THE CHURCH

“UPON THIS ROCK”
Matthew 16:13-18:
13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
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.

In this world in which we live there are great powers. Some of those powers are seen and some of those powers are unseen, but the mightiest of them are unseen.
In this world there are great military powers, great financial powers and great political powers. There are men with great persuasion powers, and great physical powers, but the greatest power on the earth is an unseen spiritual power know as “The Church of Jesus Christ.” When its people function as a New Testament Church, it is the greatest power on earth.

1 – THE PHRASE: In the Christian world “The Church” refers to a group of believers that gather together each Sunday to worship the Lord Jesus Christ.
These believers have been converted from living in the world for self to living in this world for the Lord.
All true believers have been washed in the blood of Jesus Christ and have personally and individually received Him into their hearts and lives.
There are many other activities during the week that many of the believers are involved in such as prayer meeting, Bible studies, visitation, youth meetings, music and many other gatherings.
However, to the world, the phrase, “The Church” may have a variety of meanings. For example in Australia, “The Church” is a rock group founded in 1980.
In London, “The Church” is a bar where friends gather to drink and party. They advertise over the web with this phrase, “The Church is a great place for a few drinks, a laugh, a dance and the chance to sing your heart out.”
Today, the word “Church” refers to many organization that claims to be a non-profit group.
-There are cult churches, where the true doctrines of God’s Word are twisted and scorned.
-There are satanic churches, where Satan is glorified and Jesus Christ mocked.
There are churches of all persuasions, fake churches, false churches, as well as faithful churches that are true to God’s Word.
Today, with the recent episodes of sexual abuse, infidelity and money scandals in many denominations, “The Church” does not necessarily have a good taste in the mouth of many people.
Therefore, it is vital that God’s children so live as to let the world know we are different. We must live the love of Jesus Christ.
Your friends do not picture our Church the way you do. You may think and say, we have a wonderful church. We have a wonderful choir. We have wonderful Sunday school teachers. We have a wonderful youth director and choir director. We have wonderful friends.
Your friends picture your church by the way you walk and talk, act and live.
The Church is not a building or a name. The Church is you. So let us talk about the people of the Church.

2 – THE PEOPLE: The word “Church,” in the Greek, means “called out” or “assembly.” The true Church is made up of blood washed believers who have been called out of the world, to assemble together in honor of God.
The church which brings glory to the Lord is comprised of those who love Jesus Christ and honor Him with their lives each week and each day. Within the “Church” are many that are spiritual and sadly, many that are carnal.

Within the Church one can find the greatest wisdom. Paul wrote in Colossians 1: 26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
God wants you and me to bathe in His Scriptures, so we might know wisdom.
Paul also revealed that within the church can be great weakness: Read in First Corinthians 3:1 1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
The wisdom of the Church lies in the lives of those who seeks the Lord with all their hearts, studies with their minds and spends time in prayer and walk in God’s Word.
The weakness is found in those who are carnal: Those whose hearts are full of envy and strife, those who sow doubt and division and those who spend little time with the Lord.
Sadly, the unsaved world loves to look at the most carnal person that claims to be a Christian and then judge all believers in that church by that person.
That is why each true believer is admonished again and again in the Scriptures to honor God with their lives.
Remember, the Church is not a building, it is the people called out of this world, saved by grace, for God’s glory. It is the bride of Christ. It is God’s witness on this earth today.
The Church is to be a light in a dark world. The Church is to be comprised of those who are saved, surrendered, separated, sanctified and serving the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 – THE PERCEPTION: The first time the word “Church” is used in the Bible is found in Matthew 16:13.
In this text we see three important thoughts of perception.
I – The Wonder of the Church,
II – The Worship of the Church,
III – The War of the Church,
I – THE WONDER OF THE CHURCH
13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
Why that seems like a simple question, yet in the days that Christ walked the earth, people had a difficult time believing that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God, yea, God incarnate.
The disciples answered in verse 14, And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
True believers are taken back to think that the Jewish world, that should have known the prophecies and promises of God, simply did not know Him.
They were willing to say, that Jesus was the reincarnation from one of the great prophets like Elijah, for Jesus had the power to raise the dead.
They even compared Him to Jeremiah, because of His compassion and tears.
But, the religious world and the social world was not willing to yet believe that Jesus was God.
For a Church to bring honor to God, a church must recognize and understand who Jesus is.
Who He is to you will determine your faithfulness and service to Him. How much you love Him will determine the time you spend with Him and the service you give to Him.
In 1989 a man bought a picture in a yard sale for $4.00 in Adamstown, Pennsylvania. When he got it home, he was taken it apart and discovered one of the 500 original copies of the Declaration of Independence. He had it appraised and sold it for 2.4 million dollars in 1991.
The person that sold it in the yard sale had no idea that right under his nose was a fortune and he allowed another man to become rich at his lost.
The application is this: The beauty of Jesus Christ has become obscured by wrong pictures spoken by human voices and wrong books written by human hands.
But, to anyone who will take the Word of God seriously and look into it, they will find the original Jesus, who changes and empowers lives.
Jesus is God. He is the creator of the universe.
Before the first Cherub ever fluttered a wing, Jesus was.
He hung the stars in space and named them one by one.
He created the billions of angels and every particle of life.
Jesus is the Messiah of whom 456 prophecies were fulfilled in His first coming.
Jesus is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end.
Jesus is the beloved of God and our blessed redeemer.
Jesus is the Christ, the Cornerstone of the Church.
Jesus is our deliverer.
He is the eternal Father, our everlasting life.
Jesus is God. Jesus is good, Jesus is great, Jesus is gracious.
Jesus is holy and honorable. He is heavens light.
Jesus is God incarnate. He is invincible and absolutely incredible.
Jesus is the Joy of man’s desire.
Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords.
Jesus is the maker of heaven and earth, the master of the universe.
Jesus is notorious and has a name above all names.
Jesus is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscience.
Yes, He was born of a virgin. Yes, He was sinless. Yes, He touched the eyes of the blind and gave them sight.
Yes, He healed the lepers and gave strength to the cripple to walk again.
Yes, He walked upon the waters and calmed the storms.
Yes, He wept and He raised the dead.
Yes, He allowed man to crucified and bury Him in a tomb.
Yes, He descended into hell.
And yes, He conquered hell and the grave and rose again.
I can tell you all day who Jesus is to me and you may marvel at that, but not until he becomes your “all in all” will the world marvel at you.
Not until He becomes your best friend, will your friends know that He is your best friend.
Not until He becomes your Savior will be know He is your Savior.
Not until He becomes your Lord, will people know He is your Lord.
If you want a relationship that will make the world wonder, get to know my Jesus.
He will make the sun shine on a cloudy day.
He will give you joy in the midst of sorrow.
He will make you laugh when the rest of the world is crying.
He will give you a love that the world can’t take away.
The Wonder of the Church belongs to those who truly wonder after Jesus Christ.

II – THE WORSHIP OF THE CHURCH
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
If you go to play a ballgame or go to the gym, you go to exercise your physical abilities. When you go to church you go to exercise your spirit.
When Peter answered the Lord, you can sense his excitement. You can hear as he raises his voice with great joy and proclaims, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
His answer did not come because he heard someone else say it. He did not read it in a book. It came from God. It came from his mind, his heart, his soul, his spirit, for he had been examining the life of Christ.
Do you worship Christ? Does the fact that He is the Messiah, the Savor of your soul excite you? It should!
Worship comes from the heart of the beholder. Some folks worship life. Some folks worship self.
But, to those who worship Christ, the greatest blessings come and it is truly evident to all who live near that person.
The church must be built around the beauty of Jesus Christ.
-Songs must lift Him up.
-When a song is sung, Christ should be praised, not a person, not a people.
When a sermon is preached, Christ should be lifted up.
-Christ should be seen, not a person, not a preacher.
-May the Father, through his Spirit reveal to our hearts the beauty of Jesus Christ!
Worshipping Christ is spiritual. Jesus told the woman at the well that the day is coming when they that truly worship God will worship Him in spirit and truth.
God’s Spirit is holy. Thus, true worship transpires in the heart of those whose hearts are pure and clean.
It takes place in the hearts of those who are humble in spirit and hate sin.
True worship comes to those hunger and thirst after righteousness.
True worship takes place in the hearts of those whose motives in coming to church is to see God and not to be seen by man.
True worship takes place when the cares of this world are set aside and our eyes are filled with He who is mighty, magnificent and marvelous.
True worship takes our minds to Calvary and true worship sets our sights on the soon coming of our Lord.
True Worship honors God. True Worship changes us.
True Worship heals our hearts and our homes.

III THE WAR
Matthew 16:18 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.
19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Before the Church was ever birthed, Jesus warned that there would be a war.
Who will be fighting against you that are saved? Satan and his cohorts from hell!
The weapons of are warfare must be put on individually.
I can’t wear your armour and you can’t wear mind. Every individual believer must dress in God’s armour if he is to win.
Look at Ephesians 6:11, Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. God says to stand you must dress in His military uniform. That uniform is spiritual
The war we fight is not human, but spiritual.
It is not with what we can see but with what we can’t see. Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
The armour is a must if we are to have victory. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Victory will then come:
1-- Victory comes to those who wrap their lives in truth and live righteously. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
2-- Victory comes to those who have a good foundation. 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
3-- Victory comes to those who live by faith, walk by faith, yea those who trust in the Lord and His Word with all their hearts for the doubt wiles of Satan will not penetrate their shield of faith. 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
4-- Victory comes to those who have the assurance of the Salvation, Who have memorized God’s Word is knows how to use it against the attacks of Satan. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
5-- Victory comes to those who understand that each piece must be put on with prayer. 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

The churches that will be in the greatest war are the churches that build upon the principles and precepts of God’s Word.
Those that worship truly and witness openly, Satan will attack.

Remember that the true Church is spiritual.
Everything about the true Church is spiritual.
The love that last is spiritual.
The life that brings glory to God is spiritual.
Therefore, Satan wants to destroy the Church’s spiritual relationship with the Lord.
He plots and plans to take away your devotional life, your prayer life, and your personal and private time with God.
He messes with your mind and poisons your heart.

Jesus wants the believers to understand that we are soldiers for Christ and Satan has declared war on Christ’s church.
Listen: The reason we gather together often is multifold:
1 – We gather to honor Jesus Christ.
2 – We gather to worship the Lord.
3 – We gather to sing praises to Him.
4 – We gather for sweet fellowship.
5 – We gather to learn our gifts and sharpen our lives and gain knowledge.
6 – We gather to equip the saints for the daily wars we face.
7 – We gather to pray and intercede for our children and friends who are lost and on their way to hell.
8 – We gather to exalt Christ and no man.
9 – We gather to grow spiritually, to unite our families and to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.
10 – Jesus is why we gather together.
Satan will sow doubt, depression and discouragement in your life.
He will attack your mind then he will stomp on your heart.
I promise you, if you stay close to God you won’t fall. And I promise you if you don’t, you will fall. And when you fall, your family will fall with you.
How do you win? James gives us the answer.
James 4: 6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
When we are humble towards God, God has first place in our life. We surrender and submit to live a life pleasing to Him.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
This is a verse on victory. Josh Hamilton was a young man who was the greatest baseball player in America. His family went to church and Josh was a good kid. He never smoked, drank, cussed or ran with the wrong crowd. One day he went to his uncle and aunts house for he was under conviction. He said, there were a lot of people in church, but my uncle and aunt were different. They were Christian. There, he ask about salvation and there he invited Christ into his life. When he graduated from High School, he was given a 3.96 million dollar singing bonus in baseball.
Then, came Satan. He was injured. He couldn’t play for a while. His idle mind would soon become Satan’s workshop. Bars, alcohol and cocaine became his life style. In three years, he spent 3.96 million dollars on a big party. His lies and deception left him friendless and homeless. He went to his grandmother’s house. She took him in and begin to feed him and gave him a bible to read. Josh memorizes James 4:7, Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
He quoted this verse over and over and over. That was a beginning of a long trip back to God and to life. Today, he is living for the Lord and giving Him honor.
I tell you this story so you will know, you are no match for Satan.
Whether you are a Christian or not you will fall if you don’t submit and surrender your life to the Lord Jesus Christ.
You may never take crack cocaine or alcohol in your body, but the any unconfessed sin will start you down a trail of no return.
Sin will take you father than you want to go. It will keep you longer than you want to stay. And it will cost you far more than you want to pay.
Continue with James 4:8.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Taking time for God begins with humility. We realize our time is God’s time. We realize we should draw near to Him daily. And when we do, we will clean our hands. That means we will make things right with our family, friends, neighbors and enemies.
“Purify your hearts,” means we will make things right with God. You see, to have wrong feelings towards someone or to have sin in our heart and claim to be right with God is to be double minded.
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
James is saying, the key to winning the war with Satan is to hate his fruits. His fruits are sinful. Pride is ugly, greed is wicked, sin is a cancer. Mourn and weep over your sins. Then God will give you joy.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
You don’t have the ability to lift yourself up. The philosophies of the world want you to blame your parents, your friends, your peers, society, government and even your genes when you fail. You see, man’s humanistic psychology says, that you were born basically good and society make you fail. God says, nobody is responsible for your failure but you, and until you admit that, you begin at no beginning and your end is horrible. So, don’t blame another…
11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

First Timothy 1: 18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;
19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: