RCC Core Values Series, Week 7

People Matter To God

We Were Made For Community

God’s Spirit Empowers Us To Live Differently

It’s Not Where You’re At, It’s Where You’re Going

God Honors Those Who Honor Him

Generational Transfer Is Important

The Gates Of Hell Will Not Prevail Against The Church

Intro:

Do any of you remember the movie "The Titanic?"

Scene where the band is playing as the ship is sinking.

It was an extremely powerful scene from the standpoint of articulating a message…Chaos all around them as people panicked to save themselves, but the band played one last hymn, “Nearer My God To Thee.”

And in the midst of the chaos, there were images of people embracing the inevitable. The message implied was that it was over. Great dreams of accomplishments! Great times, great luxury, the budding of life, it was now all coming to a tragic end with the sinking of this ship. And for that context, for the majority of the people on that ship, it was indeed the end.

But, for many of us, though we aren’t on board of the sinking Titanic, we live as if we are.

Recent world events and declining cultural values are has caused many to despair. And in the midst of these tumultuous times, having to endure suffering, or having to endure watching others suffer, has only intensified such thoughts.

In addition to that, we have the daily battle with our own shortcomings while trying to cling to brief moments of happiness, and all this is taking place in the presence of growing fears.

For too many of us, a spirit of discouragement has become our closest acquaintance.

Today, I want to encourage you. I want you to know that we are not living through the scene of sinking ship. I want to encourage you that this is not the church's final hour or song. For we have been redeemed in Christ for the purpose of joining Him in expanding the kingdom of God in the earth, and the gates of hell will not prevail against us.

Today, I want to encourage you, to stand with Christ and dare to believe that His cause will be victorious. Will you turn with me in your bibles to Matthew 16:13-20.

"The Gates Of Hell Will Not Prevail Against The Church"

Matthew 16:13-20

Matthew 16:13–20 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. 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.” Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Let us pray.

Elements from the passage that keeps the church from seeing the big picture.

The authority of church officers. (Keys to the Kingdom in v19, Roman Catholics & Eastern Orthodox Church believes their leaders are descent from the Apostles.)

The power of prayer. (Also in v19, the binding and loosing reference…most talk on prayer in spiritual warfare will come back to this verse.)

The call to evangelism. (V18 references the gates of hell, and many see this as needed spark for bold evangelism…I don’t disagree, but I think there’s more.)

I have a list of questions we need to ask about this passage to really glean the significance of it to our lives today.

Let’s start by tackling the questions in the passage, and then let’s ask some questions about some of the word and phrase choice of Jesus.

Why is Jesus seemingly interested in the what the world thinks of Him?

The world often has no problem accepting a nice, religious Jesus. But Messiahship, Being the only way to truly know God and to be forgiven of our sins, that Jesus is offensive.

Why does He ask His disciples the same question? Wouldn’t He already know their answers?

The disciples are human like us, they heard the same teachings that the crowds heard, saw the same miracles that many in the crowds saw, were even close acquaintances, and still, they are suscetible to the world’s pressure.

What is Jesus teaching His disciples about discernment? About the source of Truth?

We can’t look to the world, ourselves nor our circumstances to help us understand what is true. Not our favorite podcast, not our favorite church celebrity, but the Word of God.

What are the keys to the Kingdom?

It is the authority to preach, teach, baptize and embrace into membership.

What rock is Jesus building His church on?

It is the revelation that He is Lord and Savior. And, that we have been redeemed in Christ for the purpose of joining Him in expanding the kingdom of God in the earth.

The term ekklesia is transliterated to mean church.

What does He mean by “gates of hell”?

What is binding and loosing?

The ecclesia or ekklesia (Greek: ἐκκλησία) was the assembly of the citizens in the democratic city-states of ancient Greece. The ekklesia of ancient Athens is particularly well-known. It was the popular assembly, open to all male citizens as soon as they qualified for citizenship.

Jesus intentionally calls His church and City-State, a collection of citizens intended to govern with Him. A collection of citizens concerned for the welfare and thriving of its Kingdom.

If we are to walk in the full extent of this victory that Jesus Talks about, then we must:

Have confidence in God and nothing else.

Grow our confidence by studying the Word.

Have the courage to go forward in our calling.

Body

A. Kingdom work requires confidence in God and nothing else.

Self-confidence does not produce supernatural fruit.Shortly after this great faith confession from Peter, he put confidence in flesh and decided to rebuke Jesus. Jesus responded by naming the spirit that Peter had come under the influence of, namely the Devil.Confidence in the world will only leave you confused.The world thought Jesus was only a prophet or a reincarnation of one of the dead prophets of the past.Confidence in our circumstances will always be temporary.Christ said the gates of hell would attempt to oppose us. Certainly this includes the possibility of being cancelled and losing our livelihoods would constitute dealing with darkness.

B. Confidence in God grows and is sustained by a confidence in the Word.

Jesus calls the revelation of Him as the Messiah would become the immovable foundation of which everything in the kingdom of God rests.The disciples who are trained in the word of Christ will be able to discern God's will from the ways of the world.The disciples who are trained in the word of Christ will walk in great spiritual authority.

C. Confidence in God is where we find the courage to go forward.

Do not throw away your confidence!

Hebrews 10:35

Hebrews 10:35 ESV

Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.

Get rid of the “Sinking Ship” mentality and embrace the “Missional, Kingdom Mindset.”