Christ Builds an Amazing Assembly.Sunday June 1, 2025 Main idea: The church possesses eternal life and is built on those who boldly confess Christ as the Son of the living God, thus blessing and also cursing the world.
Introduction:
There is a cave in Caesarea Philippi where the people offered sacrifices to Pan and it was believed that cave was a gate to the underworld.
In this area Jesus said:
Mat 16:18 “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”
“gates of Hades” appears in Greek literature, notably in Homer’s Iliad (c. 8th century BCE), where it symbolizes the boundary between life and death.
Rom 5:21 as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
What is the church?
We need to be sure to answer this question as Christ would.
Text: Mat 16:13-20
Church - ekklesia = gathering, assembly, congregation (first mention here).
A gathering of people who have overcome death itself.
What is Jesus going to build?
What is the church?
A new humanity with an incomparable new headship in the resurrected Christ formed by the regenerating power of God the Holy Spirit. This new humanity is one of peace, without distinction between Jew and Gentile, where Christ is all in all. The New Testament also records that the individual Christian, being indwelt by Christ, now possesses eternal life and its hope of glory (Col 1:27), and, being in Christ, is enriched with the perfect standing of Christ, since all that Christ is-even the righteousness of God-is imputed unto him. The Christian is thus already constituted a heavenly citizen (Phi 3:20) and, being raised with Christ (Col 3:1-3), and seated with Christ (Eph. 2:6), belongs to another sphere-so definitely, indeed, that Christ can say of the Christian, “You are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (Joh 17:14,16; Joh 15:18-19).
This new humanity, created by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, has a standing as perfect as that of Christ. Each member is individually redeemed by the blood of Christ; born of the Spirit into a relationship in which God becomes their Father and they become His legitimate sons and heirs -- even joint-heirs with Christ. They are forgiven all trespasses to such a degree that they will never come into condemnation (Col 2:13; Joh 3: 18; Rom 8:1), and justified forever (Rom 3:21-5:11).
Being in Christ, they are one in each other in a mystic union which is both incomparable and incomprehensible-a unity like that within the blessed Trinity (Joh 17:21-23). They are already constituted citizens of heaven (Phi 3:20). These blessings are not only as exalted and spiritual as heaven itself and eternal, but they are secured apart from all human merit at the instant one believes on Christ to the saving of the soul.
This list could be greatly expanded.
Who or what is the rock?
“Jesus makes a remarkable play on Peter's name, a pun in fact, that has caused volumes of controversy and endless theological strife.” [A.T. Robertson]
Petra v. petros? “Petros as a name can scarcely be pre-Christian” (A Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament, Bauer).
Jesus would not nickname him petra because it’s feminine.
Who or what is the rock? Peter is the first leader and he points to Christ - hence the rock is the man and the confession (he is not the only one, just the first).
What are the keys?
Keys: the gospel / pointing to Christ (Person and work).
Zwingli: “The keys are nothing else than this: the preaching of the pure, unfalsified word of the gospel.”
Cross reference Mat 23:13 [Pharisees lock people out and do not enter themselves].
Loose and bind: open and close.
Why in heaven (future verb with perfect passive participle: “will have been”)? Omniscient God wants His often-despised church (Mat 5:10-12) to know that He stands behind them.
Peter can confess / profess as will many who come after him, but he cannot build.
1Co 3:6; Eph 4:16 (Christ causes growth and uses people).
Peter the confessor is the first leader but he is not the only rock (Eph 2:20).
“My church” emphatic “My”: What is Christ going to build? What is the church?
Application:
You have been made a new creature in Christ.
You carry the keys that were given to Peter.
Think of how important this makes your life.
Your message cannot be separated from your person: what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart.
Don’t try to be perfect, but don’t try to be imperfect either. Rather, think deeply about who Christ has made you to be and then strive to love and live it.
Your life matters greatly: one of the things that Christ did was to make every Christian a blessing to others. Now you matter, despite what the world says.
|