Matt. 16:13-20

Mt. 16:18

The Church of Christ

“upon this rock I will build my church” Mt.16:18

Matt. 16:13-20

• 13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

• 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets

• 15 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.

• 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

• 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.

• 19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

• 20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

Who?: Built the church of Christ?

• We know that the early churches were • called ‘churches of Christ’. Rom. 16:16

• Why would anyone want to call the• Lord’s church by any other name?

• Why would anyone be ashamed of the• Name the Lord used to describe his • Church?

Not:John the Baptist!

• Matt. 11:11==None greater than John!

• 11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

John baptized Jesus!Matt. 3:13-17

• .• 13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be

baptized of him.• 14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of

thee, and comest thou to me?• 15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for

thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

• 16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

• 17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

John said of Jesus..John 3:30

• 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

• John was very well known…John served

• God faithfully…

• But John did not build the church of Christ!

Neither did Joseph Smith!

Neither did Alexander Campbell

Jesus is the: Chief Cornerstone

• Builder Acts 20:28

• The Foundation of I Cor. 3:11

• For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Isa. 28:16,17

• ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed. I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line.’”

• Jesus is the firm foundation for our lives. Isaiah uses construction terminology (measuring line and plumb line) to make his point)

• How is Jesus the chief cornerstone? ... • In ancient building practices, the cornerstone

was the principal stone placed at the corner of the edifice.

• The cornerstone was usually one of the largest, the most solid, and the most carefully constructed of any in the edifice.

• Jesus describes Himself as the Cornerstone that His church would be built upon, a unified body of believers, both Jew and Gentile.

Who Planned the church of Christ?

Planned before the Foundation of the World

Mt. 16:18

The Church of Christ

The church of Christ in Prophecy

• Gen. 12:1-3 *2500 BC • 12 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get

thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

• 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

• 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

The church of Christ in Prophecy

• Isa.2:2-3 *670 BC• And it shall come to pass in the last days, that

the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

• 3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

The church of Christ in Prophecy

• Micah 4:2 *630 BC

• And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

The church of Christ in Prophecy

• Daniel 2:44 *530 BC

• 44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

Gen.12:1-3 - 2500 BCGen.12:1-3 - 2500 BC

Isa. 2:2-3 - 670 BCIsa. 2:2-3 - 670 BC

Mich. 4:2 - 630 BCMich. 4:2 - 630 BC

Dan. 2:44 - 530 BCDan. 2:44 - 530 BC

•These verses all say…

• the Kingdom is coming…..

The church of Christ in Preparation

• Matt. 3:1-2 *30 AD

• 1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

• 2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

The church of Christ in Preparation

• Matt. 4:17 - *31 AD

• 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

The church of Christ in Preparation

• Matt. 10:7 *32 AD

• 7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

The church of Christ in Preparation

• Matt. 16:18 *32 AD

• 8 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.

Matt. 3:1-2 - 30 ADMatt. 3:1-2 - 30 AD

Matt. 4:17 - 31 ADMatt. 4:17 - 31 AD

Matt. 10:7 - 32 ADMatt. 10:7 - 32 AD

Matt. 16:18 - 32 ADMatt. 16:18 - 32 AD

•The Kingdom of Heaven

•Is at Hand!!

• The kingdom of Heaven was

• Prophesied

• Prepared

• and came into existence…

Acts 2:47

Acts 8:1

Col. 1:13

• All Scriptures regarding the church before Pentecost, point to its coming into existence….

• All Scriptures regarding the church after Pentecost, point back to its existence.

• It came into existence on the lst Pentecost after the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead!

Why did Jesus purchase thechurch?

•Acts 20:28 gave his blood for the church.

All who have been baptizedscripturally, are in it!

• I Cor. 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

• Acts 2:47 … And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

The Reason the church was established by Christ was

• To put all the saved together, as one body.

• Col. 1:18

• Eph. 1:22,23

• Eph. 4::1-6

For what Purpose?

• Save Souls….

• Mtt. 28:18-20

• Mark 16:15-16

• I Tim. 1:15

• I Tim. 3:15

• Not for the church to do anything it wants to without Bible authority?

• a)Build Recreational Halls• b)”Play ball”• c) Gymns• d) Fellowship Halls. • Christ built the church to ‘save the lost’.• Acts 2:47 Added the save to the church• The Saved are to Save!

What will happen to the church of Christ!

• Temple that Solomon Built. *Destroyed!

• The temple that Ezra came back to

• Restore. Later Destroyed!

The church of Christ willnever be Destroyed!

• Kingdoms of the world will pass away…

• But he that doeth the will of God abideth forever! I John 2:15-17

• Daniel 2:44

• Daniel 2:44

• 44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

• The Basic Conclusion is:

•Whom do we want to please?

Rom. 12:1-2

• 12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

• 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Eph. 5:8-10

• For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

• 9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

• 10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

2 Cor. 5:9

• Wherefore we labour, that, whether

present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

Col. 3:20

• Children, obey your parents in all things:

for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

I Thess. 4:1

• 4 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us

how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

I Tim. 2:1-3

• 2 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

• 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

• 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

I Tim. 5:4

• But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.

Gal. 1:10

• 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

I Thess. 2:4

• But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we

speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

I Chron.29:17

• 17 I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee.

Psalms 51:16-17

• 16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.

• 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

• God’s people have scars from sin!

• They have sinned against God and• Seek to make their lives right with God.• I John 2:1-3.

• Paul: I Tim. 1:15 ‘the chief of sinners’

• The Publican…Lk.18:13 “God be merciful to me, the sinner!”

The Corinthian church was full of ex-sinners!

• I Cor. 6:9-11 9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

• 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. (They Changed!)

• 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

Acts 22:16 And why tarriest thou, Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.