouth would be honoring and pleasing to you and that everyone here tonight would hear your words only.

I have walked away from a conversation before and thought man I wish I would not have said that. Has anybody here ever done that before? I mean you feel like what you said may not have come out right or that the person that you were talking to may not have taken it the way you meant it. And don’t even get me started with text messaging. You can never tell if they took it the right way or if they understood the tone that you were trying to convey. How about have you ever had a conversation with somebody and when you walked away you thought “Man I missed a chance to share the Gospel with that person”?

Tonight we are gonna take a look at the early Church situation. Now if we went back 2 thousand years ago, Jesus has just been crucified and died and then rose from the dead. We would be about 9 days before Jesus ascends into Heaven and leaves His Disciples to start building up His Church. Can you just imagine all of the confusion and excitement and all of the emotions that would have been going around at this moment? Let’s look at one of Jesus followers that had major regrets on what he said. Peter was one of Jesus most trusted followers and was dedicated but still fell short and was a major disappointment, especially when he betrayed Jesus. He would have been destroyed by what he said, so what happened lets look.

1.)• Has anybody here ever built anything? What is the first thing you want to do? No matter what you are building you always want to start with a solid foundation. • I used to build houses and the first thing that you do is dig down until you reach solid dirt, then you pour concrete to create a footer, then you take concrete blocks to build a solid foundation. All of this before you even have a floor.

Why do you go through all of this? What would happen if your foundation shifts? It cracks and starts to fall apart.

So it sounds like a solid foundation is important so my first point is the… Church built on the rock

Let’s look in Matthew, he was a tax-collector that made the decision to give up his very lucrative career and follow Jesus.

Matthew 16:13-18 ESV — Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 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. 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.

• What rock is he talking about? Caesarea Philippi had a large hill, in which there was a deep cavern that was said to be the birthplace of the Greek god Pan, the god of nature, you know the half-goat guy with the pan flute. Also, there was a large temple to caesar and other temples to baal there. So was Jesus talking about building a church on top of this rock to put himself in place of all the baal temples and pan worshipers and the temple to caesar?

• Maybe since Peter's Greek name Petros means small rock Jesus was saying he was going to use Peter's name to build his church.

• No Jesus is going to build his church on the fact that Peter said, That He was the Son of the living God.

• Now he had retreated to this gentile area to be alone with His disciples to teach them. These guys were simple men. How are they going to be the beginning of the church of the Savior of the World?

• Jesus tells the disciples they will be the foundation of his church. This has got to be the bravest or craziest thing ever. Jesus is going to take ordinary fishermen and tax collectors and turn them into the founders. They are going to be trusted with coming up with the bylaws, and how this new movement called the way was going to look. This was a major undertaking.

Matthew 16:21-23 ESV — From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

• Peter is being told that he and the others are going to be left alone to come up with all of this on their own. Peter is in no way prepared nor ready for this to happen.

• However Peter still pledges his undying love and allegiance, Pledges to die with him, and is willing to fight the world in Jesus' name. He is prepared to go all the way.

• In the process of his devotion Jesus tells him that he is only holding Jesus back from doing the will of the Father that he was sent to do. Now with this pledge of Love and devotion, Jesus has got to have an absolutely utmost faith in Peter. I mean he just pledged that no matter what he would die with Jesus. How could Jesus ever doubt him? This brings up my next point.....

The Great Let Down

• Anybody ever accidentally pocket-dial somebody with your cellphone? I will tell you a story about one time that happened to me. I was with a group of co-workers who were talking pretty bad about another co-worker that we will only say was the boss's favorite, if you know what I mean, anyway he called me and asked me to tell them that one of them had called him and that he had heard everything. That was a gut-wrenching feeling. I felt horrible not because I said anything about him but because I did nothing to defend him.

• It was weeks of trying to talk to him and make jokes until I felt comfortable around him again. The worst part was he NEVER said a word about it to me nor did he ever treat me any different. I think that made it worse. Yell at me, tell me how disappointed you are, call me some names, something, but he did nothing. How cruel Can someone be? I wish that I would have said something, but I didn’t.

• But back to Peter, so now with Peter being Jesus’s most trusted leader and promising to stand up for Him when he is being accused? Remember Peter swore that he would never allow the priests to arrest and torture Jesus and kill him. He would die with him before that happened. So is that what happened?

Now in the Book written by John, another follower of Jesus, we see a little more of the story.

John 18:15-18 ESV — Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in.

The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself. John 18:25-27 ESV — Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.

Now the account in Matthew adds- Matthew 26:74-75 ESV — Then he began to curse and swear,saying, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

The other Gospel written by a Physician that became a follower of Jesus adds the hardest version and probably the one describing why Peter regretted his denials.

Luke 22:60-61 ESV — Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.”.

12.)• Now the other Disciple with Peter was John and obviously John was known by the high priest and walked right in. Peter stopped outside the door. I am not sure if the servant girl was the bouncer and wouldn’t allow Peter past the door and John had to come and vouch for him but, since John is a follower of Jesus she asked Peter if he was and he gets all defensive.

• when Peter was warming himself with the servants and guards he was asked again because of his accent if he was with Jesus and now he gets a little more forceful and frustrated.

13.)• The third denial is when one of the relatives of the soldier that Peter cut off his ear, how do you forget somebody like that, says hey didn’t you cut off my cousin's ear while defending Jesus? And Peter the one who swore to protect Jesus at all cost, and to die with him starts swearing and cursing to show that he would never be considered one of this Jesus guys followers.

14.)_ Lukes account includes that as Peter is cursing and swearing and saying I swear I don’t know that guy the rooster crows and Jesus looks Peter dead in the eye. Wow, what do you do with that? I felt horrific because I didn’t speak up in my co-workers defense. I can only imagine the pit in the stomach that Peter felt. Jesus didn’t need a pocket dial on a cell phone to tell him about Peter’s betrayal. He told Peter it was gonna happen before it even happened.

15.)• Peter and these other disciples had spent every day and night with Jesus. They lived together, traveled together, and ate together. How much closer could you get? They were together for 3 years, for us it is just a few page turns but for them, it was 3 years of their lives together. The friendship and the Love and the trust must have been tremendous.

16.)• What kind of a strong foundation is this? Is this the kind of person that you would want as the leader of your church here? How trustworthy is this guy? When this guy's resume comes across your desk is he hired immediately?

• Would you even give his resume a second look? But you go to a church that he founded and read his instructions every week.

• Now how can Peter make this right? Maybe he can just explain to Jesus that in the heat of the moment, he overreacted. Surely if anybody could Jesus would understand. Now that will work. He will just need to explain and everything is good.

17.)• Now a major problem, Jesus is crucified, now what? How is he going to make things right now? He is supposed to be founding the church and here he is denying he even knows who Jesus is. Peter wasn’t even there at the cross like John was.

The 3 days before Jesus arose again had to be the longest 3 days Peter ever experienced.

• Now we know why Peter RAN to the grave. He has been trying to figure out what to say, what to do, and how to make this up to Jesus for 3 days, and now he may have a chance. His heart must have been beating out of his chest. EMPTY

18.)• Now that he knows Jesus is alive it is probably killing him that Jesus is not saying anything about his betrayal. He knows about it. He even told Peter about it, but he isn’t saying a thing about it. I know that feeling. Remember I said in the situation of the pocket dial situation I wanted him to yell at me, call me names, put me down, or express his disappointment. But he said nothing, it killed me. I can relate to how Peter felt, which leads to my next point..... Reconciliation, restoration, forgiveness

19.)John 21:15-19 ESV — When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

20.)• Peter had denied Jesus 3 times so Jesus asks Peter 3 times if he loves him. Why? Does one have anything to do with the other? Yes, Peter is being reconciled. Jesus asks him if he loves him, and then he instructs him to lead his new and old followers.

• Peter finally figures out what Jesus wants. He wants Peter to be restored to the place of unconditional love and dedication that he was at when he confessed at Caesarea Philippi when he acknowledged who Jesus was.

• Jesus forgives him and allows him to continue with the founding of the church.

21.)• So now that Peter confesses his love again, Jesus has proven to him that what he tells him is going to happen is true when he said that he would deny him 3 times before the rooster crows. Jesus then says that Peter will be led away and crucified in order to glorify God if he decides to lead the church for Jesus.

• Peter didn’t hesitate, obviously. He was finally becoming the foundation that Jesus needed to build His Gospel on.

Conclusion

• So in conclusion who are we? We are the result of the Church that Jesus started building with Peter and the other Disciples so long ago. 1 Peter 2: 4&5 says that we are coming to Jesus as living stones and that he is using these living stones (or Christians) to build God’s spiritual temple (or house). This is what Jesus meant when he said that he would build His Church on a Rock.

22.)• God wants us to continue building his church, He put this church here to be the spiritual temple in this community. He no longer sees the building as the temple as in Old Testament days but he sees you and me as the Living stones of that temple to serve in our local communities.

• We are far from a perfect selection, look at Peter, How badly did he fail Jesus in a desperate time of need? Just right after swearing it would never happen, and yet Jesus instantly reconciled Peter, even without an explanation. He restored Peter to the leader of Jesus church, and Jesus forgave Peter not only without Peter asking for it but before it even happened,

23.)• Where are you at?

Are you where Peter was at Caesarea Philippi and ready to proclaim the Gospel? Or do you walk away from a conversation with regrets for not saying something about the Gospel?

Are you with Peter ready to swear your undying allegiance and willing to die for Jesus and draw your sword in the garden for Jesus? Or are you denying that you even know the man? Will you show up at the base of the cross and watch the crucifixion or run in the wilderness and cry for not being there?

Are you at Pentecost ready to stand up with Peter and declare the Gospel? And ready to go to the Cross with Jesus?

We are the living stones ready to build the temple? We are the rock on which Jesus would build His Church. Do you feel like you just keep tripping over stones and struggling to get it right? We can see that not even Peter could get it right, He struggled and tripped but in the end, we see that Jesus doesn’t care where you are, he will reconcile you and help you to start building the spiritual temple, He will Restore you if you just keep struggling to stay above water, and He will forgive you even if you deny Him over and over again.

Father, I pray that you will help us to be the building blocks for your Church. You have given every follower of Jesus a great mission for your Kingdom, I know that you have called us for your great mission. Please work through us to accomplish Your purposes today in our homes and our communities. Help us to pursue Your great mission, and lead us to love our neighbors, to feed the hungry, to care for our families, to reach out to the hurting, to bless all children and all people. I want to pursue Your great mission and bring glory to You. May we be an example of Your love and compassion, And let us be a part of the great commission of our Lord Jesus…