Matthew 16:13-28

As I stated previously, this morning is a commissioning service for those who will begin to meet next week as CFC Oakwood.

! That means a change for us here too. We've just been Christ Family Church up until this point, but beginning next week we'll be CFC Dahlonega.

So, a bit of a change there as well.

And as this is going to happen, and as we've been talking about it for quite some time, and visiting together over it the last couple of weeks,

I recognize that the fact that this is happening is a bittersweet reality.

There's such great good in sending out people to take the gospel in greater ways to another community.

And we're going to have to say goodbye, at least in part, to some of our faith family.

And these people will be missed surely. Now, they're just in Oakwood. We're not sending them across the ocean.

We're going to find ways to get together and see each other, but it won't be quite the same.

And I hope together as a church, as we do this this time, and I hope do it again and again and again,

as we continually focus outward and not inward, as we are more concerned about how far and not how big.

It won't be the last time that we see churches started out of our church, both CFC Dahlonega and CFC Oakwood.

And as such, I think it's prudent this morning to step away from our verse-by-verse exposition of the book of Acts,

just to take some time to remember together what church is and why it exists.

And I'm really thankful in preparation for this that nothing this morning is rebuke,

but just reminder, just for us as a church, to remember foundational things that make us a church

and foundational things that will make CFC Oakwood a church

and however many churches exist beyond that we get to touch as a result of the Lord's work in the life of our community.

So let's look at Matthew chapter 16. I'm going to read verses 13 through 28.

Matthew 16 · chapter mention

Now, when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi,

He asked His disciples,

Who do people say that the Son of Man is?

And they said,

Some say John the Baptist,

others say Elijah,

and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.

He said to them,

But who do you say that I am?

Simon Peter replied,

You are the Christ,

the Son of the living God.

And Jesus answered him,

Blessed are you,

Simon Barjona,

for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you,

but my Father who is in heaven.

And I tell you,

you are Peter,

and on this rock I will build my church,

and the gates of hell

shall not prevail against it.

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven,

and whatever you bind on earth

shall be bound in heaven.

And whatever you loose on earth

shall be loosed in heaven.

Then He strictly charged the disciples

to tell no one that He was the Christ.

From that time,

Jesus began to show His disciples

that He must go to Jerusalem

and suffer many things from the elders

and chief priests and scribes

and be killed,

and on the third day be raised.

And Peter took Him aside

and began to rebuke Him,

saying,

Far be it from You, Lord.

This shall never happen to You.

But He turned and said to Peter,

Get behind Me, Satan.

You are a hindrance to Me,

for you are not setting your mind

on the things of God,

but on the things of man.

Then Jesus told His disciples,

If anyone would come after Me,

let him deny himself

and take up his cross and follow Me.

For whoever would save his life will lose it,

but whoever loses his life for My sake

will find it.

For what will it profit a man

if he gains the whole world

and forfeits his soul?

Or what shall a man give

in return for his soul?

For the Son of Man is going to come

with His angels

in the glory of His Father,

and then He will repay each person

according to what He has done.

Truly I say to you,

there are some standing here

who will not taste death

until they see the Son of Man coming

in His kingdom.

Beloved, this is God's Word to us.

It was written for His glory and our good,

and we would all do well

to listen to it

in order to believe its promises

and obey its commands.

So, what is the church

and why does it exist?

We could spend the rest of the year

answering these questions.

I certainly can't do that exhaustively

over the next 45-ish minutes.

My attempt is only to answer

these questions very briefly

this morning.

There are many organizations today

that call themselves churches

that do not fulfill

the biblical requirements

of a true church.

So what is it that makes a true church?

There's much to be said

about the nature of a true church.

But this morning from our text,

I just want to point out

six things that true churches

have in common.

So at least these six things.

This is not exhaustive

by any stretch of the imagination,

but at least these six things

true churches have in common.

And I intend to keep my comments

brief concerning each point

very atypically

so that we'll have time together

to pray for the CFC Oakwood people

as well as some time to say

goodbye to them

at the end of the service.

These six points will be alliterated.

I've come to really enjoy alliteration.

I think probably because

I like to read John MacArthur.

You've heard Charles Spurgeon

be called the Prince of Preachers.

I have dubbed John MacArthur

the Prince of Alliteration.

But I also find that it's helpful

to remember the points,

particularly as I think about them

across the week.

And so you're going to find

six alliterated points.

Common things that true churches hold.

So number one,

we have a common confession.

Number one, we have a common confession.

Beginning in verse 13

down through verse 16.

We've traveled now into Caesarea Philippi

and Jesus asked the disciples,

who do people say the Son of Man is?

And they reply with the various responses

that are coming.

Everybody's wondering,

who is this Christ that has come

and He's now doing all of these miracles

amongst us?

And there's been many guesses

as to who He is.

But He says,

who do you say that I am?

And Peter responds,

you are the Christ,

the Son of the living God.

And we have this common confession.

If we are true believers

and if we are part of a true church,

then we must recognize

that Jesus is the Messiah,

the Son of the living God,

the One who was sent,

the One who was prophesied about,

who was sent to the earth,

the One who came and lived

a perfect, sinless life,

who never gave up His deity,

but He existed fully as man,

hypostatically, 200%.

The only time that that above 100%

ever makes any sense.

Never tell me to do something 120%.

That makes no sense.

But Jesus existed 200%.

He lived a perfect life,

but He died a sinner's death.

He took the wrath of God

that was due us in Himself

as He hung on the cross.

He was buried.

Three days later,

He was raised.

Spent 40 days with the disciples

and then ascended.

And He's seated now

at the right hand of the Father.

He's interceding for us now.

He's reigning over us now.

You are the Christ,

the Son of the living God.

We must have this common confession.

Any church that does not believe

that Jesus is who the Bible says He is,

who wants to relegate Him

to something less than God,

who wants to make Him our buddy

rather than our King,

is not a true church.

We confess with Paul

that Jesus is the image

of the invisible God

and that all things were created

by Him

and through Him

and for Him.

Colossians 1, 15 and 16.

We confess with the writer of Hebrews

that He is the radiance

of the glory of God

and the exact imprint

of His nature.

And He upholds the universe

by the word of His power.

That's Hebrews 1, 3.

We confess with Peter and John

that there is salvation

in no one else.

For there is no other name

under heaven given among men

by which we must be saved.

Acts 4, 12.

In John 6, 60...

Excuse me.

I'm way off on my...

That's not a reference at all for you.

What a strange edit I did.

In John 6,

let me say that.

In John 6,

Jesus asked the apostles

if they also intend

to abandon Him.

Remember,

He's been talking

in John 6

about the necessity

of eating His flesh

and drinking His blood.

And people think

that's weird.

And a bunch of the people

who have been following Him

who were called

as disciples

leave Him

and Jesus asked the apostles

if they also intend

to abandon Him.

And our confession

is the same

as Peter's.

Here we go.

Verse 68-69.

Lord,

to whom shall we go?

You have the words

of eternal life.

And we have believed

and have come to know

that You are the Holy One

of God.

And so we have

a common confession.

Secondly,

we have a common communication.

And I must admit,

I stole this one

from MacArthur.

Communication,

to keep it a C.

Verse 17,

And Jesus answered,

Peter,

Blessed are you

for flesh and blood

has not revealed this to you,

but my Father

who is in heaven.

Peter did not make

this confession

by his own cleverness.

Jesus did not say to him,

well, finally,

I've been giving you

all of the clues

for who I am

and you finally

have sorted it out.

You've sat down

and you've done the puzzle

and you've figured out

who I am.

The Father,

God the Father,

revealed it to him.

How did he do so?

He did it by revelation,

but specifically,

he did it by the Spirit

and the Word.

He did it by the Spirit

and the Word.

Peter,

knowing his Old Testament Scripture,

knowing the prophecy

about who the Christ

was to be,

although he misunderstood,

he didn't quite get it perfectly.

We'll see it just a bit later

in our text.

By the revelation of God,

helping him to understand

with seeing the fulfillment

that Jesus is the Christ.

He wouldn't have called him

by this title,

you are the Christ,

the Son of the living God.

Later,

John 6,

you're the Holy One of God.

Had he not known

his Scripture,

God uses the Scripture

in order to bring about

the revelation of Himself.

We have, beloved,

begun by the Word.

This is this common communication.

We've begun by the Word.

1 Peter 1.23,

Peter writes,

You have been born again,

not of perishable seed,

but of imperishable

through the living

and abiding

Word of God.

Not only have we begun

by the Word,

but we are being made

perfect by the Word,

by this common communication.

John 17.17,

Jesus' prayer,

sanctify them

in the truth.

Your Word

is

truth.

So we have this

common communication.

the way in which

the Lord communicates

to us.

These two,

this beginning confession

that Jesus is

the Christ

and this understanding

as a church

that the Scripture

is the way

in which God

has spoken

and now continues

to speak

are pillars

for the church.

Churches don't believe

this to be true.

They are not

true churches.

We discard

the inerrancy

of the Scripture.

We discard

the authority

of the Scripture.

We discard

the sufficiency

of the Scripture.

And we are going

to live in all

kinds

of error.

We may even

worship the right God,

but worship Him

very wrongly.

We have a

common

communication

and this guides

the way in which

we function

as a church.

This guides

the way we're going

to function

as a partnership

of churches.

We've talked

a bit recently

about church

autonomy,

which is to say

that churches,

we believe,

should be

self-governing.

It's the simplest

form to say

that churches

should be

self-governing.

So CFC Dahlonega

will have leadership

and CFC Oakwood

will have leadership.

That is to say

that,

some of you may not

get this reference,

but I will not

become the grand

poobah

of CFC churches.

I got a couple

of chuckles.

That's a Flintstones

reference.

The Flintstones,

Fred and Barney

were part of a

secret order

called the

Loyal Order

of the Water

Buffaloes.

And their leader

was the grand

poobah.

If you prefer

a Star Wars

analogy,

I will not

become the

viceroy

of CFC

churches.

We will be

autonomous churches

partnering together

directed by

God's

word.

Final authority.

To further

make that point,

verse 19,

Jesus says,

I will give you

the keys of the

kingdom of heaven

and whatever you

bind on earth

shall be bound

in heaven

and whatever you

loose on earth

shall be loosed

in heaven.

And this is a

very interesting

thing that he

says.

It's an often

misunderstood

thing.

And of course,

this morning I

can't spend a

lot of time on it,

but let me say

this to you.

The way that

these words

bind and

loose were

used in this

day would be

to say to

forbid or

permit.

Without making

a long proof

of that to

you,

forbid or

permit.

And if we

are to

translate these

phrases literally

word for word,

it's really

awkward in the

English language.

It's very

awkward.

Like I'm

thankful that

the translators

didn't translate

it this way

because this

would be the

word for word

literal translation.

It would go

something like

this.

Whatever you

loose on

earth shall

having been

loosed in

heaven.

Which is to

say,

those things

that you see

approved by

God,

those things

that he has

spoken to

you,

knowing the

mind of

God,

that you

forbid or

permit,

you have

access to

the kingdom.

You've been

given access

to the mind

of God.

And so those

things that

have bound

in heaven

should also

be bound

on earth.

And those

things that

have been

loosed in

heaven should

also be

loosed on

earth.

I believe

that what

Jesus is

saying is

obey God's

word.

We're giving

you access

to it,

right?

It's being

granted to

you.

Father,

Son,

and the

Spirit

wrote a

book and

gave it to

us that we

would obey

it.

John Calvin

once said,

if a church

does not have

sound doctrine

and exposition

of scripture,

it's not a

church.

church.

So we

have a

common

confession.

We have

a common

communication.

Thirdly,

we have a

common

commission.

A common

commission.

Verse 18,

Jesus says,

I tell you,

you are

Peter,

and on

this rock

I will

build my

church,

and the

gates of

hell shall

not prevail

against it.

This is

misunderstood by

many people

to be

Jesus saying

that Peter

will be

the first

pope.

And we

know that

there is

some reality

to Peter's

leadership.

Strong

leadership.

The mouthpiece

of the

apostles.

The one

that preached

on the

day of

Pentecost.

The one

who is

the

spokesperson

when the

apostles

are imprisoned

in the

early days

of the

church.

Certainly

Peter was

part of

the

building.

Certainly

he is

one of

the

apostles.

The

foundation

on which

the

church

is

built.

Jesus

is not

referencing

some

papal

rule in

this case.

what he

is saying

is he

will build

his church

on the

confession

that Jesus

is the

Christ.

People

who have a

common

confession

who believe

that Jesus

is who he

said it is.

It's that

that Jesus

will build

his church

on.

And the

gates of

hell

shall not

prevail against

it.

I've told you

before that

I, and I

don't understand

why, but I've

often misread

this verse.

Not

fully

gotten the

picture of

what Jesus

is saying.

And what

he's saying

is that

his

building of

the church,

Jesus'

building of

the church,

is like a

military

conquest.

That it's

going

forward.

That it's

pressing

in.

And that

hell is on

the defense.

That hell

has put up

gates.

And those

gates will

not stand

in the way

of the

advance

of the

gospel.

God makes

war and

God wins.

A picture

of this

with some

finality is

found in

Revelation 7

9.

John writes,

After this I

looked and

behold a

great multitude

that no one

could number.

And I love

that phrase.

Don't even

try.

It's a

great multitude

that no one

could number.

Men and

women turn

to the worship

of God

from every

nation,

from all

tribes and

peoples and

languages,

standing before

the throne

and before

the Lamb,

clothed in

white robes

with palm

branches in

their hands.

Praising

God,

praising

Christ,

their sin,

guilt,

washed

away,

clothed in

the righteousness

of Christ.

The common

commission.

True

churches

recognize this.

True

churches are

kingdom

focused.

We are

concerned about

conversions.

We want to

see people

come to

faith in

Jesus Christ.

We're not

primarily

concerned about

making something

new and

cool and

hip that's

going to

draw someone's

attention from

some other

fellowship.

We're primarily

concerned about

conversion.

Why?

Because God's

primarily concerned

about conversion

because He's

making war and

the gates of

hell will not

stand against

it.

God doesn't

need us

beloved to

accomplish

this.

We remind

you that

you're not

so special

that God

needs you.

Jesus says

I will

build my

church.

Praise the

Lord He

has decided

to use us

to accomplish

that.

We get the

great joy

of participating

in that

kingdom

advancement.

Romans 10

beginning

in verse

13.

Paul writes

everyone who

calls on the

name of the

Lord will be

saved.

But then he

goes on to

say how then

will they call

on Him in

whom they

have not

believed?

And how are

they to believe

in Him of

whom they

have never

heard?

And how are

they to hear

without someone

preaching?

And He's not

talking about

what I'm doing

now necessarily.

The sharing

of the good

news of Jesus

Christ done

by all

those who

are His.

Verse 15

And how are

they to

preach unless

they are

sent?

As it is

written,

how beautiful

are the feet

of those who

preach the

good news.

We have a

common commission

beloved that

all of us

are to

share.

It's a sad

thing that so

many churches

don't press

that expectation

on their

members.

They don't

say this is

how Christians

live.

It's not a

thing that we

hope that

we'd like to

add to

your Christian

experience.

But followers

of Jesus

Christ share

the good

news of

Jesus Christ.

This is

why we

will not

view the

start of

another church

as a sad

thing.

I know it

has some sad

element.

I'm feeling

that too.

But we're not

going to view

it as a sad

thing.

We're not

going to see

it as division

but rather

multiplication.

Get that

word in

your mind.

This is

multiplication.

It's not

division.

The point

of the

church is

not to

hold our

friends

close but

to scatter

the kingdom

wide.

So we

have a

common

confession,

a common

communication,

a common

commission,

and a

common

conflict.

So beginning

in verse 21,

Jesus begins

finally, he's

starting to tell

them about

what's going

to happen.

And he

begins to

tell them

in a

repeated

fashion

throughout

the gospel

accounts.

Peter has

proclaimed

Jesus as

the Christ

and he

seems to

help clarify

for them

what that's

going to

mean.

Verse 20,

an interesting

thing that

Jesus does,

he strictly

charges the

disciples to

tell no

one that

he was

the Christ.

And he

does so

because of

the wide

misunderstanding

about who

the Messiah

was going

to be.

When we

studied Mark,

I talked

about this

a lot,

that the

Jews thought

the Messiah

was going

to come

and conquer

and rule

in this

realm.

That he

was going

to come

and he

was going

to militarily

overthrow

Rome and

restore Israel

to its

former glory

in this

realm.

They

misunderstood

the promises.

They seem

to glance

over all

of the

prophecy

about his

suffering

and his

death.

Peter's

counted

amongst

that,

right?

Because Peter

brings him

aside when he

starts to

talk about

all the

things that

he's going

to have

to suffer,

that he's

going to

die,

that he's

going to

be raised.

Peter says,

oh no,

not if you're

the Christ.

This can't

possibly be.

And Jesus

responds to

him in a

strong,

strong way,

get behind

me,

Satan.

Get behind

me,

Satan.

You are a

hindrance to

me.

Why?

For you are

not setting

your mind

on the

things of

God,

but on

the things

of man.

Now,

it would be

silly to

believe that

Satan had

manifested

Peter,

that it was

actually

Satan that

Jesus is

talking about

in this

case.

So note

that Jesus

equates

lies with

both Satan

and man.

He's saying

the way that

you're thinking

right now,

Peter,

is not the

way of

God,

the things

of God,

but the

things of

man,

and that

Satan is

tied up

into that.

He's the

prince of

lies,

the great

contorter of

truth.

This was

the original

sin as

the result

of Satan's

involvement

twisting the

truth of

God.

He didn't

actually say

you would

die,

did you?

This is

his weapon

in the

world.

This is

the way

in which

we struggle

now as

believers,

right?

To walk

in the

way of

God,

to believe

the truth

of God

and not

the truth

of the

world.

So,

Jesus

equates

lies with

both Satan

and man.

This is

our

conflict.

It's

the very

same

conflict

that

Peter's

experiencing

here.

Listen to

Jesus'

words to

the scribes

and the

Pharisees

in John

John 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8.

This is

verse 39

through 47.

They answered

him,

Abraham is

our father.

Jesus said

to them,

if you were

Abraham's

children,

you would

be doing

the works

Abraham

did.

But now

you seek

to kill

me,

a man

who has

told you

the truth

that I

heard from

God.

This is

not what

Abraham did.

Satan.

They said

to him,

we were

not born

of sexual

immorality.

We have

one father,

even God.

Jesus said

to them,

if God

were your

father,

you would

love me.

For I

came from

God and

I am

here.

I came

not on

my own

accord,

but he

sent me.

Why do

you not

understand

what I

say?

It is

because you

cannot bear

to hear

my word.

You are

of your

father,

the devil,

and your

will is to

do your

father's

desires.

He was

a murderer

from the

beginning and

does not

stand in

the truth

because there

is no

truth in

him.

When he

lies,

he speaks

out of

his own

character,

for he

is a

liar and

the father

of lies.

But because

I tell

the truth,

you do not

believe me.

Which one

of you

convicts me

of sin?

If I

tell the

truth,

why do

you

not

believe

me?

Whoever

is of

God

hears

the

words

of

God.

The

reason

why

you

do

not

hear

them

is

that

you

are

not

of

God.

And so you

see that our

conflict is a

conflict against

truth and

lie,

or for

truth and

against

lies.

And we

have to

recognize that

this is a

spiritual

conflict.

Paul writes

in Ephesians

6.12,

for we

do not

wrestle

against

flesh and

blood,

but against

the rulers,

against the

authorities,

against the

cosmic powers

over this

present

darkness,

against the

spiritual

forces of

evil in

the heavenly

places.

Beloved,

our great

trouble is not

spiritual

warfare in

some weird

intangible

way.

Our great

conflict is

the lies

that are being

told to us

by this

world,

which is

being manipulated

by the

one that it

worships,

and that is

the devil.

That is our

conflict.

The very

same conflict

that Peter

is experiencing

here,

right?

Following

the truth.

I've already

told you what

that is,

right?

We have a

sure thing

in the

scripture

itself,

because of

that common

communication.

So we have

a common

conflict.

Fifthly,

we have

a common

calling.

Beginning

in verse 24,

then Jesus

told the

disciples,

if anyone

would come

after me,

let him deny

himself,

and take

of his

cross,

and find

me.

Whoever

would save

his life

will lose

it,

but whoever

loses

his life

for my

sake

will find

it.

For what

will it

profit a

man if

he gains

the whole

world and

forfeits

his soul?

Or what

shall the

man give

in return

for his

soul?

It's

interesting

how God

always seems

to work

in opposites.

We've

talked a lot

about apparent

paradoxes.

An example

of that is

this statement

is false.

Try to

work that

one out

in your

mind.

They seem

to set

against

one

another.

That

actually is

a paradox,

not an

apparent

paradox.

This is

an apparent

paradox.

Not

actually,

but it

seems to

be on

the surface.

If anyone

would come

after me,

let him

deny

himself,

and take

up his

cross,

and follow

me.

Beloved,

let me

remind you

that this

isn't

just

bearing

through

some

typical

thing

with

some

patience

and

some

grace.

Being

in school

is not

your

cross

to

bear.

Working

for a

boss

that you

don't

particularly

enjoy

is not

your

cross

to

bear.

I

think

it

can

include

that,

but it's

not

just

that.

Taking

up your

cross

is a

call

to die.

It's a

call to

self

denial.

We are

to be

deniers

of our

own

identity

and our

own

self

determination.

We are

to place

ourselves

under the

lordship

of Jesus

Christ.

We are

to become

his

bondservants.

Because

of the

great

grace

that he

has

given

to us,

we in

response,

of a

loving

response,

say to

him,

take my

life.

It's

yours.

It

belongs

to

you.

I

want

to

serve

you

with

every

bit

of

it.

Because

we've

been

ransomed

!

with

him

in

all

things.

We have

a common

calling.

You don't

have to

ask the

question,

what am

I called

to do?

You're

called to

have faith

in Jesus

Christ,

and you're

called to

follow

him.

Do that

faithfully.

Do that

by the

word of

God,

and then

beyond

that,

the gray

areas,

do

whatever

you want.

If you're

obedient to

this,

you're

following

Jesus,

marry who

you want

to,

work the

job you

want to,

you'll

sort it

out.

Because

we've

been

ransomed

by

Christ,

we now

identify

with

him

in

all

things.

Paul

writes

in

Galatians

2.20,

I have

been

crucified

with

Christ.

It

is no

longer

I

who

live,

but

Christ

who

lives

in

me.

And

the

life I

now

live

in

the

flesh

I

live

by

faith

in

the

Son

of

God

who

loved

me

and

gave

himself

for

me.

We

have

a

common

confession,

communication,

a

commission,

a

conflict,

a

calling,

and

finally,

a

common

confidence.

I

did it,

all

C's.

Good

reference

here,

verse

20,

I

mentioned

it

already

with

some

explanation.

Then

he

strictly

charged

the

disciples

to

tell

no

one

that

he

was

the

Christ.

He

didn't

want

to

be

taken

to

be

set

up

as

king.

And

if

you

read

the

gospel

narratives,

you'll

find other

places

where

he's

speaking

and

he

suddenly

slips

away.

And

the

explanation

is

because

they

wanted

to

take

him

by

force.

And

they're

trying

to

take

him

and

set

him

up

to

be

the

Messiah

as

they

thought

he

should

be.

So

Jesus

is

talking

about

a

heavenly

kingdom

that

has

implications

and

realities

here,

but a

heavenly

kingdom.

Then

he

goes

on to

say

in

verse

27,

for

the

Son

of

man

is

going

to

come

with

his

angels

and

the

glory

of

his

father

and

then

he

will

repay

each

person

according

to

what

he

has

done.

He's

going

to

come

and