Sermon Tone Analysis

We Can Be Sure that Jesus Will Build His Church! - Part 1

The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 16:13-23

Sermon by Rick Crandall

(Prepared August 30, 2022)

BACKGROUND:

*Please open your Bibles to Matthew 16.

Today we will begin to focus on the sure truth that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is going to build His Church.

And we will start reading in vs. 13, but before we do, let me set the scene.

*Verse 13 tells us that Jesus and His disciples came to the region of Caesarea Philippi.

They were coming apart for a special time of instruction and fellowship.

By now, Jesus was well into the third and final year of His earthly ministry.

J. Vernon McGee estimated the Lord was only six months away from the cross.

Evil scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians had united in their murderous hatred of Jesus.

Normally, the scribes and Pharisees were bitter rivals of the Sadducees and Herodians.

These scribes and Pharisees radically enforced their man-made additions to God's Law.

Sadducees rejected those laws.

The divide was so bitter that in Acts 23:10, Paul was almost pulled apart during a clash between these two groups.

*The scribes and Pharisees were also bitter enemies of the Herodians, because they were supporters of the non-Jewish family appointed by Rome to rule Palestine.

But most in all four groups radically rejected Jesus.

They were obsessed with His destruction, and had been plotting His death for months.

(1)

*William Barclay explained that "the cross was coming closer, and Jesus needed some time alone with his disciples.

He had so much to say to them and teach them, although there were many things which then they could not bear and could not understand.

*In this crucial timeframe, Jesus withdrew to the region of Caesarea Philippi.

It was 25 miles northeast of the Sea of Galilee.

The people there were mainly non-Jewish, like the soldiers of the Roman Empire.

Locals worshiped in temples dedicated to the demonic gods of the Syrians and Greeks.

Caesarea Philippi also had a giant, white marble temple that was built to worship the Roman Emperor as god.

Here among the false gods, Jesus tested His disciples to see if they realized that HE is the one true Son of God." (2)

*Perhaps Jesus also picked this scene, knowing full well that His Church would include people from all over the world.

Revelation 5:9 tells us that up in Heaven we will sing Him a new song, saying, "You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation."

Praise the Lord!

*With this background in mind, let's begin by reading Matthew 16:13-23, and as we read, please think about the fact that Jesus Christ is surely going to build His Church.

MESSAGE:

*Do you ever get discouraged about God's church?

If you love His church, then it's natural for you to get discouraged at times.

The Apostle Paul certainly did.

In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul gave a summary of the many hardships he went through for the cause of Christ.

*Then in vs. 28 Paul said, "Besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches."

The Living Bible says "Then, besides all this, I have the constant worry of how the churches are getting along."

And the New American Standard says, "Apart from (such) external things, there is the daily pressure on me (of) concern for all the churches."

*If we love God's church, it is natural for us to get discouraged at times.

But Jesus Christ will build His Church!

And the Scripture today reminds us that we should be confident about the Lord's Church.

Let's look into God's Word and see why.

1. FIRST: WE CAN BE SURE THAT JESUS WILL BUILD HIS CHURCH, BECAUSE HE IS THE CHRIST.

*Jesus IS the promised Messiah, the Christ, the only begotten Son of the living God, and the only Savior of the world.

Listen to Peter's bold proclamation in vs. 13-16:

13.

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?''

14.

So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.''

15.

He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?''

16.

And Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.''

*It was an amazing claim.

"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!"

This claim would be preposterous, if it wasn't true.

But it is true!

*That's why C. S. Lewis wrote, "I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Jesus.

That is: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.'

*That is one thing we must not say.

A man who was merely a man and said the sort of thing Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher.

He would either be a lunatic on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg, or else he would be the Devil of Hell.

You must make your choice.

Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse.

*You can shut Him up for a fool.

You can spit at Him and kill him as a demon, or you can fall at his feet and call Him Lord and God.

But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher.

He has not left that open to us.

He did not intend to." (3)

*Peter answered Jesus, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!"

And yes, this claim would be ridiculous, if it wasn't true.

But it is true!

So, Christians: We do humble our hearts before Jesus and call Him our Lord, our Savior, our God, and our King!

*From everlasting to everlasting Jesus is the only begotten Son of the living God.

That's the truth.

And your eternal destiny will hinge on this one thing only: Do you believe the truth about Jesus Christ?

Do you believe in who He is? Do you believe that He died on the cross for your sins?

Do you believe that He rose again from the dead?

Do you believe enough to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?

Whether you spend eternity in Heaven or in hell hinges on this one thing: Do you believe the truth about Jesus Christ?

2. WE CAN BE SURE THAT THE LORD WILL BUILD HIS CHURCH, BECAUSE JESUS IS THE CHRIST, AND BECAUSE THIS TRUTH COMES FROM GOD THE FATHER.

*Christians: God the Father Himself has given us the revelation of the truth about His Son Jesus Christ.

The Lord explained this to Peter in vs. 17, when Jesus said, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah (or Son-of-Jonah), for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven."

*God the Father revealed the truth about Jesus to the Apostle Peter.

Did the Father speak out loud to Peter?

It's certainly possible.

The Father had already spoken out loud to people about His only begotten Son.

It happened at the baptism of Jesus.

*Matthew 3:16-17 tells us that when Jesus had been baptized, He "came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.

And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'''

*As far as I can tell, Peter wasn't there for that revelation.

But about a week after this Scripture, Peter, James, and John will see Christ's glory revealed at the top of a mountain.

And there, all 3 of them will hear God the Father speak.

Matthew 17:5 says, "a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Hear Him!'''

*Maybe the Father spoke privately to Peter, but most of the time God reveals the truth to us through His Holy Spirit.

Either way, the truth about Jesus was certainly a divine revelation, and it still is today.

James Merritt explained that "this was not a matter of human reasoning; It was a matter of heavenly revelation.

You don't come to Jesus by figuring.

You come to Jesus by faith.

*We are to preach the truth, teach the truth, and try to reach others with the truth.