THANK YOU 4 THE CHURCH

UPON THIS ROCK

Geology Theology!

Matthew 16:13-20 
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 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. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

THE CHURCH IS BEING BUILT UPON ROCK 

Verse 18: "… on this rock I will build my church"

This is not a small thing to look over. THE CHURCH DOES NOT HAVE A WEAK FOUNDATION. IT IS SOLID.

THE ROCK THE CHURCH IS BEING BUILT UPON IS JESUS 

The Rock the church is built upon. 

- Jesus Christ our cornerstone [Ephesians 2:20] 

- Psalm 118:22 // Matthew 21:42

- 1 Peter 2:6-7

JESUS IS BUILDING THE CHURCH 

Matthew 7:24-27
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. "And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.”

To obey Jesus is to build on the Rock. To disobey Jesus is to build on the sand. This is directly related to the church. To obey Jesus is to function as HIS church. To disobey Jesus is to function separate from the church. It is folly, it will NOT stand. 

ACTS OF OBEDIENCE GENERATE ROCKS UPON THE ROCK!

1 Corinthians 3:11-18
11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames. 16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

THE GATES OF HELL WILL NOT OVERCOME THE CHURCH

Revelation 12:10-11
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power
    and the kingdom of our God,
    and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
    who accuses them before our God day and night,
    has been hurled down.
11 They triumphed over him
 by the blood of the Lamb
    and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
    as to shrink from death.

WE’VE GOT THE KEYS TO BIND AND LOOSE!

Matthew 16:19 
"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 

The Key of David: 

Gathering in Jesus name as Lively stones the key to the kingdom. 

Revelation 2:7
7 “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 

David is the man after God’s own heart: Acts 13:22

David is the man who’s heart was set on the gathering place: 2 Samuel 7

David is the exuberant dancer before the LORD:  2 Samuel 6

David is the man who would not bring an offering to God unless it cost him: 2 Sam 24:18-25

BID:

Let’s commit to being church people. Commit to being PRO-Church.

HOMEWORK! 

Is the split rock prophetic of Jesus? 

Read: Exodus 17

Extra Notes: 

Kinds of rocks in scripture: 

Lively Stones: 1 Peter 2:5-9 

Rock of obedience: Matthew 7:24-27 

Rock of revelation: Matthew 16:17

Rock of salvation: 2 Samuel 22:3

Rock of ages: Isaiah 26

Cornerstone: Ephesians 2:20

Rocks in the soil: Matthew 13:5

Note provided by Caleb Ernest Eversmith