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since I retired this is my resting place here I desire provision there [Music] [Music] you you you you you you you you you you you you certainly just by way of precursor to reading the chapter we see that acts 1:8 was a suggestion they the the the suggestion was that the gospel would go forward from Jerusalem and ultimately to the ends of the earth we see that beginning beginning to happen here in chapter 8 where the gospel was was going out beyond beyond Jerusalem of course was going out due to unfortunate circumstances it was due to persecution but nevertheless God did purpose that go beyond the beyond beyond the city walls in chapter 8 so just just a reminder that that ultimately is a is a is a satisfaction of that that prophecy or that that suggestion that command in in Acts chapter 1 verse 8 so beginning verse verse 1 of chapter 8 nope now Saul was consenting to his death at that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the apostles and devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him as for Saul he made havoc of the church entering every house and dragging off men and women committing them to prison therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word then Philip went down and preached Christ to them and the multitudes with one Accord he did the things spoken by Philip hearing and seeing the miracles which he did for unclean spirits and lame were healed and there was great joy in that city but there was a certain man called Simon who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria claiming that he was someone great to whom they all gave heed from the least to the greatest sane this man is this man is the great power of God and they heated him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time but when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ both men and women were baptized then Simon himself also believed and when he was baptized he continued with Philip and was amazed seeing the miracles and signs which were done now when the Apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the Word of God they sent Peter and John to them who when they had come down prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit for as yet he had fallen upon none of them they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit and when Simon saw that through laying on of the Apostles hands the Holy Spirit was given he offered them money saying give me this power also that any one on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit but Peter said to him your money perish with you because you thought that the gift of God to be purchased with money you have neither part nor portion in this matter for your heart is not right in the sight of God repent therefore of this your wickedness and pray God if perhaps the thought of the thought of your heart may be forgiven you for I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity then Simon answered and said pray to the Lord for me that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me so when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord they returned to Jerusalem preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans well we certainly see that's the end of what will read that today will continue on next week but Saul here he's going about destroying the church destroying this New Testament church and fortunately we do know the rest of the story it's a glorious story that Paul that person that saw that persecutor of the church would later become a prized possession of the church a really a champion of the church and it's wonderful that we do know how it turns out because if we were left here in chapter 8 or the people of chapter 8 must have been great to greatly distress that this person saw and how we went about doing much much evil much many terrible things but but praise God that God did soften his heart did did bring him to it to a sense of his own need of a savior and and he believed the gospel and certainly verse 12 we see that it was not Philip that made them believe in verse in verse 12 but rather it was what he preached and he preached the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that's what they believed and and the gospel was preached the Holy Spirit attended that gospel they believed and were baptized and that's what pastor Butler smoking but smoked again last Sunday morning in regards to if we are saved then we ought to continue on with the next step that would be to be baptized to be to be saved and have the Holy Spirit to not be baptized to just we're missing that last step and as he encouraged us remember from last week and I would encourage others as well if you're saved never been baptized why wouldn't we want to be like these New Testament believers who they heard the gospel of the first time they believe that gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit and we're baptized and added to the church and what a wonderful thing that is that is how the church grows that's how the church is encouraged by the adding of of new believers by that adding of fresh fresh water into the Church of Christ then and that growing of the Church of Christ and just I would leave you with that thought but anyways just a just a wonderful wonderful chapter here in regards to the the gospel being preached the holy spirit attending that gospel and people believing in that gospel that's the same gospel that's preached in 2019 it's the same gospel that that people believe today that that is that was being preached way back then and it has the power to save forever and everyone praise God for that well that's pray our gracious that our loving Heavenly Father we we do truly thank you for the forgiveness of sins you are gracious God you are forgiving God and even as we consider Saul here and and how he went about persecuting hating the things of God Father each one of us came into this world as haters of you we are and we were at enmity with you we praise you Father that you caused those believers here to hear that gospel you've given to us that gift of faith to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to believe that gospel and and and to make it our own how we praise you Father that is you that has saved us and not we ourselves it's not our our better ideas are our intelligence that saved us but rather was that that work of the Spirit of God upon our lives that caused us to see our need of the Savior and to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ Lord how we praise you for that gift of salvation for that gift of forgiveness and now we pray Lord that if there any be here this day that that do not know of that that truth of forgiveness of sins through the through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ through his atonement how we pray that you would move with power this day through the preaching and by the grace by your gracious Holy Spirit and move and stir this place father so that people would believe in the Lord Jesus Christ how great how gracious that you are father that you do save sinners and we praise you for that and we praise you for the gift of the Holy Spirit as well as seen in this chapter how we pray that you would be pleased to bless the next hour of preaching that the Spirit of the Living God would come upon the preached word and upon the Word of God and and cause it father to to be to be disseminated from this pulpit to the hearts and ears and and ultimately unto belief in in those who would hear the word of God this day so Lord bless us this at this hour in this next hour with your gracious Holy Spirit and with the truth of your word and it's in Jesus precious name we pray amen well please turn with me in your hymn books to him number 471 471 before we go to go to the preaching hour and I'll ask you to stand please [Music] well you can turn with me in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 16 we'll return to our study in the book of Acts next week we have been studying the book of Acts with reference to the church today is the day we remember the Reformation 502 years ago on October 31st 1517 Martin Luther famously nailed those theses to the castle door Wittenberg and thus launched officially the Protestant Reformation now there were Reformers prior to Martin Luther there were persons doing good things in terms of church life prior to Luther but it's a helpful date for us to remember and it's a very significant thing it was the Reformation of the church the church is the only human or earthly agency that continues into the eternal state there's no civil authority in the New Jerusalem it's a obviously a theocratic Kingdom there's no family unit even in the eternal State Jesus says we'll be like the Angels not marrying not given in marriage but the church continues the church militant on earth becomes the church triumphant in heaven to come and so I want to focus on this churchly passage in Matthew chapter 16 verses 13 to 18 but I want to read beginning in verse 13 of Matthew 16 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 so they said some say John the Baptist some Elijah and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets he said to them but who do you say that I am Simon Peter answered and said you are the Christ the Son of the Living God jesus answered and said to him blessed are You Simon bar Jonah for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my father who is in heaven and I also say to you that you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it and I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven then he commanded his disciples that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ from that time Jesus began to show to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and be raised the third day then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him saying far be it from You Lord this shall not happen to you but he turned and said to Peter get behind me Satan you are an offense to me for you are not mindful of the things of God but the things of men then jesus said to his disciples if anyone desires to come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me for whoever desires to save his life will lose it but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it for what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul or what will a man give in exchange for his soul for the Son of Man will come and the glory of his father with the it with his angels and then he will reward each according to his works assuredly I say to you there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom amen let us pray our Father we thank you for the written word of the Living God we thank you for this declaration of our great Lord and Savior Jesus Christ concerning the building of the church how we praise you for this mercy that you have given unto us first and foremost to be saved by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and then brought together in Christ into a local church god help us to see the the high premium scripture places upon the church and may we indeed treat it with that esteem and that reverence and respect that the Lord God calls us unto we ask father for Churches in this city that you would bless them those that preach the truth we pray that they would progress and and that they would know the the presence and the power of God the Holy Spirit as they gathered together on this Lord's Day and for the persecuted Church the church throughout the earth we pray that you would bless her people that you would strengthen them with might and the inner man so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through and that father you would be pleased to bless the preaching of the church to the salvation of sinners from every tribe tongue people a nation and even now bless our time as we look at this passage forgiving us of all of our sins and transgressions and iniquities and filling us with that spirit that brings illumination to our minds and we ask this in the name and for the glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ amen well the churches as I said very important in God's redemptive plan and Jesus speaks here to the building of the church so I want to look first at the question concerning Christ's identity in verses 13 to 15 secondly the confession made by Peter in verses 16 to 17 and then the declaration concerning the church in verse 18 now it extends obviously to verse 20 but we're only going to take up this declaration concerning the church in verse 18 and there's going to be some anti Roman Catholic sentiment the Protestant Reformation was a call to reform the church it was a protest against the abuses of Roman Catholicism and in our own day and age unfortunately Protestants are trying to bridge the gap and to try and have affinity with the Roman Catholic institution now I'm not against that provided they abandoned their false doctrine they repent and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ and they affirm the glorious truth of the gospel itself if they do that then by all means we ought to have unity but until such time we need to continue to protest and we need to always seek by the grace of God to reform the church so as I said we're going to look first at the question concerning Christ identity in Matthew's Gospel at this particular point there those who are siding with Jesus he's got his disciples but then there are those who are strenuously opposed to him and so he asks this question in verse 13 he says to his disciples who do men say that I the Son of Man am now this is one of the favorite designations of our Lord by our Lord for himself he refers to himself as son of man and interestingly when you look at the gospel records when he uses the title son man probably what is being highlighted is his deity when he uses the title son of God what is interesting is that most likely what is being highlighted is his humanity but here he says this who do men say that I the Son of Man am what is the general consensus prevailing out in society at this particular time and then notice what they respond in verse 14 so they said some say John the Baptist some Elijah and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets so this was the prevailing opinion concerning the identity of our Lord Jesus Christ at this particular time and if we think that seems odd there was an expectation of Elijah coming back Jesus will later explain that it was the person of John the Baptist who fulfilled that prophecy but there was this sort of expectation for these prophets to come back and so the answer but then notice what Jesus goes on to say he now goes from a general consensus out there to his disciples in here and he says but who do you say that I am see in many respects it really doesn't matter what Justin Trudeau thinks about Jesus Christ what matters is those in the context of the church who profess faith in Him who do you say that Jesus Christ the Son of Man is that is the most important question any of us will ever be presented with what fakey of christ if you think christ was just the founder of a new religion just a preacher of ethics and morality just a person that irritated the religious status quo in the first century you're right but you're not fully right you need to confess that Jesus Christ is the son of the Living God consistent with what Simon Peter does in this great confession and notice that confession of Peter in verses 16 and 17 verse 16 Simon Peter answered and said you are the Christ the Son of the Living God now I would argue that Peter has priority among the disciples he is often the spokesman he is often the one that answers the Lord's direct questioning and unfortunately the wrong and Catholic interpretation of this passage tells us that Peter is the rock upon which the church is founded and from that they then conclude papal infallibility that Peter was the first pope now some Protestants arguing against that will then shrink back from highlighting the priority of Peter he did have priority he was the spokesman he does answer thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God Peter was one first called by Christ in to follow him Peter was named as an apostle to maintain Peter's priority even in light of verses 18 and 19 in our passage does not feed the Roman Catholic view of popery a Spurgeon says if there had been no Romanist to twist this passage it would have presented no difficulty whatsoever to see Peter an equal but having priority to see him being the spokesman to see him be the one on Act's in in acts two to stand up on the day of pentecost true believers have no problem with that whatsoever so I think Spurgeon is right if there had been no Roman istic twist on this there would have been no difficulty but notice the nature of his confession so Jesus hones and who do you say that I am and he says you are the Christ the Son of the Living God now the meaning Christ simply is Anointed One it reflects or it's the greek version of the hebrew word Messiah and both Messiah and Christ mean Anointed One the one anointed by God for the purpose of saving his people from their sins the one anointed by God to function as the Covenant mediator to be the Prophet a priest and King the one anointed by God to do all that the Old Testament prophets had for for told concerning yet the Old Testament prophesied of one who had come to bring God's kingdom and it would save his people from their sins and so he confesses that thou art the Christ but he doesn't stop there he says the Son of the Living God now I'm going to ask you to remember the reading at the outset of Scripture it actually loved to do this right now what was the song that a brother Steve wrote nobody call out nobody raise your hands but it was Psalm 130 there's a reason for that Psalm 132 reflects 2nd Samuel 7 we're going to visit 2nd Samuel 7 later on in the sermon but it's very important that we at least keep those places in our minds because that's the background to what Peter is confessing in 2nd Samuel 7 God made a promise to gave it that David would have a son and that son would build a house for God that son would rule and reign over that house forever that that son was ultimately realized in the person and in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ so when Peter confesses thou art the Son of the Living God feet second Samuel 7 when Jesus says I will build my church think second Samuel 7 he is building a house for Yahweh it is the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ it is made up of us the people of God the living stones who present acceptable worship unto the Father through the mediation of the son in the power of the Holy Spirit so there's a lot going on here in Matthew 16 and when he confesses that you are the son of the Living God we've already seen Jesus referred to that he's referred or at least reference to that in Matthew 215 which is a quotation of Hosea 11:1 he's announced by the Father at his baptism this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased he is confessed or recognized rather not confessed but the devil recognizes that he is the son of God the Demoniacs recognized that he is in fact the son of God and the Apostles as well confess in 1433 that he is the son of God this highlights is you relate a unique relationship to the father you are the Christ the Son of the Living God now we are sons of the Living God by way of adoption Jesus is the Son of the Living God by way of eternal generation there's a uniqueness about Christ whether Peter had all that in his mind at this particular point the rest of Scripture evidences it to us he is unique in redemptive history as that link between heaven earth and as I said the background second Samuel 7:15 this 5 to 16 Psalm to when the father says to the son ask of me and I will give you the nation's for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession and then we see that he refers to God as the Living God kids have you ever wondered why God is called the Living God of course he's alive well that's a contrast with the dead and the dumb idols of the heathen around Israel the dead and the dumb idols of the heathen outside of the church today our God is the living in the true God remember that mockery of the idols in psalm 115 the psalmist says they have eyes but they can't see they have ears but they can't hear they have mouths but they can't speak they have noses but they can't smell that's mockery they're dead they're folly they're manufactured items but our God is in the heavens he does whatever he pleases this title or this ascription to God as the Living God is a common Old Testament designation for God especially when contrasting him with dead idols and this is a particular region where there was much idolatry here in Caesarea Philippi so that's Peters lofty confession thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God and before we get to the declaration concerning the church notice that Christ pronounces a beatitude upon Peter not because Peters a great guy not because Peter has great wisdom not because Peter has great insight into the Scriptures but because Peter has been the recipient of great grace Jesus says blessed are You Simon bar Jonah for flesh and blood did not reveal this to you see this sought to underscore for us how important it is for the Holy Spirit to be present during the preaching of the word see pastors preachers evangelists can't trust in the free will of man to come to Christ pastors can't trust in your ingenuity or in your way or in your competency with the Old Testament or even the New Testament Scriptures we are absolutely and positively dependent upon the Holy Spirit of the living and true God for for the ability to discern who Jesus is who do men say that I the Son of Man am well without the spirit they'll say John the Baptist some say Elijah some say Jeremiah some say one of the prophets but who do you say that I am you are the Christ the Son of the Living God blessed are you simon barjona again not because you're a great guy not that I think he thought he was a terrible guy because he obviously loved him and he was one of his disciples dropping down he does refer to him as Satan so that might go against what I'm saying here but he had a favorable opinion of Simon Peter but it's not that that Peter was smart it was not that Peter was you know the wise one the phd among them Peter had been the recipient of God's grace you see brothers and sisters when we gather here for morning and evening worship if we're not doing it in utter dependence upon the holy spirit it's an exercise in futility we are seeking to waken dead men from their slumber in our own strength appealing to their own wisdom we need God the Holy Spirit to come down we need what the Prophet says in Isaiah 64 one two take place rend the heavens and come down and in that particular context the Prophet on behalf of the faithful in Israel is lamenting their abysmal condition in other words God to fix our situation rend the heavens and come down we need what we have in revelation chapter one we see Christ in the midst of the lampstands so I hope that the people of God in this local church pray before corporate worship that the Spirit would come in power so that sinners who come into this place dead in their trespasses and sins will make this lofty confession of faith concerning Jesus that thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God see when they do that we don't praise them we don't we don't say or celebrate them we praise God for His Sovereign Grace that which is revealed in Psalm 110 where he's able to make men willing in the day of his power so Jesus pronounces beatitude upon Simon Peter because he has been the recipient of Sovereign Grace and enable to make that confession that thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God now let's look finally thirdly at the declaration concerning the church verse 18 he says and I also say to you that you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it now I want to do four things with reference to Jesus statement here concerning the establishment of the church I want to first define the word Church secondly look at the foundation of the church thirdly note the builder of the church and then finally the triumph of the church as I think that this is what is conveyed to us in verse 18 but in terms of church the word church is derived from the word Curia con in Scripture actually our English word church comes from the Scottish Kirk but the word comes from Kuryakin which is used twice in the New Testament in first Corinthians 11 it speaks of the Lord's Supper now the Lord owns the lunch you're gonna have today the Lord has granted you the breakfast that you had this morning the Lord's gonna feed you on Thursday night all things being equal but there is a supper specifically identifiable in scripture called the Lord's it's the word correct on the only other place where that word is used is in Revelation 1:10 where the Apostle says he was in the spirit on the Lord's Day does God own Thursday yes does God on Wednesday yes but Sunday is his peculiar possession so there's the Lord's Supper and there's the Lord's take the Lord's Supper the Lord's Day and it's relative to that word Paracon that's where Curt comes from I think the Scots the Dutch the Germans used that word Kirk the word translated Church the Greek word is ekklesia and it's very common to define ecclesia this way it means the called out ones because that's the etymology of the word well that's not necessarily the case the church or the ekklesia in the New Testament is related to the Old Testament qahal it was an assembly it was a convict Asia it was the group of God's people gathered together and that's what's in view with reference to church he says I will build my church Church in the New Testament doesn't refer to the building now I think we do that I'm gonna I'm gonna go to church today that means I'm gonna go to four five five nine two Wellington Avenue or I'll see you at the church I mean common parlance I'm not saying that everybody who does this is wicked and vile and a God hating rebel and doesn't have any concern for the Greek tax I'm not saying that a lot you can smile that was a joke but but when it comes to church it's not the building it's the people first Peter chapter two worth the living stones where the temple of God we're the ones being built by Jesus for that acceptable service unto the father that's what's in view in terms of church so at clacey our answers to the Old Covenant at Old Testament assembly convocation group of God's people gathering together a community of people France says the term ekklesia never denotes a physical structure in the New Testament but always a community of people the new temple is not a building of literal stones but consists of living stones according to 1st Peter chapter 2 and verse 5 now in this particular section Jesus is referring to what we would call the universal Church from every tribe tongue people nation from all eras of life from you know everybody that is God's elect make up that church that that universal Church now the local church is spoken of specifically in Matthew 18 in the context of church discipline when Jesus says tell it to the church he doesn't mean to every single local expression he means to the particular church that you're accountable to the particulars that you're a member of so the Bible speaks of church both with a local expression and then in terms of universal here's universal here's Jesus testimony declaration concerning the establishment of the church now notice secondly the foundation look at what Jesus says in verse 18 and I also say to you that you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church now the name Peter is rock so the Roman Catholic interpretation interprets it this way Peter is the rock Peter is the foundation Peter is the very superstructure of the church itself and again they derive from this what they call papal infallibility but that's not what Jesus is saying there's another interpretation that says the rock is Peter's confession of faith when he says thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God that's the rock that Jesus says I will build my church on JC Rael represents this position he says the true meaning of the rock in this passage appears to be the truth of our Lord's Messiahship and divinity which Peter had just confessed and then the third interpretation represented well by John Owen and the one I subscribe is that the rock is Christ who Peter confessed it's not just the pro fashion though there's a lot of similarity and overlap between two and three that differ substantially from number one the Roman Catholic view that Peters the rock and that's the foundation upon which the church rests but with reference to this third position the rock is the Christ who Peter confessed John Owen says it is not the person of Peter who confessed Christ but the person of Christ whom Peter confessed that is the rock on which the church is built so I think that's the way we need to understand and the way that we need to see the contrast that obtains between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism their foundation stone was Peter our foundation stone is the Lord Jesus now that is not to say that the Apostles didn't function in a foundational way Jesus Christ is the chief Cornerstone the Apostles were foundational you see that in the book of Ephesians you see that in the book of Revelation so this is not a minimization of the apostolic ministry it's not to call into question Peter's character or anything like that but it is to suggest that role is absolutely positively and utterly wrong with reference to the foundation of the church it's Jesus Christ the Roman Catholic Church teaches that Peter in his person was the rock and this is the justification for papal Authority ie he and his successors are the Pope's who have supreme authority over Christians on earth think about that statement the Pope of Rome has supreme authority over Christians on earth who alone has supreme authority over anybody it ain't the Pope I certainly certainly hope it would never be Francis I mean that's a terrifying thought to consider but they say this is a quote the Pope as Bishop of Rome is the successor of st. Peter and therefore the visible head of the church on earth the vice-regent of Christ and the supreme ruler of all Christians that is to do great disservice to Christ's declaration in Matthew 16:18 on this rock not Peter not even a confession about Christ but Christ Himself who is the Messiah the Son of the Living God now in terms of Peter we affirm the Apostle Peter did occupy a place of priority among the disciples yeah that's not a dispute we remind the Apostle Peter was not infallible that's why I read past our section when Jesus announces the program that he has to engage when he has to go to Jerusalem he must suffer what does Peter do Peter says may it never be and he says yeah Jesus says get behind me Satan we see that Peter is rebuked by the Apostle Paul in Galatians chapter 2 we see that Peter takes his place under the the pastoral leadership of James in the Jerusalem church Peter was not a Pope Peter was an apostle he had a foundational role in the building of the church but he certainly wasn't infallible add to that the Roman Catholic insistence that their officers not be married jesus healed pea mother-in-law that means that Peter was married and there is no evidence that Peter ever did go to Rome I mean the whole thing is built on a on a foundation of sin and we need to make sure we understand that we maintain the Lord Jesus was not instituting a succession of popes and we affirmed ultimately that the position of Roman Catholicism is not good exegesis it is their view of Church imposed on the scripture it is what they've already thought it's already what they've developed and so though they they need a text in order to support it you get that right it's a big difference between exegete eating out of the scripture what the meaning the Spirit intended to be there and there's another thing about what's called eisegesis putting in the meaning that we want now I don't doubt we all do this from time to time we we see things in the Bible that we want to be there but you can't do that that's not legit that is not exegesis that is not leading out of the tacks what the Spirit intended for us to get out of it it is rather reading into it what we already think is there and should be there Spurgeon again says no unsophisticated reader of his Bible sees any trace of popery in this passage don't mistake Spurgeon when he says no unsophisticated reader I think he's poking at the academics in the Roman Church the unsophisticated the common people the you and I when we read this the last thing we conclude is that Peter is the first pope in a succession from which there's a succession of all other popes we don't get that right it's imposed upon the tax so he says no unsophisticated reader of his Bible sees any trace of popery in this passage he says the wine of Romanism is not to be pressed out of this cluster the wine of Romanism is not to be pressed out of this cluster so that's the Roman Catholic view with reference to Matthew 16:18 it's a big difference isn't it you see why Martin Luther we for protested see why John Calvin protested see why we protested see why there was a Protestant Reformation because they imposed upon persons that they must submit to papal authority they said that the Pope at times speaks ex cathedra that means he speaks in a manner that is on par with the word of the Living God see when we talk about Roman Catholicism it's not just the funny hats it's not just the incense it's not just all the accouterment that we see among them it's their doctrine that is rotten to the core the doctrine of authority the doctrine of Sola scriptura the doctrine of justification by faith alone to try to Brook relationships with modern popery until there's grand repentance on their part is to do a fool's errand it ought to make us hang our heads in shame that Protestants want to try and do this again if they come to the table they renounce papal basically have to renounce the Roman Catholic institution and join Protestant churches if they do that I'm all for that that's a unity or an ecumenical that I am all about but to try and have that unity or that Accu menaces of when they still fundamentally oppose justification by faith when they still subscribe to papal infallibility when they still subscribe to the sorts of things that they engage in with Mary as the mediate ryx between God between God and men these things are horrific bits of theology and we cannot have any sort of truck with them it's a terrible terrible position with reference to ecclesiology in terms of the Protestant doctrine we affirmed the Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation of the church the text of Scripture tell us that but as well the Lord Jesus utilized the Apostles to play a fundamental role in this foundation also turn to Ephesians 2 just one specimen passage just so we can see this that a Protestant doctrine doesn't jettison the role of the Apostles but rather it sees it with reference to Christ's headship and authority Ephesians 2:19 now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners but fellow-citizens with the Saints and members of the household of God having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets Jesus Christ Himself being the chief Cornerstone so again it's not a minimization of the role of the Apostles but it's not an exaltation of the role of the Apostles as the vice-regent of Jesus Christ as the Vicar of Christ on the earth do you know what the word Vicar means Vicar means substitute when they say that the Pope is the Vicar they are saying that he represents Christ on earth brethren we have access to Christ at any moment at any time in any place we do not need Francis we do not need Benedict we do not need any of them to garner access to the Father through the son by the Spirit this was another Reformation emphasis by Luther the priesthood of all believers seen a Roman Catholic situation you've got the priesthood that's a step up that's not the way it's supposed to be there is a priesthood of all believers we all get to draw near to God through Christ in the power and presence of the holy spirit so you see there's all these emphases that have arisen in Romanism that ought to cause Protestants to maintain Protestantism and to see the necessity for that Reformation that occurred 502 years ago to see the necessity that that continues today unabated when it comes to these cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith we need to maintain our our confession of faith brethren the Protestants should not be afraid to see a priority in the Apostle Peter but he should never ascribe to Peter popery as Romanism has done now notice thirdly the builder of the church and I suggest this is very encouraging and very good news and then we fog down a little bit and go to church history and Reformation and Protestantism and all that stuff these last two points everybody should be able to grab hold on and get hopefully some encouragement from I will build my church you ever just thank God Almighty that is Jesus who's building the church because if he left it up to us it probably wouldn't have happened how do you grab you know get a hundred people from various you know tribes tongues peoples and nations various ages various socioeconomic status and bring them together and they don't kill each other well that's God's work that that's Christ's work that's Jesus building his church we ought to be very encouraged about that if it were up to men it would have failed brethren we have witnessed the church and the history of it dead a persecuted Jesus is going to speak to that in just a moment we have seen it a murderous rage poured out upon it we have seen defection from within we've seen heresy we've seen all that sort of stuff we sang up in that blessed him by Samuel I think it's samuel stone the church is one foundation we've seen all that but it's still here the church is still here where's the Roman Empire which was the great enemy of the church in the early in the only time of the church there died what's happened to any group of men that have risen up against the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ the church is still here brethren those groups of men are not the church as I said is the only earthly institution that survives into eternity I don't think that means that as husbands and wives we won't recognize anybody anymore sometimes that question comes up well I remember you know my wife or well I remember my my husband in heaven my answer to that is if we can recognize Abraham Isaac and Jacob when we sit at the marriage supper of the Lamb I'd like to think we would recognize the person we shared a bed with for 50 or 60 or 70 years but there's a fundamental discontinuity in terms of our existence in the eternal State we'll be like the angels we won't be given in marriage and we won't marry there won't be the procreative process there won't be the need for conjugal congress there won't be the need for the sorts of things that are there or that are here now into the New Jerusalem as I said civil government isn't going to make it and in that all God's people said amen but what does exist what continues on when we've been there ten thousand years bright shining as the Sun we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we first begun is the confession of the Church of Jesus Christ brethren the church has fallen on hard times people think they can go it alone they think they could be Mavericks they think they can be rugged individualists and make it to heaven because after all the church is filled with hypocrites what better place for a hypocrite to be than in the church where they hear redemptive grace preached where they hear forgiveness of sins offered in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ where they have a master who does forgive a master who does cleanse with his blood but there are this there is this mindset out there that I don't need the church that's not the mindset of the Scriptures you are alone if you think that you do not need the church does that mean all churches are wonderful and nothing bad churches aren't wonderful churches aren't mixed with impurity churches are not perfect you've met that person that's looking for the perfect Church well when they find it it will be imperfect because there now there there's no such thing as a perfect church to put that expectation upon the New Testament Scriptures is to miss the point but the church is safe the church is the bride of Jesus the church plays a central role in God's redemptive plan and it's builder is King Jesus if I manage to build something while my wife was away she's visiting her parents if I went on into the garage which is her workshop if you ever see the woodworking tools in our garage it's not mine it's hers but let's just say I went out there I made something a birdhouse for instance and I she came back and she looked at it and didn't pay any attention whatsoever I'd be highly offended and I'd probably tell her as much I built that birdhouse it took me six days I carved it I did whatever I met all and you didn't even you didn't even regard it that's the attitude of persons when it comes to the church Jesus is building the church certainly he's active in your families certainly he's active in the civil government certainly he's active in these other various human spheres but it's specifically his church that he ascribes his building to and for us to denigrate or to treat with contempt or to dismiss the place of the church reflects very poorly on our profession of faith in other words those who profess that thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God they love what he's building they try to get behind him in that process they don't try to do disservice they don't try to do discord they don't run in and say well we've got a check no they get behind in the Builder they jump on board they want to assist they want to aid they want to function the way that Eve does with Adam it's Adam giving the cultural mandate to go out and subdue the earth Eve is to be his helper to assist him in that well it's the same with reference to the church it's not us building the church it's the last Adam it's Jesus Christ we are his bride we are his Eve we are to assist him and aid him in this particular expansion process we are not to fight against him militate against it or whine incessantly because there's no perfect church brethren it's not out there this is the church militant we look forward to the church triumphant where it will be perfect where it will not be filled with sin and sinners where it will not be the case that we fight against our Blessed master but on earth we ought to expect a degree of that because of our own remaining corruption and because of the remaining corruption of our fellows we have real enemies and Christ then speaks to that as we continue notice the last statement he speaks of the triumph of the church but implicit in his statement concerning the triumph of the church he also affirms the hardship facing the church so let's look again at verse 18 and I also say to you that you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it now Hades is probably the two compartment place made up of righteous and unrighteous that obtains in the intermediate state when Jesus comes back and glory to judge the living in the dead there will be heaven where the right just go and there will be hell where the wicked go right now it's represented by that term Hades there's a righteous place where Christ is and there's an unrighteous where the devil is so that's probably what he means some commentators say no it just means death but it's used in conjunction with death death and Hades twice in the book of Revelation so there are two different things death and Hades and Hades refers in this context I would suggest to the abode of Satan it it speaks to that and typically that it exists between the wicked and the righteous it speaks to that antithesis between the power of darkness and the kingdom of light so when Jesus says I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it he highlights the triumph of the church think about what he says I think that today we turn this passage completely on its head and miss the point we understand and I'm going to make this statement in a moment that the gates of Hades are seeking to disrupt the church that's evident that's affirmative Paul says as much in 2nd Timothy 3 all those who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution but think about the metaphor that Jesus uses he says the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it what a dates function as a defense mechanism right see the typical interpretation is to see the devil and his minions on the offense and the church on the defense that's not what Jesus is saying Jesus is saying the church is on offense and the gates of Hades are on defense and they're not going to prevail against the kingdom of God does that make sense gates or defensive they're not off offensive gates don't typically leave their spot and go out and Ishi eighth warfare they typically try to protect the camp that they are guarding from the warfare that's initiated on them a parallel passage that I think makes this clear is Paul in Colossians 1 verses 13 and 14 he says he the Father has delivered us from the power of dark yes and conveyed us into the kingdom of the son of his love in whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sin so so Paul says that as the gospel is preached as the Holy Spirit attends as persons make that brand confession thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God what's taking place the Lord God most highest transferring us from that kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the son of his love that is an offensive mission on part on the part of the triune God it's not defense that Jesus is speaking to him now John Gill makes it they says it this way he says that all the infernal principalities and powers with all their united cunning and strength will never be able to extirpate his gospel to destroy his interest to demolish his church in general or ruin any one particular soul that is built upon him that's what you're supposed to conclude the church wins I know that's not popular I know that's not comment but Christ will see the travail of his soul and be satisfied when you get to the book of Revelation what do you have do you have a few stragglers standing there before the throne and before the lamb who sits upon the throne John says I saw a great multitude that no man can number from every tribe tongue people and nation brethren this is why the church militant should be made up of persons from every tribe tongue people and nation we should have blacks we should have whites we should have red people we should have yellow people we should have every type of people because that's the way Heaven's gonna look if we can't get along now we're gonna be forced to an eternity and this is what G John says it's a great multitude so the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it now having said that the very language itself suggests the gates of Hades is going to try the devil is a roaring it goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour there is going to be animosity directed to the church I mean just look around my wife says you gotta warn our church there's persecution coming she you know I was studying conspiracy stuff in the 90s and now she's you know far exceeded me and in a way that it's surprising to me at times but I don't think she's well she's wrong there's a concerted effort to extirpate Christianity from society yesterday we're handing out or holding up signs that say choose life people come and do this or you know the other finger upwardly at you what does that mean if I'm out there with a sign that says choose death people will thumbs up me people will applaud that choose death really that's where we've gotten where there's such minimal regard for the beating hearts of babies there's minimal regard for old people and hospitals minimal regard for sick people and hospitals where their lives are counted but but nothing do not make any mistake brethren this is a concerted effort against the prince of life the Lord Christ told us that the devil is a murderer and a liar from the beginning that's the reality that we face there is a concerted effort as Gil says to try an extra pay that means rid ourselves of these notions of Christianity will there be opposition there most certainly will be but there is the triumph of the church that Jesus holds forth the gates of Hades shall not prevail they may try and for a time they seem to be successful but they're not going to prevail why because men are building the church no because jesus said I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail well in conclusion I want us to remember the identity of the Son of man 2nd Samuel 7 is behind the passage 2nd Samuel 7 is a huge passage in redemptive history if you're not familiar with 2nd Samuel 7 either read it or come to our church because we talk about it a lot it's the Covenant of the kingdom it's the Covenant of the King it is the reality that from David's line Messiah would come and intriguingly in 2nd Samuel it would be the one who had build this house would be God's son he would build the house of God according to 2nd Samuel 7 13 and you need to appreciate what's happening there in 2nd Samuel 7 David has consolidated power David has made Jerusalem the political capital and David has made Jerusalem the religious capital things are great for David in 2nd Samuel 7 so great that it starts off with him musing on his desire to build a house for God because David sitting in a palace he's in a mansion and he knows this and he says wait a minute I'm dwelling in a house filled with you know good stuff and paneling and all that sort of thing and the house of the Lord dwells in a tent and so David wants to build this house for God David or God rather comes to him in this Davidic covenant says I'm going to build a house from you David a dynasty Kings will rise from your loins or terminating or fulfilling in one king in particular the Messiah the Christ the Son of the Living God he will build a house for God that's what 2nd Samuel tells us he would establish a kingdom that would have no end in 2nd Samuel 7 12 and 13 so when we get here to Matthew 16 and Peter says you are the Christ the Son of the Living God see the connection he confesses that he's the son of the Living God and then the Son of the Living God Himself says I will build my church I'm the fulfillment of 2nd Samuel 7 I'm the son of David that is going to do this and the gates of Hades itself will not prevail against it secondly we ought to appreciate in the passage the triumph and the suffering of the church the triumph and the suffering of the church the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it we have many promises in the Old Testament that God is going to make good on his purpose and plan to save that great multitude that no man can number all the way back in Genesis chapter 9 Noah prophesies that there will be Gentiles included in the Covenant promises of God we get to the New Testament we've been seeing in our studies in book of Acts we see these Gentiles being included in the Covenant promises of God tribe tongue people neisha the church is going to triumph the promise made to Abraham Isaac and Jacob is coming to fruition the reality of Psalm 2 is is there ask of me and I will give you the nation's for your inheritance the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession Psalm 110 I thought about that Psalm as we were singing it and I thought how much of our Christianity is effeminate the idea of Kings bashing the heads of their enemies is so far removed from us because we don't even ponder the reality of the Psalter that Psalm is being fulfilled when persons are delivered from the kingdom of darkness and translated in the kingdom of the son of his love the Messiah is conquering the Messiah is showing his power his authority and his glory that's the triumph that we get behind not a triumphalism which teaches it's always going to only be good for us no but a triumph at the end Christ shall see the travail of his soul and Christ shall be satisfied the triumph of the church is sure because of its builder and sustainer but the persecution of the church is sure because of its enemies for the because of its enemies and their hatred for Christ and His Church think about the enemies the world you see this if you're not seeing this brethren pay attention because it's happening macum in common place what are the big deals in the modern in the modern mind it's the climate let's worship the creature rather than the Creator who is God overall and blessed forever and all manner of perversion these are the things that are openly flouted they're they're completely contrary to the Word of God what should we be concerned about I don't know justice righteousness the the enforcement of law the the reality that we live in a world governed by a moral governor I mean have these thoughts escaped us is this you know all gone by the wayside it's increasingly so so you've got the world you've got the devil I think the devil likes it when churches would gather together and preach the word know what happens with the parable of the sower Jesus says the man goes out he serves the seed and the birds of the air come down and they take it well Jesus likens the devil to that but I've often said the birds don't have malicious intent when birds come and eat up your seed it's not because they hate you it's because they need see the devil actually hates you the devil actually hates the church this is his endgame lest you hear and believe that seed that is planted so we've got the world out there at odds with us we've got the devil and then we have our own remaining corruption we got all of our unbridled baby nests and whitey nets and and just the kinds of stuff that we do I mean again if Christ didn't hold us together I don't think we would we would all say peace out we don't leave we'd say forget it but brethren we understand that Christ is in this we take seriously the admonition in Ephesians 4 to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace we realize and recognize that when I'm in a midst of people they're going to inevitably sin against me and I'm going to inevitably sin against them now this is where it sounds like I'm grossly lowering the bar I like to say it's a bit of realism it's a dose of reality there is that sense where when you get to know people better you typically sin against them when they know you better they typically sin against you it's just the way it is if I were to ask the marrieds here who do you sin against the most you're probably going to say my beloved wife or my beloved husband they see me with all my warts and all my issues and all my problems and nevertheless they love me well that's what the church is supposed to be like this that's how we're supposed to function not expecting the worst but not being blown away when somebody does sin against us I mean come on that's another thing that's that's grossly lacking in modern culture i think ben shapiro recognized this several months ago there's no forgiveness something you did you know 38 years ago in some strange contacts will be used again now isn't it wonderful to have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous that when we confess our sins he's faithful and just to forgive us is it redemptive religion wonderful it isn't the grace of God glorious isn't mercy and forgiveness delightful I hope you say yay and amen that that stuff is going by the wayside as well Calvin said with reference to the suffering all who are united to Christ and acknowledge him to be Christ and mediator will remain to the end safe from all danger for what is said of the body of the church belongs to each of its members since they are one in Christ yet this passage also instructs us that so long as the church shall continue to be a pilgrim on the earth she will be exposed to many attacks for when it is declared that Satan will not conquer this implies that he will be her constant enemy that's something we need to get in our heads that's something we need to settle with but we need to be reminded that the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it because Christ is her builder well if you are not a believer here this morning I hope that you'll appreciate what the Bible says concerning the church but even more foundational and more fundamental is this confession concerning the Lord Jesus that he is the Christ the Son of the Living God you can go to heaven with some defective views of the church I suspect that there's gonna be a lot of us in heaven who have defective views of the church but you can't go wrong on Jesus this is similar to the Shema in Deuteronomy 6 here o Israel the Lord our God the Lord is one thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God you don't go to heaven without that confession you don't go to heaven without affirming that you don't go to heaven without believing that without trusting in the Christ who is the foundation upon which the church scans it is Jesus alone that is necessary for salvation earlier I said that the church functions in a in an essential manner in God's redemptive plan in a central manner but Jesus is the central manner without Jesus there is no salvation certainly I hope everybody here this morning has a great appreciation for the church both its Universal application and in its local particular expressions like we have here in Chilliwack but you need to understand that apart from confessing believing and confessing that Christ is the son of the Living God you will die in your sins that's my emphasis to you today to look unto Him to believe on him and you will have everlasting life well let us close in a word of Prayer father thank you for this your word thank you for the Reformation that occurred that 502 years ago even prior to that thank you that you've always had your lacked you've had your blood bought children you've had those who are are concerned for the purity of the church and its doctrine and in its practice and God how we thank you that we have reaped many many benefits by virtue of our connection to this tradition we ask father that this word the the glorious truth of the gospel would be proclaimed all over the earth and that a multitude today by the grace and power of the Holy Spirit would confess that Jesus Christ is the son of the Living God and we pray this in his most blessed name amen you