We can trust this rock to build a church and our lives?

Matthew 16:18 “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.”

Misunderstanding

Some place emphasis upon Peter.

Peter’s name is the name Jesus gave to him. It means rock. In aramic it is Cephas. In english we might have called him Rocky

Some believe upon the character of Peter the church will be built.

This is unfortunate, for Simon put the emphasis upon his teacher, Jesus, rather than upon himself.

So, to paraphrase Jesus’ words, the Lord told Peter, “I say to you that you are a small stone, and upon this bedrock I will build My church.” It was a play on words that made a significant spiritual point.

Young man in church asked if he needed to remove the rocks so we could build. He did not understand the need for a deep foundation. A bedrock

What then was the bedrock to which Jesus was referring?

Matthew 16:16 “16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

1 Cor 3:11 “11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

1 Peter 2 - Peter will describe all of us as small stones built together. But Jesus as the cornerstone.

Summary

Upon This Rock: A Baptist Understanding of the Church Chapter 1

Coming into the area of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus queried His disciples, saying, “Who are men saying that I, the Son of man, am?”

And they said, “Some John the Baptist, others Elijah, yet others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

And answering, Simon Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

And answering, Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Petros, and upon this petra I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not be victorious over it. I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and what you bind upon the earth will have been bound in heaven, and what you loose upon the earth will have been loosed in heaven.”

Then He warned His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ (Matt 16:13–20; author’s translation).

Introduction

Jesus had asked a question about identity

Peter is not the only one making this statement

I make this statement as well.

Story of church plant in KY

I pray God will allow you to send out more

Martha knew this but the challenge for her was to see how that truth would change her Monday

Martha makes it in John 11:27 “27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.”

This is the passage that Jesus will bring Lazarus back from the dead

We have this solid truth to build a church upon and our lives.

We want to be like John the Baptist - where Jesus said what did you expect to see a “reed shaken in the wind”

Often we are like the apostle Peter

But first let me remind you of who Peter was.

My wife with friend from ChickFila- Peter was someone who was going to tell you what he was thinking

Peter’s name is mentioned in the gospels more than anyone except the name of Jesus.

No one speaks in the gospels as often as Peter did

Jesus spoke more to Peter than to any other individual.

Jesus rebuked Peter more than any other disciple.

Peter was the only disciple who dared to rebuke Jesus.

Peter confessed Jesus more boldly and accurately than any other disciple.

Peter denied Jesus more forcefully and publicly than any other disciple.

Jesus praised Peter more than any other disciple.

Jesus addressed Peter as Satan alone among the disciples.

When Jesus woke up early in the morning to pray before the sun came up, Simon Peter led the other disciples to find Jesus and tell Him what He should do Mark 1:35-39

Peter put his nets out at the direction of Jesus to bring in a massive catch of fish Luke 5:1-11

Peter stepped out of the boat during a raging storm and walked on the water with Jesus Matthew 14:24-33

Peter was the one who said, John 6:68-69 “68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Peter saw Jesus transfigured in glory, together with Moses and Elijah Matthew 17:1-9

Peter was the one who asked Jesus how many times we should forgive a brother that sins against us, quoting the high number of “seven times” Matthew 18:21-35

Peter was the one who asked Jesus, after the encounter with the rich young ruler, what the disciples would receive for giving everything up to follow Jesus Matthew 19:27-30

Peter was the one who insisted that Jesus would not wash his feet; then he commanded Jesus to wash his whole body! John 13:16-20

Peter heard Jesus predict that he would deny Him three times Matthew 26:30-35 and Peter replied, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.

Peter was the one who cut off the right ear of Malchus, the servant of the high priest, when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus John 18:1-11

Peter denied Jesus three times, cursing and swearing that he did not even know “the Man,” refusing to even name the name of Jesus Matthew 26:69-75

Peter was the one who ran with John the disciple to the tomb on the morning of the resurrection, after hearing the report of the women that the body of Jesus was not in its tomb John 20:1-10 Apparently John was faster but Peter went in first.

Peter was the one who received a personal visit from the resurrected Jesus on the day of the resurrection Luke 24:34

Peter received a public restoration of Jesus in front of the other disciples after the resurrection of Jesus John 21

Peter that denied Christ encouraged us to always be ready to give a reason of hope. 1 Peter 1:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

What is hope? Whenever faith in God looks to the future, it can be called hope.

We describe this city as “alive”

What do we mean when we say our hope is living?

Peter describes this lively hope

The apostle Peter took up his pen 30 years or so after the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus, and set himself to write something encouraging to the Christians of Asia Minor.

They were being abused by overbearing bosses (2:18),

threatened by unbelieving spouses (3:1, 6),

ridiculed by skeptical neighbors and associates (4:14).

On the horizon loomed the possibility of a much more violent form of persecution (4:12–18). 1 Peter 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Three Reasons of Hope given in this passage.

God’s abundant mercy We are completely undeserving. Your life will change when you realized we deserve nothing but have been given everything!

He has begotten us again. We were once without hope but that is not the case now. We have been given a new birth.

Our hope is as alive as Jesus 1 Peter 1:3 The Christian’s assurance in Christ is as certain and sure as the fact that Christ is alive!

Here “living” means that the believer’s hope is sure, certain, and real, as opposed to the deceptive, empty, false hope the world offers.

How does this lively hope change my Monday?

We see life more clearly because we have faith in an unseen God.

Peter is already writing the people who’ve never seen him but believe. 8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

Faith keeps us. Faith in God doesn’t only save our soul for eternity but it saves our mind in this world we live in. v. 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

It is through the living Word that we learn more and more about our living Word. 1 Peter 1:23

1 Peter 1:23 KJV

23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Our lives have been changed by knowing and loving God.

Love is a response to what you know. Though we have not seen him we know Him.

It would be hard to love God that we have not seen if we did not know Him. But thanks to God’s Word we know Him. 8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

We have a joy that is unspeakable.

It is in this truth we can rejoice. The truth of His mercy, our new birth, and the resurrection. v.6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice

Our joy goes beyonds the world’s comprehension and our vocabulary. v.8 in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

We have joy even in our sorrow. 6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

This kind of faith or living hope can enable believers to rejoice even when they are called on to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 2 Corinthians 6:10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing;

Even our trials can become an occasion for hope filled joy. James 1:2 “2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;”

Conclusion

Whenever faith in God looks to the future, it can be called hope.

Because of the resurrection we have a lively hope that is worthy of talking about tomorrow.