God’s Church by Tony McCandless
Matthew 16:18. And I say also to you, That you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Not on Peter but upon the statement “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” God’s Church is built.
Acts 2:47. Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
Spiritual birth gives a person entry to and membership in God’ s Church and immediately they become a part of God’s Kingdom here on this earth. In many places in the bible the Church and Kingdom are used interchangeable. It is God’s Church and He and He alone can give us membership. The Church was founded on the cross when Jesus stated, “It is finished”. The blood and water gushed forth and the veil of the temple was rent, the blood sacrifice having been made and the Kingdom come and now mankind could commune once more with God the father directly through His Son Jesus Christ.
John 3:3. Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God
John 3:5. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
John 1:12. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
While we must hold high the standard of redemption as the means of membership, the Church must be a welcoming center for the lost. We must be in the world in order to win people to Christ, however we must not be of the world and the worldly lust and pleasures of sin.
We must open our arms, our hearts, our church, to the lost and let them see that this is where true peace and rest can be found.
The Church must echo the call of Christ…
Matthew 11:28. Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke on you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest to your souls.
When Christ called the Church to be a light in a sin filled and dark world, He was challenging us to go to the world and be a reflection of His light and win souls.
The Church has been commissioned to spread the Gospel.
Matthew 22:9. Go you therefore into the highways, and as many as you shall find, bid to the marriage.
Luke 14:23 And the lord said to the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
The Church is the pure and undefiled bride of Christ awaiting the return of Christ the Bridegroom.
Tony’s Site
March 8th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Mat 16:13 And coming into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked His disciples, saying, Who do men say Me to be, the Son of Man?
Mat 16:14 And they said, Some say, John the Baptist; some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.
Mat 16:15 He said to them, but who do you say I am?
Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Mat 16:17 Jesus answered and said to him, You are blessed, Simon, son of Jonah, for flesh and blood did not reveal it to you, but My Father in Heaven.
Mat 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
This I believe is the key to this set of scripture. The word for Peter in the Greek is “Petra”, which means literally rock (as a hardened stone). The word rock in the phrase “on this rock” is “Petros” which is a large foundational rock used in the day and time as a foundation( footer) for a structure( such as a house or temple). Peter is not as much the focus, but rather what he said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”, that is the foundation that the church (the body of Christ) is built upon. It is not a focus on the person (1Co 3:4 For while one says, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are you not carnal?) but moreso what comes out of the heart of the person ( a belief in the son of god) that is revealed through the spirit which is important.
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