"I Will Build My Church"

For the past weeks I have been look at a few verses over and over again. And one that I keep coming to is Matthew 16:18, “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.” Jesus was giving a proclamation to Peter saying you will be apart of my Holy and solid Church. He was essentially saying, “My church is an ever-growing and unstoppable Church.” This undeserving group of people (very much myself as well) who were rooted in “Christ, the Son of the living God” (v.16) would assemble in such a way that nothing could stop them from fulfilling the commands and purposes of God.

At first thought, I think “WOW!” To think that for some reason or another I am apart of this unstoppable force of God is speechless. And then my mind starts to trail off and the next question enters my mind, “If this God willed, ordained Church is so unstoppable, then why does the American “Church” (and I use that word loosely for some) seem so stoppable?”

And I wonder, when Jesus was dying on the cross did he ever think He was dying for money, programs, air conditioned/heated buildings, extravagant “get you in the door” ministries, tight worship bands, expensive sound systems, Christian books, blogs, podcasts, cheesy lingo…? I wonder…

What if we got rid of all those things and all we had were just a few people and some bibles. Would the Church still be as large as it is? Would our pews be as full? If we stood only on the Word and the promises of God, would it still be what it is in America? I don’t think it would. I am saddened by idea that if the church was just people and the Word of God, that it would be smaller.

But, and a big BUT! I think that if the Church was literally just a few passionate people who stood on the Word of God and lived in His grace, then that church will be unstoppable. That is the Church that Christ died for and that is the Church we see all through the book of Acts. And that is the Church that I hope to see one day in America, and hopefully the Church that I hope to work in and with.

“I will build my church” I am reminded about that statement each time I read it. Christ will build His church, and I will be apart of it REGARDLESS of whatever happens.
I was reminded that in spite of the mess we have created, it was so good to know that God will build his church.