February 22, 2018 UPON THIS ROCK
Matthew 16:18: “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it.”
Colossians 1:18b: “He is also head of the body, the church,”
When Jesus asked his disciples who He was, Peter professed that He was “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” It was, and it is an amazing revelation to know that the living God who created the universe, sent His Son into the world in the likeness of man in order that man might be saved. This truth is the pillow of the church-Jesus came to redeem fallen man and to restore him back to the Father. In the verse above, Jesus declared that He would build His church, and what He declares, comes to pass-always! The church is not a building or an organization; the church is the body of believers throughout the world. In the Scriptures, the church is also referred to as the bride of Christ and the body of Christ. Sad to say, but today the word ‘church’ has lost its clarity and is defined and perceived in many different ways; some think of church as a particular building, and some think of the church as an organization, etc. But as we learn in Scripture, believers make up the church and Jesus is the head of the body. There are local expressions of the church who meet in a particular building or home, and God has equipped various ones to serve as those who equip the members for the ‘work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ’. Ephesians 4:11-12. We also learn that God has given every member of the body of Christ a ‘spiritual gift’ that is an expression of Christ that is to be exercised to bless other members. 1 Corinthians 12. Another important truth concerning the church is that each member needs the other members because only as the body functions together do we experience a greater understanding of the person of Christ. This idea that we need each other often runs contrary to the American way of ‘independence’-we see ourselves as being self-sufficient- but this attitude or view is in direct conflict to the teachings of scripture and principles of body life. Even though there are divisions in the ‘church’ today and there are many misconceptions of what church is, God is about building His church, He has not changed His plans. Whatever your current view of church might be, and whatever your experience of church might be, search the scriptures and discover what God says about the church and how it is to function, and build your life around the truth about the church. The reality is that there are many ‘churches’ out there that fail to function as God intends. You have three choices: either speak up, question, and promote the biblical view of church in a respectful way in your current church; find a church that more accurately reflects the biblical model of church; or pray that God would raise up a new church that has a desire to be a church that functions in a way that is in keeping with the Scriptures. And, be aware that church is made up of people, so know that every church will have its problems along the way just as it did in the early church-but also remember that God is building His church-be a part of it!
Ephesians 1:22-23: “And He put all things under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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