Text: Matthew 16:13-20
Main Idea: The Church is all about Jesus or it is about nothing at all.
The most important word in the passage? “I” “I,” as spoken by Jesus. First in His question, “Who do you say I am?” And second, in His statement “I” will build my church.
I. Who do you say I am?
- From the beginning, the Master plan of the church was all about the Master. And that’s why the church is all about Jesus or it’s about nothing at all.
- “Flesh and blood did not reveal this” God graciously revealed Christ to us.
- (John 6:44). “No one can come to me unless the Father draws him…”
- My concern is that many Christians have lost their fascination and astonishment with Christ.
- God wants to heighten our appetite for more of Him so He can fill it. “Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.” (Psalm 81:10).
- The rock that Jesus said would be the foundation of the church was Peter’s profession of Jesus as the Christ, not Peter himself.
- Colossians 2:8-10 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. 9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.
- He is the head over every power and authority. That means they all answer to Him.
- Exodus 9:16: “I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth”
Rulers are in place so that the name of Jesus might be proclaimed in all the earth.
II. I will build my church.
- Jesus said this while knowing He wouldn’t even be on earth.
- The rest of this series will be all about how the Lord is working His masterplan, building His church by using each one of us. Yes you! You will be surprised by the variety of ways He is doing this and how He is doing it in you – right now.
No person in all of history has been more personally embraced than Jesus Christ. … There are many who follow the teachings of religious leaders long dead, but the difference with Jesus is His followers – over more than 20 centuries – speak of Him as though He is still alive. They don’t say “I *knew* Jesus.” They say, “I *know* Jesus. “I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!” (Revelation 1:18).
Clinton Scott says
I do not what happened to my original comment. For some reason, it vanished into cyberspace. So, I will try again. Welcome back, Pastor Dan! Juanita and I missed you!! We enjoyed greatly enjoyed and feasted off of today’s sermon. Our Catholic friends missed it when they mistook the Apostle Peter for “the Rock” cited in your biblical passage. And that is why Juanita and I are not Catholics. We know Jesus Christ would not leave something so incredibly important as the building of His church to any human being. Our spirits rejoice because we truly feasted on the truth of today’s sermon. So much so that we are reluctant to take our bibs off. We keep going back to see if there is any scrap of meat we might have missed! Now, that we have devoured your sermon notes, we are content we left nothing on our plates.
God bless you and your dear sister sweetheart and again, we say “welcome back!!”