Pastor Joe Fuiten, July 6, 2003

 

Scripture Reading:  Matthew 16:13-19, Page 694

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 Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, 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." (NIV)

 

 

It has nothing to do with my message today, but we are still in the Fourth of July weekend.  I thought it would be appropriate to show you a picture that I think reflects why America is a great country.  This is a full Presidential Cabinet meeting.  The President’s foreign and domestic advisors are seated behind him.  As a group they are praying.  I don’t expect the government to be the church, but I am greatly comforted by the thought that they are seeking God just as we are.

            In this passage, Jesus transfers spiritual authority to his disciples and promises victory to his church.  There are several important questions in this passage that I will not visit today.  Did Jesus promise the key to the kingdom to Peter alone, or to all the disciples?  For a more detailed treatment of this passage from a textual and historical point of view please refer to my message of January 20, 1999.  For those who are reading this on the web, the relevant portion of that message is attached. The early church was quite clear that the promise was to them all and not to Peter alone.  The passage on binding and loosing is a statement of spiritual authority, not over demons but over the law.  For a complete discussion of “binding and loosing” go to the church website at http://www.cedarpark.org/CedarParkFtp/2000/binding.htm. 

This passage was spoken at Caesarea Philippi, at one of three mouths of the Jordan River.  The river that flowed from the mouth of the cave was regarded as a gate of hell.  This location was the scene of pagan and demonic worship to several gods. 

All these themes are worthy of consideration but I want to focus on one phrase, “I will build my church.”

I love the fact that Jesus called the church his.

I love that he has committed his will to the church.  I am thinking that the will of Jesus is pretty reliable.  When he says, “I will” that seems solid to me.

I love that he is building his church.  Like a house or school building is built, so Jesus is systematically building his church.  In the New Testament, sometimes church is local as in a particular city.  Here it is universal.  This is the people of God in all its various expressions.

If Jesus says he will build his church then I will say “I love his church.”  I cannot begin to describe the joy I find in the church of Jesus Christ.

This is the season of vacations.  When you vacation, I hope you will visit another church.  Here are the signs that the church you are visiting is a redneck church:

· People ask, when they learn that Jesus fed the 5000, whether the two fish were bass or catfish, and what bait was used to catch 'em.

·When the pastor says, "I'd like to ask Bubba to help take up the offering", five guys and two women stand up.

·Opening day of deer season is recognized as an official church holiday.

·A member of the church requests to be buried in his 4-wheel-drive truck because "It ain't never been in a hole it couldn't get out of,"

·The choir is known as the "OK Chorale."

·In a congregation of 500 members, there are only seven last names in the church directory.

·Baptism is referred to as "branding."

·There is a special fund-raiser for a new church septic tank.

·Finding and returning lost sheep isn't just a parable.

·High notes on the organ set the dogs to howling.

·The baptismal font is a #2 galvanized livestock watering trough.

·The choir robes were donated by (and embroidered with the logo from) Billy Bob's Barbecue.

The collection plates are really hub-caps from a '56 Chevy.

 

You that are thinking that would be a pretty good church to join are scaring me a little, ok?

           

I have come to love and appreciate the Church.  Some people like to point out what is wrong with the church and there is always something to point to.  For me, the church has always been a blessing and I have lots of good feelings for the church.

I know the church because I was raised in the church, literally.  In our little church in Butte Falls, Oregon where I was born, my father built a church.  My bedroom was a Sunday School classroom.  I never went to Sunday School, it came to me.  That church was so country, we would have thought a red-neck church was up town.

The church has given me the best things in my life.  That would be my wife, sons-in-law, and grandchildren.  I remember vacation bible school and building my lamp in craft-time.  We sanded and glued little blocks of wood to make our lamp.  While I was making that lamp in the church yard, the light came on.  It wasn’t the lamp but a pretty 9-year-old new girl named Linda VandenBos.  She had an odd name, but I was able to get that changed just 10 years later.

Both our daughters found their husbands in the church.  We are still hoping our two sons will also reach into the household of faith for their wives.

The church is the place where we pray for babies and bury our dead.  Before life begins and after life ends the church is there.  It is not cradle to grave.  It is before the cradle and after the grave.  When the babies come we celebrate.  When they don’t come, we comfort and encourage.  As we bury our dead we anchor our thoughts and our emotions in the assurance of salvation and of heaven.

The church is a wonderful place for learning and growing.  I learned to get along with people and not be afraid.  I believed that people were naturally good and would like me.  It taught me to sing and speak.  Virtually every skill I possess that makes for success in life, I learned in church.  It is the kind of place where the gaps can be filled.  Not every family has an equally enriched home environment.  But if those kids will be active in the church, a lot of missing links will be filled in.  You that make the children’s and youth departments happen do more than save souls.  You build lives.  It’s very important work.  You that coach the teams and operate the school are blessing thousands every day.

The church is a social fellowship as well.  All day long on the Fourth of July a great crowd of singles in their twenties filled the ballfield with laughter and sport.  Several nights a week softball teams play.  Even old guys like me and still get out there and swing the bat.

After second service today, we’ll have a great group that stays for lunch.  Friendships will grow and the church will be the church.

The church calls forth the best in people.  In my Wednesday night studies, we are in Acts.  Several times Paul faced certain death for one reason only:  He wanted strangers to be able to share in the joys of the church.  Every day people lay down their lives so that others might have eternal life.

The church is the world’s most successful organization and it has been in that position for many centuries.  Empires have come and gone but the church remains because Jesus is building it.  We are not only the world’s most successful organization, the future looks even better.  For those critics of the church may I suggest that the church is a bit like Noah’s ark.  There might be parts that stink, but it is still the best thing afloat.  America the superpower will not outlast the church.  The UN will not outlast the church.  NATO will not outlast the church.  We will be the last organization standing because Jesus is the head of his church.

Jesus is not only building his church, he is building a place for his church.  In John 14:2-3 Jesus said,  “In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

Even at this late date he continues to build because there are still those who will join the family.

 

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