LifeWay Family Bible Series for April 18: Jesus Christ is the church’s one foundation_40504

Posted: 4/02/04

LifeWay Family Bible Series for April 18

Jesus Christ is the church's one foundation

Matthew 16:13-19; Ephesians 2:17-22

By Rodney McGlothlin

First Baptist Church, College Station

Have you ever built a house? I have done volunteer building with Habitat for Humanity. It is a great organization that takes folks like me and uses them to build good housing for families who need some help. Fortunately for them, Habitat provides supervisors to make sure my fumbling efforts do not result in a tumbling house.

This week's lesson is about Jesus, the church builder. Of the gospel writers, only Matthew places the word “church” on the lips of Jesus. Even Luke, who used the word more than 20 times in Acts, never used the word in his gospel. “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18).

The most important and undisputable part of this text is “I will build my church.” Jesus is the builder of the church. It will be built upon his finished work on the cross. It is built to be his habitation, not ours. It is built to be on mission for him and with him. It will be his bride. He will come again and take his bride to heaven for all eternity. When he comes to get the church, he will take it to another place he has built. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:3). It is his church.

A good foundation is needed for any building. Jesus said, “On this rock I will build my church.” We understand immediately that he is speaking of the foundation of the church. But what does the word “this” refer to?

Some have said it is Peter. He is certainly vital to the early days of the church. Read the first 10 chapters in Acts and remove any reference to Peter. It would be a vastly different story. But was Peter the foundation of the church?

Some have said the “rock” to which Jesus refers is the confession of Peter. The church would be built upon folks like Peter who would confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Certainly this is closer to the truth. I have personally never met Simon Peter. I have met thousands of people who have followed his example in believing that Jesus is the Christ. These folks, like Peter, still are forming a foundation for the future of the church.

I have to believe Jesus was referring to himself when he said, “On this rock I will build my church.” Peter was there. He should know what Jesus meant. He seemed to indicate most that Jesus himself was the foundation (1 Peter 2:4-8).

Perhaps our hymn writer said it best: “The church's one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord; she is his new creation, by Spirit and the word. From heav'n he came and sought her to be his holy bride, with his own blood he bought her, and for her life he died” (Samuel John Stone).

The church Jesus builds is not a fortress for saints. It is not a defensive location for spiritual pacifists in the battle for the souls of humanity. Jesus said, “And the gates of hades (death or hell, take your pick!) will not stand against it.”

I am afraid some of us hear these words and think of another hymn, “Hold the Fort.” We envision a scared group of believers hanging on to an overmatched fortress on the frontiers of Christianity, besieged all around by a satanic foe bent on our destruction. That is not the image of this text. A gate is a defensive weapon. In this case, it is the defense of a satanic stronghold. The image is one of a victorious church on the march with her builder and head, Jesus Christ.

We ought not to think of all satanic strongholds as residing outside the church. There are plenty of evil empires within our own midst. We confess spiritual faith and practice material acquisition. We speak of obeying the prophets of God but spend more time tracking the profits of Wall Street. We have become a market-driven, felt needs, consumer-oriented, success-seeking church that often bears little resemblance to the Savior of Calvary's cross. What do we know today of sacrifice and service?

In the current culture wars, we cry about the loss of values, and we begin to sound more like victims than victors. We whine to government and puny politicians to “protect our values” and forget we already have a king who can lead us to victory, first within the church and then within the world.

He still is building his church, and we need his transforming presence within our own congregations. Let's be faithful to our Lord and to his call! The walls will still fall.

Questions for discussion

What makes you a good component for Jesus to build his church with?

What weaknesses are inherent in any church due to the building blocks involved?

What can be done to put more emphasis on Christ as the foundation?

How do we ensure that churches do not become fortresses to keep Christians safe and secure, but instead are outposts from which the army of Christ can march boldly into battle under the banner of Christ's love?