I Will Build My Church

Introduction

Friends and brethren, I want to tell you that is a great hymn that we have just sung. I’ve been singing it since I was a little boy, and yet I appreciate it now more than ever for what it says. And it is the perfect summary of the thoughts that I will be presenting this morning from the Word of God. I want to take you to a text that I heard Ricky Jenkins preach about on Tuesday night at the Kleinwood congregation this week. He actually sent me this sermon that he preached several months ago, and I just realized later in the week that he had said it to me. And he struck me with something that, while Lucy heard his sermon, and some of the parts of this are going to be the same.

And I wanted to share it with you.

And there’s a reason for that. It is a great conversation that takes place between Jesus and his disciples. And I hope that I can, in my feeble way, convey to you the greatness of this discussion and the statement that Jesus makes.

That is a tremendous statement. What we end up doing with this text is talking about what it doesn’t mean rather than what it does mean because it’s been so abused by the religious world. Let’s read it quickly and make some observations in that vein. Now, when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he began asking his disciples, saying, Who do people say that the Son of Man is? Now, the identity of Jesus is critical. We’ve been studying that in 1 John. And so he asked his disciples, what are people saying about me? They knew the reference Son of Man was to himself. Who do people say that the Son of Man is? And they said, some say John the Baptist. Actually, they also saw it as a messianic reference.

And so some say John the Baptist. Others Elijah, but still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. That’s very commendable. But he said to them, Who do you say that I am? 1616. Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ. The Messiah of the Old Testament, the long-awaited one who would bring redemption to Israel. Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjonah. Because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father, who is in heaven, you were divinely assisted in this confession. And also I say to you that you are Peter. And upon this rock, I will build my church. And the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it, shall not overpower it.

And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. And whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then he warned the disciples that they should tell no one that he was indeed the Christ. When Jesus said, I will build my church, he used a very common word. The first time that he has used it in the recorded narratives of his life. The first time that it is recorded that he used this term in speaking to his disciples. It was a term that simply meant an assembly. It is used of a group that had assembled in Ephesus to actually oppose the church, to oppose Paul in promotion of the goddess Diana.

Maybe you know that story in Acts of the 19th chapter. But the word ecclesia is used there several times to describe that mob or that assembly that had gathered for that purpose. Jesus is spiritualizing this term and using it in a new way and taking it to all new heights. When he described the assembly that he would build.

Special assembly. And Peter would refer to that assembly in 1 Peter 2 when he says, You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession. That you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness and into his marvelous life. For you were once not a people. Now you’re ecclesia. You were once not a people, but now you are the assembly or the people of God. And I urge you as a result to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul. The usual disclaimers. When Jesus said, I will build my church, that was in no way, and what a denigrating, maligning thing to say that the church of our Lord was some kind of a makeshift, temporary thing that God had to do because Jesus died an untimely death, and he did all of this in a temporary fashion, but he has ultimate intentions and a millennial kingdom that’s taught and believed prominently in the religious world today.

But the church that exists today is simply a makeshift arrangement. No. Jesus is saying, I will build my church. This is the plan of God from eternity. This declares the manifold wisdom of God, Paul says in Ephesians 3 and verse 10, and is in accord with the eternal purpose of God. This is not some kind of makeshift deal. I think there’s a reason why people go in that vein, and I hope to get to that in a moment. That’s the first disclaimer. The second disclaimer is Peter is not the rock to which the Lord refers, but it is instead the confession that he makes that Jesus is the Messiah. That’s another prevalent false teaching that as a result, Peter is the one upon whom the Lord built his church and he became the first Pope, and that’s what it actually is a play on words.

He said, Thou art Petros, Peter, and calls him by name, but the rock that he then refers to is actually in the feminine, Petra, making it very clear that it is not Peter that’s being referred to. I don’t think he would have liked the Petra designation, actually. And furthermore, there is no hint in the response of the disciples that he was saying he was going to build his church on Peter because they would have been incensed at such an idea, but God had a special plan for Peter above them. They would have gone off at this point. But it was a play on words, and that the statement of confession that he made would be the rock, and we’ll get to that momentarily. There’s a couple of significant positives that I want to get out of this.

The first, very briefly, is that Jesus said, I will build my church. This is something only Jesus can do. And we need to resist the gimmicks, the entertainment that enthralls and entices people in religion today, and makes the church something else than God instructed and designed and planned that she should be.

That Jesus builds, and I talked to you about this a few months ago. And I’m sure you remember the sermon that I preached on this text three months ago. No. But Jesus’ intention has to do with cleansing sins and transforming people by the Holy Spirit, and that’s the short of it. And we should not hear from that, or we would cease to be his church. But here’s what I want to do with this morning. What did this teaching mean to the disciples? And this is what Ricky helped me see. What did this mean to live? Oh, yes, Jesus is helping us along to understand the church better and all succeeding generations who would read Matthew 16 and understand something about God’s eternal plan that he had in mind in regard to the church.

Yes, it’s there for future generations. But there is a message here for them that I want you to see. That this was intended by Jesus to encourage his closest followers. And I’ve overlooked that. We’re roughly a year until Jesus is going to die.

And he was encountering severe opposition. It was apparent that not only did that opposition not like him, that they wanted to kill it.

That his rejection and death was impending. And Peter, though he makes the confession that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God, doesn’t understand the implications of what he has said, as he then tries to tell Jesus what he will and will not do and says, Over my dead body. We’re not going to allow this. And he has to turn and look at Peter and say, get behind me, Satan. You’re not setting your interests on God’s interests, but man’s. And just like Peter was saying. Over my dead body. Remember what they said when they were going to go to Jerusalem to deal with the fact that Lazarus was dead? Let us also go that we may die with him. They understood what going back to Jerusalem means at this point in John 11, verse 16.

Thomas says, Let us also go that we may die with it. I want to tell you, he says this statement to his disciples, I will build my church to encourage them. From their perspective, this whole messianic program isn’t going very well. Remember the concepts that they have of the Messiah. The concept of a earthly kingdom. And he would rule over the whole world. And Jerusalem would again experience the zenith of power. And the Messiah is going to be the leader. That was their concept. And all they see is rejection, like in John 6. Many of his disciples withdrew and would not follow with him anymore. And he looks at his disciples.

And they said, To whom shall we go? That’s the words of eternal life. They stuck it out, but I think they see what’s happening. He’s being opposed all over the place. And it’s being opposition. The masses aren’t following his popularity is waning doesn’t seem to be going well. And Jesus says, Rest assured. Know who I am. Again, who do the people say that I am? Who do you say? Know who I am.

1. The Certainty: I Will Build

And this thing is going to turn out well. Exactly as I promised, exactly as God has told you. There are four great truths that I want to share with you about this statement. I will build my church. Number one, I want you to notice the certainty. When Jesus says, I will build. I know it doesn’t look very hopeful. I know the plan isn’t unfolding the way you thought it would, and I know that by all outward appearance it isn’t working. But I will build my church. And nothing is going to stand in its way. Point here.

Jesus says to the church at Smyrna in Revelation chapter 2 and verse 9. And more on Revelation in a moment, he says, I know your tribulation and your poverty. You know, we sort of skip over that. You know what we know about Smyrna, right? Be faithful unto death, and I’ll give you a crown of life. That’s the next verse. But he says, I know your tribulation and your poverty. Boom. And then in parentheses, it says, but you are rich. Wait a minute. Tribulation, poverty, rich. Oh, and by the way, suffering is coming. But you’re rich, he says. Don’t judge things by the way they appear outwardly. In spite of what things appear to be. The cause is not in jeopardy of failing. Think about how God’s plan has often through the centuries looked vulnerable, weak, beleaguered, persecuted, defeated.

Elijah after Mount Carmel. They’ve killed all your prophets with the sword, and I alone am left. I want to die.

Elijah thought it would. And what does God say to him? I got work for you to do. Get out of this cave. I got some kings for you to anoint. I got you a prophet waiting in the wings that you need to bring under your wings Elisha. And he said, I’ve got 7,000 that have not yet bowed the knee to Baal. I love 2 Kings 9. 2 Kings 19. The Jezebel’s notwithstanding. The Atheliah’s notwithstanding. The Manasseh’s notwithstanding. Regardless of how things look. When you’re wandering about in caves and deserts and holes in the ground, as we read in Hebrews chapter 11. God says, I’ve got a Jonathan who will encourage and help my anointed David.

I’ve got a Hezekiah and a Josiah who will stand opposed to the pathway of spiritual decline. I’ve got a Nehemiah who will rally my people against all odds. And I’ve got a son who will save the people from their sins. You see, the God who cannot lie promised this. Titus chapter 1 and verse 2. Certainty. And you know, the great honor that we have is that we get to see this from the side of Jesus bringing it about and occurring, as we’ll be talking about in upcoming weeks in Acts chapter 2, another great passage of scripture where this is brought into fruition. Jesus says, I know how it looks, but I’m going to build my church. And then we see it happening. And it’s still here today, two millennia later.

2. Intimacy: His People Who Hear His Voice

Powerful, folks. Secondly, I want you to notice when he says, I will build my church. God’s plan from eternity was a group of people who would choose loyalty to him. He chose us in him before the foundation of the world. Again, this is not a makeshift plan. He chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame. He goes on to say in Ephesians chapter 1, He purchased us with his own blood. Acts 20 and verse 28. That’s what Jesus is referring to. And I want you to look at a couple of passages in John very quickly, in John chapter 6. And John Lasseter said something that really helped me with this in John 6, verse 38. And this is the occasion when many of the disciples withdrew from him and wouldn’t follow him anymore.

Look what he says here. And he’s weeding them out. And he says, For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will, John 6 38, but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me.

That of all that he has given me, I lose nothing. But raise it up on the last day. Don’t miss that phrase. All those that he has given me, I lose nothing. He talks about the apostles having been given to him in John 17, and he prays for them. Another passage quickly, John 10. John 10, verse 26 through 29, in a context where he talks about he is the good shepherd, and he lays down his life for the sheep, and the sheep know him, and he knows them, and they know his voice. I am the door, he says in this context. And so in this context of being the shepherd and the sheep following him, he says in verse 26, but you do not believe to the religious leaders of the Jews, he says this, because you are not of my sheep.

Not my church. You are not of my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. And I know them. And they follow me. And I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish. And no one shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given them to me. See that? My Father has given them to me. He is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. Yes, like Matthew 16, this text has been abused. Some will go to this text and say, see, once you become one of his, you can never be not one of his. You can never fall away. And they teach the doctrine of what saved always. And nobody can snatch you out of the Father’s hand.

That’s not what Jesus is teaching here. And if he is, he’s in conflict with other things that he and his disciples say. We are saved by this message if we hold fast. If.

No one can snatch them out of my hand. John helped me with this. When he talked about 2 Corinthians 6, because this is what it’s saying. When he tells those in Corinth, come out from their midst and be separate, do not touch what is unclean. What agreement has the temple of God with idols? And then he says, in quotation of the Old Testament, I will be their God. And they shall be my people. That’s it. As long as that is who we are. Eternal life is ours. It’s signed, sealed, and delivered. That is our assurance. I will be their God. They shall be my people. They hear my voice, they follow. If you’re concerned about your eternal salvation, what you need to look deep within your heart and find out what’s going on there is this.

Is he your God? Are you his people? Do you hear his voice? Do you follow him? Is that your life? If so, there is nothing that can break your relationship with God. Absolutely nothing. If you will be his people and allow him to be your God, nothing can snatch you. Nothing is powerful enough to snatch you out of his hands. That’s why Paul says, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. Nothing can affect that. Nothing can threaten that. Christ in you is the hope of glory. Colossians chapter 1 and verse 27. And Jesus is not just the author of his church. He is not just the founder and architect of his church. He is the finisher of our faith.

3. Reliability: Upon This Rock

I love that. Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 2. He will see us through if we will be a sheep. And listen to his voice. Let me tell you something else. I will build my church upon this rock, the rock of Peter’s confession. We’ve already talked about that. I will build my church. Why the rock metaphor? If you wanted to make something sound solid and trustworthy and dependable and reliable, what would you choose?

What did he say about listening to his own words in the Sermon on the Mount? When he comes to the end, our kids know the story, right? Build your house upon the rock. Why rock? Firm. Foundation. If you don’t listen to him, you’re building your life on sand, sinking sand. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. We see. Could have had John lead that side. Rock. This is stable. This is secure. Because of who Jesus was and is as the Son of God. That would be the bedrock of the whole thing. It goes back to a sermon I just preached two weeks ago. Because he has a name that is above all names. That’s the bedrock of the whole thing. And that cannot be changed.

That’s why Peter continues the metaphor in 1 Peter 2. It’d be odd that it’s not odd at all that Peter would do that, right? In his first epistle, Peter, whose name means rock or stone? He says, and you come to him as a living stone. And he talks about Jesus being a rock of stumbling and offense for some, but he is the foundation upon which we build. And then he goes into that statement that you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a people for God’s own possession. And what he’s telling us is that he is dependable. He is reliable.

4. The Invincibility of the Church He Builds

Certainty. It’s going to happen. And it did. I will build. Intimacy. This is his people who hear his voice and follow him. Reliability. He is the Son of God, and He is the Son of God now. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And we can rely upon that when all else fails. And then this the invincibility of the church that he builds when he says. And the gates of Hades shall not prevail against. Now. What does that have to do with? What is Hades? It’s Sheol in the Hebrew and the Old Testament. It’s the abode of departed spirits. The Jews understood that when a person died, the spirit went to Sheol. It was a waiting place. And while there is an aspect of that was still comforting for the righteous, it was a spirit without a body.

And the ultimate intentions of God was for us to have an immortal body. Paul talks about that in 1 35. So Sheol represents the enemy of man, the result of death and sin. It’s in league with Satan. And it’s treated that way in the book of Revelation over and over again. As Hades was mentioned as an opposition to the Lord’s people. It’s the result of sin. That’s why it exists. That’s why people are there without bodies. And so when he wanted to describe opposition, he thought of the most powerful thing in their minds. I know the King James Version says hell. That’s not really the best translation. But even that, if you talk about something in league with the devil, that’s what people to reside in hell were in league with the devil.

But the strongest thing that you can imagine, not even Sheol. And I think he chose this because he himself would die, though he did not deserve to die, would go to Sheol. Where did he go until he was resurrected on the third day? He went to Sheol like every other departed spirit does. But I heard this a long time ago, and I think it’s right. Hades couldn’t keep him out. And Hades couldn’t keep him in. Because he rose from the dead. Spiritually, bodily, and conquered Hades. And gave us hope. That’s Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians 15. And that’s what he means when he says, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Let me tell you, folks, 2,000 years later, there’s still people like us on this earth, despite all the opposition, despite all of the hatred and animosity, despite all the belittling and the persecution, the attempts to eradicate the Bible from the face of the earth, on occasion to eradicate the people of God from the face of the earth, and yet we’re still here.

The church of our Lord survives even to this time, just like Jesus promised. And the point of all of this. As we saw in Bible class this morning, greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world. Remember when Elisha is surrounded and he says to his servant, greater are those who are with us than those who are with them. We’re his people. And so here’s the point of it. Do not be shaken. We have received a kingdom, the Hebrew writer says, that cannot be shaken. For our God is a consuming fire.

Do not be shaken by those who pervert the message of our Lord. Do not be shaken by the sometimes disappointing failures of brethren. Even leaders among the Lord’s people, do not be shaken by those who are hypocrites and fakes. Do not be shaken by ungodly attitudes and pride that spark needless and unholy controversy and upset. The harmony of the body of Christ. Do not be shaken by the seemingly powerful sway of the world. And please do not be shaken by sometimes our own silly folly. You know, that’s the whole point of the book of Revelation. Wish we had time this morning to look at the portrait of Babylon in Revelation chapter 18 that’s filled, listen to this. Filled with the blood of the saints and the prophets.

You think it looked bleak.

I know your tribulation, your poverty, by the way, you’re about to suffer. Be faithful unto death. Even if it means you have to die for this, be faithful unto death, I’ll give you a crown of life. That’s the certainty. Don’t be shaken. Yes, Babylon is filled with the blood of the saints and the prophets. But Babylon the great is fallen. The greatest opposition you can imagine. The Roman threat is likened to Babylon, that enemy, that Old Testament enemy that took them into captivity and destroyed their city. Just as they came out of Babylon. The remnant survived. We survive. Those who overcome shall inherit all things. He concludes in Revelation 21 and verse 7. And in each of the letters to the seven churches, he says, to him who overcomes.

As far as God is concerned, his bride is an impenetrable fortress. Nothing shall snatch them out of his hand. The Lamb and His people will triumph. I don’t care how bad it gets. And I think it’s going to get worse. I’m not a prophet, neither a son of a prophet. I don’t care how bad it gets. I don’t care how many flee the race when it gets bad. The Lord and his people. Those who are his sheep and listen to his voice. Do not fear those who can kill the body. And that’s all that they can do. That sounds pretty drastic. Somebody can snuff me up. Yeah. Because they can’t snatch you out of the Father’s hand. In all these things, we are more than conquerors.

Nothing shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Not life, not death, not principalities, not powers, not anything. Not even Hades. I will build my church, and the gates of Hades cannot overpower it. As he said through Daniel, I will build my kingdom, it will never be destroyed. This is the fulfilling. When Jesus said, I will build my church, this is the fulfilling of this promise. I love what Paul says in 2 Timothy chapter 2 when he says, I’m in chains, I’m imprisonment, but he says, the word of God is not imprisoned. That is a great statement. You can lock me away all you want, but the word of God is unchained. He who endures shall live with him.

We could read that whole context.

Conclusion

Being a part of his church, being his elect, enjoying fellowship with him, is a relationship so strong, so enduring, so rewarding, that it should be valued above everything. That’s what we learned from Jesus’ statement in Matthew 16 and verse 18. And that’s why he compared the kingdom to what? A treasure.

And he likened it to, right after that in Matthew 13, the pearl of great price that is discovered. And again, for joy over it, sells everything so that he can buy that pearl. That’s the nature. That’s the value of his kingdom. That’s the value of this relationship. I will be their God, and they shall be my people. It’s the importance of the statement. I will build my church upon this rock that I am the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And you know what we do? We get up here after a sermon and practically beg people to respond. We shouldn’t have to beg people to respond to this. This is a choice between winning and losing.

This is a choice between Jesus and the world. This is a choice between salvation and destruction. What does logic suggest you should do? So if you’re subject to his invitation, we bid you come while we stand and say.