The Basic Foundation
Back to the Basics: A First Century Church • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Opening Comments:
Opening Comments:
Please meet me in your copy of God’s Word in Matthew 16:13-20. Pg.771 in our church provided Bibles. Today we are embarking on a 12 week journey through the summer months that I’ve titled Back to the Basics: A First Century Church, where we will examine God’s blueprint for the church. Heritage is healthy, but we must always measure ourselves against Scripture, not chasing flashy trends or pragmatic shortcuts, but mirroring the first-century church—anchored in Christ and zealously on mission.
Because Heritage isn't “our church” it’s Christ church. So, Over the next 12 weeks, we’ll explore the church’s foundation, biblical leadership, gospel mission, worship, discipline, fellowship, evangelism, prayer, suffering, stewardship, unity, and hope.
Today, we start with Matthew 16:13–20, where Jesus lays the foundation. Let’s open our Bibles and dive in.
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.
19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
Introduction:
Introduction:
Imagine yourself standing at a busy intersection in a city that is pulsating with loud and competing religious voices. Temples tower high overhead, all around you are idols all promising spiritual power of you’ll just bow and worship them and the air is thick with the smog of spiritual confusion. That basically describes the city of Caesarea Philippi in Jesus’s day. Yet in the middle of all that confusion, Jesus plants the first stake in the ground of what would become the New Testament church.
This passage is the first time the word “church” appears in the Bible; and it’s one of those “line in the sand” type moments that our Lord is so well known for. Except this time, it’s not in a synagogue or with a crowd mixed with followers and pharisees He’s alone with his disciples (the 12) in the middle of a city full of lies.
Caesarea Philippi had a temple to Baal, a cave shrine to Pan the half man half goat god of debauchery and revelry, and a marble monument to Caesar. But it’s the place where Jesus asks his disciples a crucial question: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
Son of man- is a phrase the originates in the book of Daniel where he’s seen coming in the clouds to rule over an everlasting kingdom.
By using this phrase Jesus is declaring who he is but he wants to know who the people say he is and more importantly who the 12 say that he is.
They respond Matthew 16:14
14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
While these were all respected people, they are not Jesus, so he asks again
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
It’s then that Peter steps forward as spokesman and responds
16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
And in response, Jesus reveals the blueprint of the church: not a building, not a bureaucracy, but a people built on that confession, bound together by that truth, and launched out on mission.
What does it mean to be His church?
Who is Jesus to us, right now, in this place, at this moment?
Let’s find out together as we unpack Matthew 16:13–20 in three parts:
1. Peter’s Confession (v.16-17)
2. Christ’s Promise (v.18)
3. Christ’s Authority (v.19-20)
1.) Peter’s Confession. (v.17)
1.) Peter’s Confession. (v.17)
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.
This confession by Peter concerning who Christ is lays the foundation for the church and Jesus response to him in v.17 punctuates its’ significance.
Peters confession carries theological depth That shapes us as a church. It carries Christological, Soteriological and Ecclesiological weight that forms the bedrock of our face.
A.) Christologically- Peters confession declares Jesus identity.
Christ- (Christos, grk. Messiah, heb) Is not a last name, it's a title. Jesus is God's anointed king.
The one promised to crush Satan's head in Genesis 3:15
The one prophesied to rule from David's throne in second Samuel 7:12–16
The one the prophet Isaiah said would redeem his people in Isaiah 9:6–7.
He is the hope of Israel and the one who fulfilled every prophecy.
44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
Son of the living God- This goes even further, proclaiming Jesus deity. Unlike Baal's stone idols or pans fleeting revelry, the "living God" is eternal, sovereign, and personal. Jesus shares his essence – fully God, fully man.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,
This isn't abstract theology; it's the heart of our worship. At Heritage we confess Jesus as divine King, not just a good teacher or prophetic voice, anchoring us against the world lies.
16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.
B.) Soteriologically- This confession unlocks salvation.
It affirms Jesus as the only Savior.
By calling Jesus “the Christ,” Peter points to the Messiah who would bear sin’s penalty on the cross, satisfying God’s justice.
25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.
Though Peter didn’t yet see the cross (Matt. 16:22), his words herald Jesus as the Savior who reconciles sinners to God.
“Son of the living God” underscores Jesus’s unique role as the divine mediator, bridging humanity to the Father.
Salvation comes through confessing Jesus as the Christ by faith, trusting His atoning work alone
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.
10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Jesus, the divine Messiah, saves all who trust Him, by grace through faith. This is the gospel of the church.
C.) Ecclesiologically- Peters confession births the church.
Jesus reply in verse 17 marks this moment as the foundation.
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 church isn't built on Peter, but on his confession, the truth that Jesus is the Christ, God Son.
Every believer who embraces this truth becomes a part of the ekklesia (Church), Gods called out people.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Peter’s confession marks the first full confession of Jesus identity setting the corner stone in place.
The church is the community of all true believers built on the confession that Jesus is the Christ.
“my Father who is in heaven- Show the confessions divine origin. Peter, a fisherman, did not deduced this; God opened his eyes to it.
At Heritage, this confession unites us and defines our identity. It's the corner stone on which our faith rest and the fuel to our gospel mission.
5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
This confession clashes with that of Roman Catholicism which has been in the news recently with papal elections. The Catholic Church views Peter as the first pope, with successors wielding supreme authority, tying the church to his office. But scripture anchors the church on his confession, not a man. Jesus, the cornerstone, and the apostles spirit lead testimony form the foundation.
20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,
Heritage stands on Christ truth, confessed by all believers, free from human hierarchies and rooted in God's word.
11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Peters confession is our foundation, launching Jesus promised to build His church.
2.) Christ’s Promise. (v.18)
2.) Christ’s Promise. (v.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.
Jesus uses a play on words here that isn’t apparent in English.
Peter- (Petros) always means a stone. It is a large stone, a piece or fragment of a rock such as a man might throw.
Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).
Rock (Petra)- bedrock or massive rock formations… (William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 809.)
Like a projecting rock or cliff. The kind that tombs would be carved into. (Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).)
Jesus is saying that though Peter is a large rock, the foundation of the church doesn't lie with him but in what he on behalf of all the disciples has confessed about Christ.
20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,
The church is not founded on any human office but on Jesus Christ as confessed by believers.
All who agree with the confession of Peter or Peter's themselves.—Martin Luther
Church (ekklesia)- a regularly summoned legislative body, assembly. A casual gathering of people, an assemblage, gathering. People with shared belief, community, congregation
William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 303.
It never denotes a building. Theologically it is those believers gathered to worship and sent out to preach the gospel.
My- It's Christ Church, purchased with his blood.
28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
Heritage isn't ours to do with it whatever we want – it's his, not under the rule of the pastor, or the deacons, or the membership but under the rule of Christ.
A.) Promise 1- "I will build.”
The church isn't our project; it's God's masterpiece, built by his spirit, not our plans. Evangelism, growth, discipleship – they flow from Christ power not our tactics.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
B.) Promise 2- The gates of hell (Hades) shall not prevail against it.
Gates-Are defensive, not offensive. They were used to guard a city.
Hell (Hades)- Is deaths realm (Sheol,heb) the abode of the dead, not eternal hell.
This is a battle cry. The church is to assault the gates of Hades not hide embrace for the assault of death by God of war.
Sins power, bondage, and the grip of death that it brings is no match for the church of the living God.
Our king shattered the curse of sin on cross and then triumphed over over the grave at his resurrection. The gospel is the battering ram To tear down the gates of Hades. Even when believers die, they rise with Jesus proving Hades gates are powerless.
54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Friends the church is call to be on the offensive not the defensive. We are on a conquest against death and the captain of our team is the Lord Jesus.
The first century church lived Boldly in light of this promise. They preached fearlessly, facing death, but there blood fertilized the growth of God’s kingdom.
Heritage is called to the same conquest; the gates of hell don't stand a chance up against the church!
3.) Christ’s Authority. (v.19-20)
3.) Christ’s Authority. (v.19-20)
19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
A.) Keys to the kingdom
Keys are used to unlock things like bars and gates.
Theologically, they represent the church’s authority to proclaim the gospel, opening the kingdom to believers, and closing it to rejecters.
Peter first exercise them at Pentecost, in Acts 2 when 3000 people were added to the church in one day. He exercise them again with Cornelius and Acts 10 when the gospel was extended to the gentiles for the first time.
The exercising of these keys is not a solo act or a people crown – it's a stewardship given to the apostles and, through their teaching, to the church.
The keys and body not just the Global church, but heritages charge to preach Christ, declare salvation's terms, and call centers to repent, rooted in the apostolic witness of the apostles from scripture.
B.) These keys are exercised into Ways:
Evangelism
The church binds or loosens by preaching the gospel, stating who enters the kingdom. We do this by proclaiming repentance and forgiveness, when someone turns to Christ, heavens door is opened.
2. Discipline
The church binds and loosens via doctrine and correction, which uphold God’s standards. (Matthew 18:15-20, 1 Corinthians 5).
Sound teaching and discipline reflect heavens holiness, and guard the purity of the church.
The keys aren't free rein – they're bound to the Bible in order to ensure that the church (Heritage) speaks with Christ voice. Our authority to use them stem from Christ headship of the church, he's finished work on the cross, the resurrection and his Being granted all authority from his father. (Matthew 28:18)
We, as his body, the local congregation at 2040 Martinsburg Pike in Winchester wheeled this delegated power under His Word, a sacred trust to advance his kingdom and not our own agenda.
C.) The proper use of the keys.
The church wields these keys safely only through having faithful shepherds.
In the first-century church, godly men, elders, like the ones from Ephesus mentioned (Acts 20:17), shared oversight, guarding the gospel and guiding the flock (1 Tim. 3:1–7).
United as servants, these leaders ensure preaching and discipline align with Scripture, keeping the mission clear and free from error.
Their shared accountability reflects Christ’s design, preventing any one man from distorting the gospel (1 Pet. 5:1–4).
With these keys, Heritage gathers to worship and proclaim Christ, and then scatters as witnesses, to preach the gospel to others.
This authority drives our charge against Hades’s gates, advancing Christ’s kingdom.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
In Caesarea Philippi—a city drowning in spiritual noise—Peter’s confession breaks through: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” That confession became the bedrock on which Jesus promised to build His church. Not a building. Not a bureaucracy. A people. A redeemed family, built on truth, bound by grace, and launched on mission. And the gates of Hades—death itself—will not prevail.
Jesus handed the church the keys of the kingdom. Through gospel proclamation and faithful doctrine, we swing open heaven’s gates for the repentant and declare God’s warning to the rebellious.
But He also gave a caution:
20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
Why? Because the Jews expected a political warrior-king—not a suffering Savior. A premature proclamation might have incited revolt. His kingdom would not come through swords and thrones—but through a cross and an empty tomb.
Heritage, we’re not building empires. We’re proclaiming the crucified and risen Christ. Our work is Spirit-powered, Word-governed, and eternally focused.
So how do we respond?
1. Reinforce Your Foundation: Like Peter, confess Christ daily. Examine your life—speech, priorities, habits. Where does your life deny what your lips profess? Repent and realign.
2. Remember Who Owns the Church: Heritage belongs to Christ. Serve it, speak of it, and invest in it with reverence.
3. Live on Offense: Use the gospel like a battering ram. This week, initiate a spiritual conversation with someone who needs Christ.
4. Support the Right Use of the Keys: Pray for biblically qualified elders. Submit to Christ’s authority through the Word and His church.
Friend, if you’ve never confessed Jesus as the Christ—the Son of the living God—today is your moment. Repent, believe, and be saved. Join the true church that not even death can destroy.
Let’s be a first-century church: humble servants, bold witnesses, built on Christ.
Prayer:
Prayer:
“Lord Jesus, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Build Heritage on your truth. Make us a first-century church—led by your Word, zealous for your mission. Amen.”
