Matthew 16:13-20 Amplified Bible
Peter’s Confession of Christ
13 Now when Jesus went into the [a]region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they answered, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah, or [just] 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 Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of the living God.” 17 Then Jesus answered him, “Blessed [happy, spiritually secure, favored by God] are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood (mortal man) did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I say to you that you are [b]Peter, and on this [c]rock I will build My church; and the [d]gates of Hades (death) will not overpower it [by preventing the resurrection of the Christ]. 19 I will give you the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth [e]will have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth [f]will have [already] been loosed in heaven.” 20 Then He gave the disciples strict orders to tell no one that He was the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Debating: Why Does Anyone Bother with Church?
In his book Church: Why Bother? Philip Yancey tells a story about a prostitute who had reached the end of the road.
She was desperate and did not know where to turn. Someone then suggested connecting with a local church. She answered, “Why would I do that? I feel bad enough about myself already. They’d only make me feel worse.”
When I asked someone once why he had given up on going to church, he said, “There’s nothing there for me.”
With the current state of division and disarray and disaffiliation, it is not at all unreasonable or irrational to keep right on asking “Why bother with church?”
The answer to that hot button question is found in today’s Bible reading and is summed up in just one phrase, where Jesus says, “I will build my church.”
The church is not any ordinary organization founded by just anyone. The church is founded by Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior who is the head of the church. According to the Bible, the church is the body of Christ. Belonging to the church is a sacred privilege, a high responsibility never to be taken for granted.
Matthew 6:32-33 Amplified Bible
32 For the [pagan] Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; [but do not worry,] for your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.
The church is here to continue the work of Christ on earth and to build God’s kingdom. You and I need the church in order to be equipped for service, to enjoy the fellowship of other believers, to honor our Lord through faithful worship.
Can, Should We, Believe The Church Is Here to Stay?
Hebrews 10:22-25 The Message
22-25 So let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.
The first one ever to use the word church was not the apostle Paul. Rather, it was Jesus Himself. He said, “Upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it” (Matthew 16:18 NLT).
When Jesus walked this earth, He started only one organization, and that, of course, was the church.
By emphatically stating the gates of Hell will not conquer His church, Jesus was saying, “Listen, this church is here to stay. Against all odds, it will prevail.”
Interestingly, Jesus made this statement at a place called Caesarea Philippi. We could miss the significance of that altogether. But Caesarea Philippi was a place of paganism and false belief. In fact, the Greeks had dedicated Caesarea Philippi to Pan, one of their gods. And if you were to go there today, you would see what is left of a site dedicated to false gods and idols.
In contrast, the foundation of the church is Christ Himself.
He will build His church, and the gates of Hell will not conquer it.
This reminds us that the church will face hostility and opposition.
The word church comes from the Greek word ecclesia.
And ecclesia consists of two other terms that mean “out from” and “called.”
When we put them together, the meaning of ecclesia, or church, is “called out from.”
From what is the church called out? We are called out from this world and this culture. Jesus was saying, “My followers should be separate from this culture.”
But we also are called to.
God has called us to Himself and to one another.
Wherever God’s people gather together, that place turns into a sanctuary.
That’s because the church is not a building; it is people.
Jesus said, “For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20 NLT). That is what the church is.
When we love God, we also will love His children.
And when we don’t love His children, then the question arises as to how much we really love God.
It is popular today to criticize the church. But understand this: when you speak critically of the church, you are speaking critically of those whom Jesus loves.
Some people claim to be Christians, but they don’t attend church. However, if you really are a Christian, then you should long to be seated with God’s people.
The Bible says,
“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:25 NLT)
If you love God, then you will love His people.
As Christians, we need to live up to our name, which means “Christ followers.” And we need to be Christlike.
Colossians 3:1-4 The Message
He Is Your Life
3 1-2 So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from only his perspective.
3-4 Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.
Colossians 3:12-17 The Message
12-14 So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
15-17 Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.
When we read Matthew 16:18, some think that God was saying that He would build His church through Peter. Certainly God used Peter to build the church.
However, the “rock” that Jesus was referring to was the truth of what Peter had said just before this.
In Matthew 16:13, Jesus had asked the disciples, “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” The disciples give various answer and then Jesus asked the disciples, “Whom do you say I am?”
In verse 16, Peter answers, “Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
It is this truth on which God built and established the church. It the most basic foundational truth about which we build our spiritual beliefs as Christians.
In fact, I believe that you cannot be a Christian until you first settle and answer Jesus’ question for yourself against the reality of sin: “Who do you say I am?”
Peter understood Jesus’ true identity as God had revealed it to him.
It was this foundational truth that Peter took with him as he preached and played a critically important role in the kingdom, the spread of Christianity.
However, it’s also important to note that Jesus said, I will build my church.
It wasn’t Peter’s responsibility to build the church.
Peter’s job was to tell others about Jesus and then Jesus alone holds the real responsibility for the growth and expansion of the church. Peter’s job was to “go and tell.” Jesus’ job is to build the church through our own generations .
As followers of Christ, We have the same job today that Peter had – to go and tell. Then we leave the rest up to God and allow Christ to build His church.
We are all responsible for telling others about our Savior. But first we must settle in our hearts the answer to the question that Jesus asked the disciples.
So, if Jesus were to look you directly in your 20/20 eyes and asked you today:
“Who do you say that I am?” When do you, what would be your answer?
Would Jesus’ response to your answer be “I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard it not what I meant” or would He say to you, like Peter: “Blessed are you, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father alone who is in heaven. And I also say to you that on this rock I will build My church.”
If each of us would be what we ought to be as followers of Jesus and as a part of the church, what a difference it would make in our homes, neighborhoods, our communities, our schools, our playgrounds, streets, country, and the world.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Ephesians 4:1-6 The Message
To Be Mature
4 1-3 In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.
4-6 You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.
Prayer for God’s People (Ephesians 1:17-19)
God of our Lord Jesus, the Liberating King, Father of Glory:
I call out to You on behalf of Your people, the Body of Christ, the Church in the world. Give them one mind, ready to receive thy wisdom and revelation so they will truly know You. Open the eyes of their hearts and let the light of Your truth flood in. Show them all what You have promised them. Shine Your light on the hope You are calling them to embrace. Reveal to them the truly glorious riches You are preparing as their inheritance. Let them see the full extent of Your power that is at work in those of us who believe, and may it be done according to Your might and power alone. Amen.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 