The Church, IT'S ALL ABOUT JESUS!

The Church: IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS!

Matt 16:18

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it. - NASB

Matt 16:18

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. - KJV

Dr. Roy B. Zuck, Distinguished professor of theology at Dallas Theological Seminary, gives a very interesting comparison between churches that are living, progressive and vibrant and churches that are complacent, stagnant and dead. Dr. Zuck says that…

LIVING CHURCHES HAVE MANY PEOPLE WHO BRING THEIR BIBLES AND USE THEM: BUT DEAD CHURCHES DO NOT
LIVING CHURCHES ARE FILLED WITH PRAISE AND SOUNDS OF JOY AND THANKSGIVING; BUT DEAD CHURCHES ARE APATHETIC AND LIFELESS.
LIVING CHURCHES USUALLY HAVE PARKING PROBLEMS; BUT DEAD CHURCHES NEVER HAVE PARKING PROBLEMS
LIVING CHURCHES MOVE OUT BY FAITH; BUT DEAD CHURCHES CREEP ALONG BY SIGHT
LIVING CHURCHES HAVE LOTS OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE AND NOISE; BUT DEAD CHURCHES ARE QUIET AS TOMBS
LIVING CHURCHES CENTER ON SERVING PEOPLE; DEAD CHURCHES FOCUS MAINLY ON PROBLEMS AND PROGRAMS
LIVING CHURCHES ARE FILLED WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE A SPIRIT OF LOVE FOR EACH OTHER; DEAD CHURCHES ARE FILLED WITH SUSPICIOUS, CRITICAL, AND BICKERING PEOPLE
LIVING CHURCHES ARE ALWAYS EMPHASIZING EVANGELISM, DISCIPLESHIP, AND GETTING PEOPLE INVOLVED IN MINISTRY, BUT DEAD CHURCHES ASK FOR LITTLE AND USUALLY GET LITTLE
LIVING CHURCHES HAVE MANY SACRIFICIAL GIVERS; BUT DEAD CHURCHES HAVE PEOPLE WHO ONLY “TIP” THE LORD
LIVING CHURCHES ARE ALWAYS GROWING; DEAD CHURCHES ARE PLATEAUED OR DECLINING

If a church is to be all that God has called it to be, then it is absolutely essential that the church settle the very important question of who or what it’s about. Churches that are alive, vibrant, progressive, and growing differ significantly from churches that are dying, stagnant, stale, and complacent in that living churches have a clear and uncompromising understanding of the fact that the church is all about Jesus.

My brothers and my sisters, I’ve stopped by this Sunday morning to impress upon your hearts that the most important truth that a church must embrace if it is to be a living, vibrant, and progressive church is the eternal truth that the church is all about Jesus. The church is not about chicken dinners, the church is not about bingo on Thursday nights, the church is not about Stained glass windows, fancy robes, fussing, fighting and foolishness – the church IS ALL ABOUT JESUS. If we are going to be a church that moves and ministers in the power of the Holy Spirit, then we must embrace, believe, and live out the truth that the church IS ALL ABOUT JESUS!

And that’s what Jesus is talking about in this text. In our scriptural text today, we find Jesus with his disciples as they stood in the shadows of the great coastline city of CAESEREA PHILIPPI. You Bible readers know well that Caesarea Philippi was a bustling city which was known for its idol worship and emperor worship. It was a city known for its many and various false gods. Everybody in Caesarea Philippi had a god. And in the midst of this city of false gods Jesus asked his disciples, “WHO DO MEN SAY THAT I AM?” And His disciples told him that some said he was John the Baptist, some said he was Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. And then Jesus asked them, “WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?” and then Jesus gives us a clear statement of what the church is all about, under the power of the Holy Spirit Peter responds, “YOU ARE THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVIVNG GOD!” Allow me for the next few moments to identify three spiritual nuggets that are nestled in this 16th verse of the 18th chapter of the Gospel According to Matthew that will help us all understand this morning that the church is all about Jesus.

First of all, we know that the church is all about Jesus because this text teaches us that Jesus IS THE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH. Jesus boldly declares in verse 18, “UPON THIS ROCK I will build my church…” But this raises a very important question this morning, What was Jesus talking about when he said “UPON THIS ROCK, I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH?” What rock was Jesus referring to in this text?

Well, I’m glad you asked that question this morning, my brothers and sisters, because we need to know today that there are those who believe that Jesus was declaring in this verse that he was going to build his church upon the apostle Peter. There are people in our world today who use this verse to teach that the apostle Peter is the foundation and the head of the church, and that the modern-day church should honor the apostle peter as the true rock of the church.

But my brothers and sisters, that’s not what Jesus is talking about here. Jesus was not teaching in this verse that Peter was the foundation of the church, but Jesus was declaring that the church was to stand on the rock-solid truth that Peter had declared up in verse 16, because in verse 16 Peter boldly declares under the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit, “THOU ART THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD.” This bold declaration of the Apostle Peter is the infallible, foundational, rock-solid truth of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God! This is the truth the Jesus embodied, this is the truth that the apostles preached, this is the truth that the early church fathers believed, this is the truth that we have taught, fought and died for. The church stands on the foundational truth that Jesus is the Christ, Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus is Immanuel, Jesus is the bread of life, Jesus is the son of the Living God. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and no man cometh unto the Father but through Him.

The church is all about Jesus, because Jesus is the foundation of the church! And my brothers and sisters, this eternal, infallible, foundational truth needs to be boldly proclaimed throughout our entire world today, because there are philosophers, thinkers and theologians in our world today who are diligently trying to redefine who Jesus is. There are some so-called scholars and experts in our world today who are trying to get us to abandon our biblical understanding of who Jesus is and to embrace some man-made idea of who Jesus is. They don’t have a problem with Jesus being a good, moral teacher. They don’t have a problem with Jesus being a profound prophet, they don’t have a problem with Jesus being a real nice guy who went around living a good life and doing really good things. But when you start talking about Jesus being God in the flesh, when you start talking about Jesus being the expressed image of the heavenly father and when you start talking about Jesus being the only way to find reconciliation with God, then they have a serious problem with that.

But I beseech you this morning, my brothers and my sisters, don’t let the world shape your view of who Jesus is! Don’t you let some theologian or some thinker sitting in some ivory tower somewhere alter your understanding of who Jesus is! Don’t believe the media madness! Don’t give in to the Hollywood hype! Get your ideas about who Jesus is from the only reliable source there is – and that is the The Word of the Living God! You see, the world teaches us that there are many ways to God. The world teaches that every religion is the same; the world teaches that everybody is going to heaven. But I’ve come by to let you know today that all of that is poppycock, its balderdash, you’re being hoodwinked, you’re being bamboozled! No matter how unpopular it may be, no matter how politically incorrect it may be, the church has got to stand tall and boldly proclaim what the Bible says! And the Bible says that IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS! The Word of God says that Jesus is the answer for the world today, above Him there’s no other, JESUS IS THE WAY!

The church is all about Jesus! I’ve come this morning to let you know that it’s time for the church to boldly stand up and proclaim to a dying world that Buddha is not the way, Confucius is not the way, Muhammad is not the way, yoga and meditation are not the way, good works are not the way, Afro centrism is not the way, religious ritual is not the way, new age religion is not the way, secular humanism is not the way…JESUS IS THE WAY, the truth, and the life!…JESUS IS THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD.. Jesus is not just a good man, but he is the Christ, the son of the living God. Jesus was not just a profound prophet, but he is the Christ, the Son of the Living god. He’s not just a moral teacher, he’s not just a miracle worker, he’s not just some ancient character from days gone by, he’s not the man upstairs, he’s not your co-pilot, but he is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

This is the eternal message of the church! this is the infallible message of the church! We must never be fooled into believing some non-biblical, watered-down version of who Jesus is! The church must never allow gimmicks, schemes, or political agendas to cause us to deny who Jesus is. THE CHURCH IS ALL ABOUT JESUS BECAUSE JESUS IS THE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH.

But not only is Jesus the foundation of the church, but this text also teaches us that Jesus IS THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE CHURCH, for Jesus declares in verse 18: “upon the rock I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH…”

The church has a particular and peculiar identity. The church was never meant to be a social club for the intellectually elite; the church was never meant to be a haven for the haves to hide from the have-nots. The church was never meant to be a showcase for the high society, the cynical, the snobbish or the stuck-up. But the church of the Lord Jesus Christ has a particular and peculiar identity. The church of the Lord Jesus Christ is not so much an organization as it is an organism. It is not so much a place as it is a people. Church is not something we go to on Sunday morning, the church is who we are all week long. The church is not a people sitting in a building; the church is a living organism of built-up people who are in the business of building up people. The church is a group of changed-people who change people. You see, when Jesus used the word “church” in our text, He used the Greek word “EKKLESIA” which literally means “THE CALLED OUT ONES.” To be a part of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is to be called out from the world and to be given a new identity in Jesus Christ. To be identified as a part of the church of Jesus Christ means that you have been called out of the kingdom of darkness and placed into the kingdom of His marvelous light. To be identified with the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ means that you’ve been changed, you’ve been transformed, you’ve been transmogrified, you’ve been metamorphosized, you been totally reinvented and rearranged into a new identity in Jesus Christ. That’s why the apostle Paul, under the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit, declared in 2nd Corinthians 5:17, “IF ANY MAN BE IN CHRIST, HE IS A NEW CREATURE, OLD THINGS HAVE PASSED AWAY, BEHOLD, ALL THINGS HAVE BECOME BRAND NEW.”

Jesus said “UPON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH” The church is all about Jesus because Jesus is the identification of the church. The church belongs to Jesus. Jesus is the architect, Jesus is the builder, Jesus is the leader, Jesus is the man, Jesus is the CEO, Jesus is the owner and lord of his church. Jesus purchased the church on the cross by shedding his own blood. this is not my church, this is not your church, we are all members of his church and we are to operate in the church the way he wants us to operate.

And the good news is, my brothers and my sisters, that when you come to Jesus and become a part of his church, you too can get a new identity. When you come to Jesus and become a part of his church, you become a new creature. You move from being a sinner to a saint, from an enemy of God to an ambassador of God, you move from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of his marvelous light, you move from being down and out to up and in. you exchange a one-way ticket to hell for a first-class ticket to heaven. You belong to Him, you are his child, you are his possession, and you have been bought with a price! You move from wandering around in the wilderness of sin to basking in the oasis of God’s grace and God’s mercy. The church has a particular and peculiar identity. As a church we are..

-THE BODY OF CHRIST

-THE ANNOINTED OF GOD

-THE ARMY OF GOD

-A CHOSEN GENERATION

-A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD

-A HOLY NATION

-A PEOPLE FOR GOD’S OWN POSSESSION

AND IT’S TIME FOR US AS THE CHURCH OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST TO RISE UP AND WALK IN OUR BIBLICAL AUTHORITY AND IDENTITY. JESUS DIDN’T COME TO TAKE SIDES, JESUS CAME TO TAKE OVER! JESUS DIDN’T COME TO JUST COMFORT AND SOOTHE, JESUS CAME TO CONQUER AND DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL AND JESUS HAS APPOINTED US TO BE THE HEAD, NOT THE TAIL, JESUS HAS APPOINTED AND ANNOINTED US TO KICK IN THE VERY GATES OF HELL WITH OUR WORSHIP AND HIS WORD AND WHEN WE REALIZE WHO WE ARE IN JESUS CHRIST, WE’LL BE ONE STEP CLOSER TO BEING THE CHURCH THAT JESUS HAS CALLED US TO BE.

The church is all about Jesus because Jesus is the foundation of the church, and the church is all about Jesus because Jesus is the identification of the church, But, finally, the church is all about Jesus because Jesus is the PROTECTION of the church. And I know that Jesus is the protection of the Church because in verse 18 of our scriptural text Jesus boldly declares that “…THE VERY GATES OF HELL WILL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST THE CHURCH. Now in order to understand what Jesus is talking about here, you have to understand the biblical significance of what He refers to as “THE GATES’. You see, during biblical times cities were built with huge walls surrounding them, and the only way to get into the city was through the gates. The gates were usually huge, stone-like structures which consisted of an outer and inner gate. Between the outer and inner gates was a huge courtyard were the businessmen and the officials of the city would meet to plan, discuss, trade and conduct city business. The gates of the city became a metaphor for the economic and political power and strength of the city. If an invading army possessed the gates of the city, then in essence they possessed the entire city. And so when Jesus says that the VERY GATES OF HELL WILL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST THE CHURCH, what He’s talking about is the fact that He is the protection of the church. What Jesus is saying is that all of the satanic plans and powers of hell will not prevail against His church. What he’s saying is that every plan of the enemy to try to block God’s blessings and anointing on the church are destined to fail. THE DEVIL WILL NEVER PREVAIL AGAINST US BECAUSE JESUS IS THE PROTECTION FOR THE CHURCH. NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST US WILL EVER PROSPER, BECAUSE JESUS IS THE PROTECTION FOR THE CHURCH.

And since the very birth of the church in the fires of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, the enemy has tried diligently to destroy the church.

He has tried to disrupt the doctrine of the church with his lies
He has tried to intimidate the people of the church through fear and oppression
He has sent false prophets to corrupt the church and lead the church astray
He has tried to disrupt the unity of the church by sending backbiters, gossipers and slanderers into the church to cause discord and confusion.
He has tried to dilute the message of the church by infusing worldliness and humanism into the church to make the gospel impotent and irrelevant
He has sent wolves in sheep’s clothing to try to destroy the church

BUT DESPITE HIS BEST EFFORTS, SATAN CAN NOT AND SATAN WILL NOT DEFEAT THE CHURCH, BECAUSE JESUS HIMSELF IS THE PROTECTION OF THE CHURCH. THE CHURCH STANDS ON THE INVINCIBLE FOUNDATION OF JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF. JESUS SAID THAT THE VERY GATES OF HELL SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST THE CHURCH. THE CHURCH IS ALL ABOUT JESUS BECAUSE JESUS IS THE PROTECTION OF THE CHURCH! THE CHURCH CAN NOT BE DESTROYED, ITS TRUTH CAN NOT BE DENIED, ITS POWER CAN NOT BE DEFEATED ITS PRESENCE CAN NOT BE DEMINISHED, AND ITS SAVIOUR CAN NOT BE DISMISSED. THE CHURCH IS INVINCIBLE, THE CHURCH IS UNCONQUERABLE, THE CHURCH IS UNBEATABLE, THE CHURCH IS INDISPUTABLE, THE CHURCH IS INDESTRUCTABLE!

OH YES, Samuel J. Stone was right:

“THE CHURCH SHALL NEVER PERISH! HER DEAR Lord to defend, To guide, sustain, and cherish, He’s with her to the end; Though there be those that hate her, and false sons in her pale, AGAINST THE FOE OR TRAITOR SHE EVER SHALL PREVAIL!”

And I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I’M GLAD TODAY THAT I’M IN THE CHURCH!
I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU TODAY, BUT I’M GLAD I’M ON THE WINNING SIDE!
I’M Glad I’M A PART OF GOD’S FAMILY,
I’M GLAD NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST ME SHALL PROSPER,
I’M GLAD I’M MORE THAN A CONQUERER THROUGH HIM WHO LOVES ME
I’M GLAD THAT GREATER IS HE WHO IS IN ME THAN HE WHO IS IN THE WORLD
I’M GLAD THAT ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR THE GOOD OF ME BECAUSE I’M CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE…
I’M GLAD HE’S PROMISED TO SUSTAIN ME, TO PROTECT ME, TO WATCH OVER ME, TO DELIVER ME, TO PROVIDE FOR ME, TO ENCOURAGE ME, TO CARRY ME THROUGH ALL THE DIFFICULT STORMS OF LIFE
THE CHURCH IS ALL ABOUT JESUS

MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTERS, IF YOU’RE NOT A PART OF THE CHURCH, IF YOU’VE NEVER GIVEN YOUR HEART TO JESUS CHRIST, IF YOU’VE NEVER SOUGHT GOD’S FORGIVENESS FOR YOUR SINS AND MISTAKES, THEN YOU’RE ON THE WRONG SIDE. YOU’RE ON THE LOSING SIDE, BUT THE GOOD NEWS TODAY, IS THAT ITS NOT TOO LATE FOR YOU TO CHANGE TEAMS…THE GOOD NEWS THIS SUNDAY MORNING IS THAT IT’S NOT TOO LATE FOR YOU TO GET ON THE WINNING SIDE, and let me tell you, BEING ON THE WINNING SIDE MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD… And I know being on the winning side makes all the difference in the world…

JUST ASK SCOTTIE PIPPIN…After 11 successful years with the CHICAGO BULLS IN WHICH HE WON SIX NBA CHAMPIONSHIPS, Scottie Pippin went to the Houston Rockets and the Portland Trailblazers and never won another NBA championship. WHY? Because being on a winning team makes all the difference in the world!
JUST ASK MICHEAL JORDAN…after being a 5-TIME NBA MOST-VALUABLE PLAYER, after being selected 10 times to the NBA ALL-STAR TEAM, AFTER BEING SELECTED IN 1996 AS ONE OF THE 50 GREATEST MEN TO EVER PLAY THE GAME OF BASKETBALL, AND AFTER WINNING SIX NBA CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH THE CHICAGO BULLS, Jordan came out of retirement to play with the Washington Wizards and never won another NBA championship. WHY? Because being on a winning team makes all the difference in the world!
JUST ASK EMMIT SMITH…after winning 4 NFL Rushing titles and being the first player in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards in 11 consecutive seasons, after beating Walter Payton’s record of 16, 726 yards to become the NFL’s all-time leading rusher, and after winning 3 Super Bowl titles, and being selected to the Pro Bowl 8 times, Emmit went to the Arizona Cardinals and never won another Super Bowl championship again. WHY? BECAUSE BEING ON A WINNING TEAM MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD!
JUST ASK JERRY RICE…After spending 15 successful years as a wide receiver for the SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS in which he led the NFL for six seasons in receiving and touchdown receptions and helped the 49ers make 3 super bowl appearances during his tenure…he left the 49ers and went to Oakland and after helping them make it to the Super Bowl in 2001, left Oakland and finished his career with Seattle Seahawks where he never made it back to the Super Bowl again. WHY? Because being with a winning team makes all the difference in the world/
JUST ASK JESUS…When they crucified Jesus on the cross, the devil really thought they had Him…