The Foundation of the Church
We Are the Church FBC • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Matthew 16:13-20
How do our children ever understand what a church is?
We go to church (referring to a building).
We go to “big church” (referring to a worship service).
They go to “children’s church” (referring to a kid’s Bible study time away from everyone else.)
My kids- the place that daddy goes to work.
What is church?
-The Church and a Local Church
The Church=All Christians in world
local Church
-Not a building.
-Not a gathering of believers (Christian concerts are not churches.)
-Not believers who come together for a short-term mission trip.
-A local community of believers committed to work together to accomplish God’s purpose.
Our Purpose: We GATHER for God’s glory, to GROW in Christlikeness, and GO in the Holy Spirit proclaiming the gospel.
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.
Jesus took His disciples to Gentile territory, in the region of Caesarea Philippi. They were about 120 miles from Jerusalem in the northern part of Palestine.
The region was strongly identified with various religions:
It had been a center for Baal worship; the Greek god Pan had shrines there; and Herod the Great had built a temple there to honor Augustus Caesar.
It was in the midst of this pagan superstition that Peter confessed Jesus as the Son of God.
And it was probably within sight of Caesar’s temple that Jesus announced a surprise: He would not yet establish His kingdom, but He would build His church.
After asking what the world thought of him, Jesus asks the disciples what they believe.
6 Foundations of the Church
6 Foundations of the Church
1. Revelation (17)
1. Revelation (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.
Peter's confession was different than the other Jews. (14)
14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
It was revealed by God himself.
It is not an understanding of the wisdom of man.
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.”
General Revelation / Special Revelation (Word of God)
Once revealed, we have a responsibility
29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
2. Leadership (18)
2. Leadership (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.
The Rock
Play on Words Peter and Petra
Is Peter the rock Jesus used to build His church or was what Peter said about Jesus the Rock? - Peter is not the Rock- Jesus is! Peter proves to be sand.
22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well.
11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.
12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
"Build my church"
ekklesia= 114 times "church" is used in N.T. 90 of these refer to a local church.
This time is refers to the global church.
Word used of other assemblies in Greek world but this time it was different.
Who does this church belong to?= Jesus
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.
Jesus is the owner and the cornerstone.
Jesus is the head of the church.
22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,
23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Jesus does the building using us.
4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious,
5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
We participate as part of The Church as a local church.
We are an independent church but we are not alone.
We cooperate with other churches to build The Church.
Never forget that the leader is Jesus.
3. Community (18b)
3. Community (18b)
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.
Church= ecclesia= community
Roman culture= assembly or gathering. When local citizens gathered for public affairs.
Disciples wanted Jesus to build his Kingdom.
He instead hijacks this word to refer to the unity of purpose when followers come together.
We Are the Church
Church is not a place or an event.
Church is not a crowd.
Church is a community of believers.
Community= interdependent group of people who have different parts to play in the relationship.
4. Victory (18c)
4. Victory (18c)
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.
"Gates of Hades"= Gates of Death or Powers of Death
Old Testament uses terms "Gates of death"
Gates keep people in-- We will not be separated from God. (also see Rich man and Lazarus)
"Shall not prevail"= death will not have victory over the church.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
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.
5. Authority (19)
5. Authority (19)
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.”
Keys that Open and Unlock
He who holds the keys has the authority.
ILL— We had to find the keys to our front door.
22 And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.
7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.
Binding and loosing
making entrance to God's kingdom available or unavailable to people through our witness, peaching, and ministry.
23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
Spiritual authority
Spiritual warfare also involved.
As we use authority on earth it brings with it the unleashing of spiritual help.
6. Proclamation (20)
6. Proclamation (20)
20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
Things change after the resurrection.
See parallels in these verses to what we have studied today...
Matthew 28:18-20 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.”
When it is time to proclaim we must proclaim. We live in the time to proclaim.
Peter’s Proclamation
16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
CONCLUSION
What do you confess about Jesus?
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.
Do you love the church as much as Jesus does?
