THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST
Matthew 16:13-18
Key verse: v. 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.”
Introduction:
As I began to prepare this message I went back into my files and pulled everything I had about the church. At one time I had a copy of a booklet on the church that Dr. B. F. Dearmore had given me, but through the years I had misplaced it. I found it on Jim Dearmore’s web page.
Other sources were Dr. B. H. Carroll, Norman Wells, Roy Mason and C. C. Carroll. More recent writings such as Bro. Don Ross’ “A Local, Visible Church” written in Portuguese.
The only real reliable source is the Bible that states the truth of God without any bias whatsoever. While I agreed with some of the above mentioned writers, I disagreed with others. I wanted to present this a bit different than a history lesson.
I. THE ARCHITECT OF THE CHURCH IS GOD
A. THE PLAN — To build an assembly (ekklesia)
1. Of believers in Jesus Christ, Matthew 16:15-16, “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.”
a. John the Baptist prepared the way, Luke 1:17, “And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
b. John turned his disciple toward the Saviour, John 3:28-30, “Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. 29-He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. 30-He must increase, but I must decrease.”
2. Scripturally baptized, Acts 1:21-22, “Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22-Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.”
3. Who have coveted together to carry out God’s commission, Matthew 28:19-20, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20-Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
4. This is a visible, local body, 1 Corinthians 1:2, “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:”
B. THE MAN – Jesus Christ as Head of that assembly, Ephesians 1:22-23, “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23-Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”
II. THE FOUNDER AND FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH
A. The MAN of God, the Founder of the Church, 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.”
B. The PLAN of God:
1. That Jesus Christ be the Foundation of the Church, 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11-For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
a. He is a sure foundation, Isaiah 28:16, “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.”
b. The Stone which the builders rejected, Psalm 118:22, “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.”
2. Jesus is the Cornerstone of the Church, Ephesians 2:20, “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;”
The cornerstone identifies the owner, Acts 20:28, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”
a. The name on that stone is of fundamental importance, Romans 16:16, “Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.”
III. THE SPIRIT WHICH EMPOWERS THE CHURCH
A. THE PLAN: To wait for POWER, not for the organization of the church, Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
1. This is NOT the Holy Spirit organizing the church.
2. This is the Holy Spirit EMPOWERING the church to carry out God’s will.
B. The POWER of the Holy Spirit,
1. To occupy, to carry on the Lord’s business, Luke 19:12-13, “He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. 13-And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.”
2. To be missionaries throughout the world, Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
a. Missionaries evangelize men.
b. Missionaries organize [not found] New Testament churches.
CONCLUSION
Jesus said, “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” It is His Church; He founded it; He died for it; He will sustain it until He comes for it.
We are to “occupy” until he comes, i.e., negotiate, and do His business, which is to evangelize mankind and organize New Testament churches.