Church Functions - Week 1: Identification

I'll tell you what I was telling Chief this morning,

and I've told several people I believe. I don't even

want to take a lot of time. I just believe

the Guy gave me a word for us, and I

don't even going to try to wrap it into something crazy.

I just want you to I want you to hear

the voice of the Lord as it comes out of

his word this morning. We're not going to a lot

of places. I don't want to spend a lot of

time getting into it. All I want to say is

we're starting a new series is called Church Functions. The

slides going up Church Functions. When we first started planning

this series at the end of last year, what came

to my mind when Chief and I were talking about, well,

you should preach a series, you know, he should. What

do you want to do? And I started thinking about

what I'd like to speak on what God was really

working on me. And I couldn't get away from the

way the local church is and operates. And when I

initially planned it, I was thinking about how when I

grew up in church, and maybe you have this experience

too if you didn't grow up in church, and that's fine,

but maybe you've heard this said that when there are

things happening on the church property. Uh, when there's things

that the church hosts. We we I don't know if

we say this much anymore. We used to call it

that's a church function. Right, there's a church that we's

got church functions on the calendar. There's those things happening.

That's what I was initially thinking of. But when we

really get into it, uh, more broadly here, we're concerned

with the functions of the local church and the church

at large Capital C. I don't mean Capital C cornerstone.

I mean Capital C Church, the body of Christ across

the world. And we're determined we're we're looking at those

functions in this series these next four weeks, and I

and I really want to get to the heart of it.

But when we talk about that phrase church functions, I

think when we use that phrase over the over the years,

we were talking about events, but really we were saying

something more true. There's more depth to that truth in

that phrase than we realize. See, to say that's a

church function and implies a few things. So if you'll

go with me, it implies that the church is active,

if it's functioning if there's a function, it's active, it's alive,

things are happening, there are people involved church functions. It

also implies that the church has responsibility. If those functions

were hosted and facilitated by the church, it was the

church's job. If the church puts their name on it, right,

there's responsibility tied to it. And if someone chooses to

have a function at the church and underneath the covering

of the church, that tells us something about what that

event is, what that function is, Space and resources are

required and used. It also further implies that the church

has a unique identity. A church function is not the

same as a work function, not the same as a

family function, not the same as a community function. Although

uniquely the church kind of blurs across all of those

because our faith calls us to be who we are,

regardless of where we are. But the fact that an

activity would bear the name of a church, it says

something about the purpose. The fact that the church would

adopt the activity it says just as much about the

church's purpose. There are things that we don't host here

because they don't align with the function, they don't align

with the mission. There are things that we say no

to because the church's identity is valuable and meaningful, and

it means more than just a place to gather. And

that's really where I want to start today. I think

it's vital that we understand the title of my sermon.

Somebody asked me, Calvin asked me about my title. The

title of my sermon today is church is not a place.

I believe that everything that the Church is and does

is inextricably tied to the identity of her founder and

her foundation. Turn with me to Matthew chapter sixteen. Matthew,

chapter sixteen. It's going up on the screen in the

New American Standard. I don't know what version you have,

and it's fine whichever one you have. What I actually

have on my paper is a little bit different, but

New American centered is very close. Matthew, chapter sixteen. We're

gonna start in verse thirteen, and this is the only

place we're going today. It's funny. I was sending my

scriptures into the production team and Jeremy said, that's it,

and I said, yeah, man, this is all we're doing

right here is all we need. Matthew, Chapter sixteen, Verse thirteen.

This now when Jesus came into the district of Cesarea, Philippi.

He was asking his disciples, saying, who do people say

that the son of Man is? And they said, some

say John the Baptist, and others Elijah, and still others

Jeremiah or one of the prophets. He said to them,

but who do you say that I am? And Simon

Peter answered him and said, you are the Christ, the

son of the Living God. And Jesus answered and said

to him, blessed are you, Simon Barjonah, Because flesh and

blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father

in Heaven. And I also say to you that you

are Peter. And upon this rock I will build my church,

and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. Verse nineteen.

I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.

And whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound

in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have

been loose in Heaven. Then he warned the disciples that

they should tell no one that he was the Christ.

Let's pray, Father, thank you for your word, Thank you

for allowing us to come to it, to encounter it,

and as we do to encounter you. Thank you for

this communication that you have given us, that you're speaking

to us all the time through I pray God, that

you help us to look at it, you help us

to receive what you're saying, and that you help us

to put it into practice, that we might live as

the church you've called us to be in Jesus' name.

Amen and amen. You know. I don't know if you

know this, but this is actually the very first mention

of the church we have in all the New Testament.

It's actually only one of two direct references to the

word church in all of the gospels that I don't

know if that's surprising to you, but it was surprising

to me, because when you start to get into it,

you think, well, Jesus started this whole thing, surely he

talked about it a good bit, and he does, but

he doesn't use this word, this Greek word ecclesea church,

the where we get the word church from. He only

uses it right here in Matthew sixteen, and then a

little bit later in Matthew eighteen, and that's it. And

there are other gospels. He talks about Kingdom of Heaven,

he talks about he uses very different phrases that will

give us a greater idea of the function of the church.

But this is the first place he uses that word.

And what's also interesting about this passage is that this

exchange between Jesus and Peter, it's in Matthew, it's in Mark,

it's in Luke the same way. Now only in Matthew

does he talk about building the church. But this conversation

happens in all three of those gospels. Also in every

one of them the same events follow. So in Matthew,

the next thing that happens, Jesus confesses or sorry, Peter

confesses that Jesus is the Christ. Jesus. Then he talks

about his death and his resurrection, says it's about to happen.

Then he tells them to take up their cross. That's

what true disciples do. They take up their cross, and

they follow him. And then the transfiguration happens, a revelation

to Peter, James, and John that the Son of God

really is that guy. They go up on the mountain

and the Father speaks, this is my son. Now Peter

already confessed this, he already got it. And then it's

proven to him. And this happens the same way, and Matthew, Mark,

and Luke. And the features of this passage are significant.

If you're in my biblical interpretation group, I hope I

see all smiling or something. Maybe you guys will talk

about it later. But the features of a passage in scripture,

all of them, every one of them. The features are

so important because it's not just the words that God

gave us, it's the way that He gave them to us.

So if the same events follow in every one of

the gospels, did that probably mean something. What's happening here

is that this chat with Peter and the disciples, it

begins this greater unveiling of Jesus' true identity. Up to

this point, he had done miracles, he had preached sermons,

he had taught lessons, he had shown them many things

up to this point. But from here on it gets real,

really really real. He's more than a good teacher, that

he's more than a miracle worker. That he's more than

a temporary leader that was going to die and resurrect

and then be gone. But in fact, he is the true,

eternal son of God who will do the impossible. Upon

the cross. He will do what no one else can do.

It will secure salvation for his people, and then he

will return in glory. This is where it all starts

to unravel and be revealed. That's where we're at. That's

setting the stage, all right. We talk about in group

all the time. Context, we're setting the stage. These are

the things that are happening. This is the flow of

the conversation. And now that we know where we are,

now we can actually deal with what's being said and

how it pertains to the church. You see, church is

not a place, but it started in a specific one. Now.

We talk a lot about Acts chapter two coming of

the Holy Spirit, and that's like the birth of the

New Testament Church, and it is that's that's that's a

good place to put that pen. But but this is

the first place it's talked about. Jesus is putting these

ideas and planting these seeds right here. He's preparing Peter

for what Peter is going to do in Acts chapter two.

When you get there, this is where it starts. Church

is not a place, but it started right here in

Cesarea Philippi. If you don't know Cesarea Philippi, it's a town.

It's at the it's at the foot of Mount Hermon

in Israel. And also right here is one of the

primary sources a spring of water for the Jordan River. Now,

if you're if you're familiar with the Jordan River, you

might feel like you should start shouting when we start

to really get into this. A primary source of water

for the Jordan River is right here at the birthplace

of the church. Okay, in the Old Testament we know

that Cesesrio Philippi, this location, there was a shrine dedicated

to the false god Bail, and it was there a

long time. It was like known, that's where you go

to worship that false god. If you know much about

the Old Testament. Bail plagued God's people over and over

and over, not because he was more powerful than Yahweh,

but because they couldn't get away from him. They kept

going after Bail, they kept being enticed by him. The

shrine's built here, and right here, Jesus says, upon this rock,

come on, now, come on, we're Pentecostal or not. By

the time of Christ, the Greeks had built a shrine

here to the false God Pan. Now, I don't know

how familiar are with your pagan theology, hopefully not much

At all. But here's the tidbit. The pagan god Pan

was the god of fertility and nature. And Jesus stands

there and says, who do you say that? I am

think about fertility and nature, making babies and making the

world in the universe, two things only the one true

God can do. Now you got to participate, right, We

get that, But only God can make life like that.

And in this place they set up this shrine to

a false God who can't do any of that. And

it's here in this place named after here's another one.

There's another one named after the emperor Caesar Augustus in

this place identified by life giving nature and worship of

just about everything else. But yahweh, Jesus starts a conversation

about who he really is. To the Bible is actually

super cool if you spend some time, like if you

actually get into it's really actually neat. We think it's confusing,

and it can be, But when you get into this

you start to see these things line up that God

is saying far more than what's just what's on the page.

But I digress. You can come to Biblical Interpretation Group

in the fall if you want, and we'll talk more

about how cool it really is. But where I want

to go next here is this next part of this passage.

Jesus asked the disciples. First. His first question is who

do they say that the Son of Man is? He's

asking them about the masses, what does society? What do

the people say about the son of Man? And they

give some decent answers. I think up to this point

it's hard to argue that there was anyone greater in

the eyes of the Jews than Elijah, the great prophet.

They mentioned Jeremiah. John the Baptist was recent in this moment.

It had been four hundred years. God had not spoken

to his people by any mouthpiece. All they had with

the scriptures they could rest on. And then John the

Baptist shows up and starts saying, prepare you the way

he's coming. So they give these answers, and they're good

answers because that's probably what most people thought. But then

Jesus checks that temperature. Okay, that's where we're at, that's

where they're at, this is where our world is. And

then he directs his question in two different ways. Instead

of asking who do they say, he says, who do

you say? And he doesn't say, who do you say

the son of man is? He says, who do you

say that I am? He changes the question, and then

Peter boldly declares these now famous words, and Jesus confirms it.

You're the Christ, the son of the Living God. And

Peter got it right. And then Jesus tells us how

Peter got it right. This wasn't revealed to you by

flesh and blood, but by my Father in Heaven. It

was not. It was not Peter's perception that got him

to the right answer. It was Peter's connection to God.

I'm telling you, I'm preaching. I'm preaching. See this correct

identification is so significant that Jesus he doesn't just say, Peter,

you're blessed. A great job, bud good one great work,

A plus. He says, you know what I tell you?

That you're different. Now you're so right, and that was

revealed to you by your connection with the Father. Now

you're different. You got the right ide and you declared

it boldly. Now you're different. When Jesus first addresses him

in this passage, he says, Simon, Now Simon from the

Hebrew Shamah. And then you know what it means? Listening.

I'm saying, there's like twelve sermons in this one passage

Simon the listener, who one who hears God is what

it translates to. That's a whole separate sermon, it really is.

But Peter had rightly heard the truth, and then he

rightly responded, and this is this faith confession. It changes him,

and it's the same for us. When we rightly identify Christ,

I mean really rightly identify him. You are the son

of the Living God, and we rightly put ourselves under

his lordship. It changes who we are. He changes our name,

and then we move ahead upon this rock. I will

build my church. See there's something to be said, I think.

And if you're familiar with with the pope and with

the Catholic thinking and ideas, there's something to be said

about Peter. I do think there's something to it. Peter

was important. He leads the way, sometimes to a fault, right,

but he leads the way here, and he ends up

leading the way in Acts chapter two. I think Jesus

is indirectly referring to Peter's position as the head of

the apostles. He leads the way. But I do think

it's important for us to look at this and say, well,

he doesn't say, Peter, upon you, I will build my church.

He says upon this rock. See, I think that it's

not built upon Peter. It's built upon the truth of

Jesus' identity, that he is the Christ, the son of

the Living God. Before we can ever get to church

functions and actions and things that we do, we have

to acknowledge that there is no church without the foundation

of Christ being exactly who he says he is. I

think it's this confession of faith that the Lord builds

his church upon. It is upon this truth. And notice

this too, he doesn't say upon this rock, you will

build my church. He says, upon this rock, I will

build my church. Now, that just lists lightens the load

for me. Because it's easy for us, especially for those

of us who are involved in those who are week

after week doing something to make things happen. It's easy

for us to start thinking we're building this thing. Nothing

will crush you faster. Then if you start to believe

you can build the things that only God can build,

that's another sermon too. Golly tell you what, Jesus takes

responsibility for the building and the simplest reason for this.

It ought to be obvious to us by now. But

if not, that's okay. The truth is, the building is

not out of our hands. It's not out of our

hands because God doesn't want us to participate. Obviously he does.

It's out of our hands because this task of building

his church, only Jesus can do it. People can build

many things. God is creative. He designed us to be creative.

We can build a lot of things. We can build structures,

we can build systems, we can build organizations. We can

build processes, schedules, budgets. We can build lots of things.

But can people really build people? Now, you can build

one another up. That's also a scripture. We're going there.

It's a whole series. But can you really build another person?

Remember about what we just said. Only God can bring

life in nature. People can't build people. See, just like

the building we are in now, this building here, go

with me think for it to stand, it required a

greater outside force that has the capacity to dream, the

capacity to plan, the capacity to prepare and then execute

on that preparation. If this physical building required people with

those capabilities, then you building the church requires a greater

outside force that can do it better than you. The

building cannot build. The building can only be what it's

built into. I'm not talking about cornerstone tabernacle. I'm talking

about you.

You.

The building cannot build. You can be what you're built into.

When we cross those wires, we get in trouble. If

we could build ourselves into what God desires for us

to be, why will we need him? You are not

capable of it. I'm not capable of it. No one was.

The Law couldn't do it, and Moses couldn't do it,

and the Sacrifices couldn't do it. Nothing could do it.

Only Jesus, which is why he says I will build

my church. The actual hard to swallow truth. If you're

taking notes not in the church center, app but if

you are taking them elsewhere, you should take this one down.

This one hurts, but if you will take it to heart,

it will change you. The hard to swallow truth about

this is that the functioning church is not made up

of people who build. It's made up of people who surrender.

And we hate it. Me too, because I'd rather build.

It's much easier for me to take hold of it

and do it. And this is out of my reach.

It's out of our reach. It's out of our capacity.

So I have to surrender. And then the next part

and I'm gonna close, So Clint, you guys can Clint

mary Landa, you guys can get ready. This last part

of this passage is extremely powerful and a sermon in

and of itself. Here in verse eighteen, there's a really

huge perspective shift that will happen if you will really

get into this and let the Lord work on you

with it. But what I really want to do is

leave you today knowing that we're continuing. We have three

more weeks to get into function. But I want to

leave you with what I believe is the greatest byproduct

of truth. And truth has byproducts. Here's the thing about

real truth. If it's really the truth, it will make changes.

If it's really the truth, it has a ripple effect.

If it's really the truth, it can't let false things stand.

The truth brings light to darkness. So I want to

leave you with the greatest byproduct of truth. Hope. Let

me just tell you. If it doesn't leave you hopeful,

it's not true. I don't know who that's for. That's

not even in the notes. If it's not leaving you

full of hope, it is not from God. It's not true.

So hold on to the things that give you hope.

And I don't mean wishful thinking. I mean real hope

that tomorrow can be better, and that if it doesn't come,

I find myself in the hands of a living God. See.

God didn't give us all this identity as his church.

He didn't give us all this identity without giving us

an equal measure of help. That's also for somebody. God

is not calling you to leave you where you're at.

He's not calling you and giving you a task and

then saying figure it out. He is giving you an

equal measure of help for the call. But you got

to be in position for it's how we do it.

There are some really great preachers who are preached this

part of this passage far better than I can. But

I want you to consider what's being said. The gates

of hades will not prevail against it. That's a great point.

That's a great place to shout yes, but but but

really I want you to shout more in just a second,

because it's even better. Consider that gates exist for what

to guard entryways gates are not offensive, they're defensive. So

what Jesus is saying is that the gates of Hell

itself cannot stop you. Remember how we talked about the

significance of this location. There's a cave near Cesarea Philippi,

just like there was a shrine there do all these things.

There's a cave there that the Pagans called. Do you

know what? It's called the entrance to the underworld, the

gates of Hades. And in this place Jesus says they

can't stop you. Here's the distilled version. Jesus is telling

Peter this. He's telling us this. I want us to

hear it today. When you understand and accept who he is.

Let me say it from the first person. This is

Jesus speaking to Peter and to us. Listen. When you

understand and accept who I am, I will build you

into an unstoppable force called by my name. You will

exist among those who believe other things and among those

who will seek to destroy you. But there's not a

measure of darkness great enough to stop you. Even the

very gates of Hell itself will buckle and.

Break as you take ground. Do not fear, do not waiver,

don't give in or up.

That's who we are. That's who we are. I'm not

telling you that. Jesus told you that just now, Just

as he told Peter in verse nineteen. It takes us

into the details of the function and loosing. And we're

going there. I know people are thinking about that. We're

going there. But today I believe the Lord called me

to tell somebody. You can't be defeated if if you

will accept who Jesus really is, and to accept who

he really is is to put yourself under his lordship.

And if you will accept that and accept your identity

in light of his, and if you will press ahead,

you can not be stopped. So stop playing defense. I

struggle whether to say this part stop surviving. You are

not a survivor. Jesus was not a survivor. He's an overcomer.

That's who you are. He didn't make it through. He

made it happen. And I don't know. I believe him

when he says that, and when he says I want

to do even greater things through you Church, I want

to believe that again. I think for many years now

I've lost the fire of that. But that's who he said.

I am, and for me to act any different and

to conduct myself in my life any different than that

is to either call him a liar or to call

the one true living Son of God a bad plan maker.

So I'm either denying his deity mistake hell, or I'm

denying the One True God's plans. I don't really want

to do either of those things. I don't know about you,

So I would like to start living this way again.

Would you stand with me all over the room. The

world cannot stop you. You can let it, but it

can't stop you if you don't let it. The false

gods can't get you. They're false.

The devil himself cowers behind his gates, and he tries

to trick you and deceive you and confuse you.

Because he's out of options. All he has left are

puny gates that christ Church is built to smash through.

We're about to worship again together, and this song is

very appropriate because it reminds us of who Jesus really is,

and that in his mighty name, there are no weapons,

there are no gates, there's nothing that can stop them.

But as we prepare to worship, I just want to

know if I can. I want to pray for you today,

and I can if our alter team we have some

people come and just be ready. But I want to

know if we can pray for you today. If you're

tired of living the way you've been living, Listen, I

don't mean maybe, I do. I do mean sin. If

you're in sin, you're in an habitual sin thing. Yes,

God wants to handle that, I promise, but that's not

all I mean. If you're just tired of living at

this kind of mundane ah, whatever kind of level of life.

Because I don't know when I read that when Jesus

the Lord of Lords tells me the gates of hell

can't stop me, it can't stop us, that doesn't make

me want to live regular doesn't seem to mesh well

with regular and mundane. It sounds powerful, it sounds exciting,

it sounds revolutionary. So if you're sick of living that way,

if you're just tired of the men, if you're sick

of living short of the high call of being christ Church,

I want to pray for you today. I want you

to find somebody to come pray with you, and I

want to come pray with you too. And I'm telling

you there's no shame in this at all. God called

me to preach this message in this series because I'm there.

I was there, I was there. This is part of

the process of coming out. It doesn't all have to

happen in a moment. It may not all happen in

one prayer. But I'm telling you there's no shame in this.

If you're tired of the way it's been, let's fix it,

because the only one holding us up is us. God

is ready. In fact, he's already been moving. That's what

this whole first half of the year has been, this

spiritual momentum. God is moving. The only thing holding us

back is us. So if you feel that way this morning,

or if you don't know Jesus, if you're hearing these

things and you're saying why that does sound pretty cool

and terrifying. It is, But there's no other way to

truly live. This is the only way to life, real life.

So if you don't know Jesus today, we want to

pray for you too. Now I'm not gonna ask a

show of hands, because a show of hands does nothing

if you won't take a step. And if you can't

take a step in here, where everybody loves you. Don't

try to do it when you step out there. Most

people don't love you. Trust me. The church is. This

is skipping ahead a little, but the church is. We're

the ones called to love with the love of Christ.

The world doesn't have that mandate. They don't love you,

You gotta love them and if you let them crush you.

I'm just saying, this is the safest, best opportunity that

you will have is in this room, with this song playing,

with these people around you. If you have any of

those needs today. You want to live abundantly the way

Peter did after this moment, or you want to know

Christ for real, this is your opportunity. There is so

much more. There's so much more. As they begin to sing,

come and find a prayer partner. Lord have your way,

do a mighty work in us, that you might do

mighty works through us. In the mighty name of Jesus,

we pray, Amen and Amen.