WHAT IS YOUR CHURCH BUILT ON?
Matthew 16:18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
Just before this, Jesus asked his disciples who the people were saying he was. Surprisingly some said John the Baptist; others said Elijah, Jeremiah or another prophet. It is interesting that they would say this. All of these men had died, and were in the abode of the righteous dead. We know that Hebrews 9:27 tells us that people are destined to die and then comes judgment, so reincarnation was out of the question. Chances are they were saying that Jesus was someone like one of these men. Of course this is just my opinion on what they may have been thinking. One thing we know is that Peter came up with the right answer, and it was that Jesus was the Christ or Messiah, the Son of the living God. Then Jesus made a remarkable declaration to Peter and his disciples, and it was that his Father in Heaven revealed this to Peter. Then Jesus said that he would build his church on this rock, and the gates of Hades or hell would not overcome it.
The Catholic church believes that what Jesus was saying that since Peter’s name means rock, then Jesus was going to build his church on Peter. This is why they believe that the succession of popes that came from Peter as being not only God directed, but also God inspired. They believe that through their pope God speaks and directs his entire church and not just the Catholic church. Of course the Protestant denomination does not believe this. All of that changed with the reformation.
What I believe Jesus was saying is that his church is built on the declaration and fact verified by his Heavenly Father that he is indeed the Christ or Messiah and is the Son of Almighty God. It is this statement that separates christianity from all other faiths throughout the world. Many will call Jesus a great prophet of God, but will not declare that he is the Son of God. If Jesus was just a good man and even a great prophet of God, he could not become the Savior of the world. He would be finite in his ability to atone for the sins of all humanity, and with the carnal nature he would have required a savior for himself.
Throughout the history of the church many denominations, individual churches and individuals have altered the rock on which their denomination, church or life was based. While Jesus is still considered the Son of God and the promised Savior of the world, he is not the focal point, rock or tap root that everything else relates to and from. While some may debate this, like the layers of an onion peeled back they reveal the real purpose of their existence. For some it is evangelism. They eat and sleep the Roman Road for winning people to Jesus. Their sermons focus on this Sunday after Sunday. The laity is made to feel guilty if they are not winning souls. They tote around an invisible gospel gun with notches on it as a badge of honor like ribbons on the chest of a soldier. Their songs and prayers focus on it. All that they do and represent is based on winning souls for Jesus. For others it is a social gospel or rock. They stress doing good works and carry their ribbons of acceptance by the number of chair positions they have held. Their fulfillment as a Christian is seen in their work. Some it is worship. They base their relationship with God in their songs sang, instruments played, exuberant forms of shouting dancing and being slain in the Spirit. Other denominations, churches and people have their rock or focus might be the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
All of these can come with different combinations or even different focus point to suit the pastor, congregation or denomination. It can even be attendance, buildings, influence, missions, leadership and as I have said the list goes on. While all these have good in them, are they what the church should be built on and have its focus. Can they make swings the gates of hell open? You may be thing that I am getting nit picky if it all ends up glorifying Jesus. Well, let's just take some pruning shears and see what would happen if we cut some things off. Let’s start with cutting off Jesus as being the Son of God. What do we have left? Basicly everything we do for God. Cutting off Jesus as our focus we removed the one thing that God has done for us that we couldn’t do for ourselves. We removed the one thing that gets our eyes off of our self and on to God. You may say, but we haven’t done this. Good! But tell me what do you talk about most at all you meetings? If you didn’t say the name Jesus at your meeting would anything change?
I believe the more we are focused on Jesus the more correct the purpose of our evangelism, worship, gifts of the Holy Spirit and everything else will become. Everything we are and relate to has to be in light of Jesus and that he is God! Sometimes I think that the Jewish leaders that had Jesus crucified had a better handle on the implications of Jesus being the Son of God than even the church today. Sometimes our flippant casual relationship and even appearance before Jesus gives the impression that Jesus is just our buddy and not the Son of God. Our lives and his church has to be built on the fact that he is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Prayer: Holy Spirit, please help us to always keep Jesus as God’s only begotten Son before us. Please help us not to become distracted in doing for him, rather than being with him. Please help us to always lift him up and glorify him in every aspect of our life. We ask this in his holy name.
