Matthew 16:13-20 Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

The foundation of the church is the doctrinal declaration that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. The foundation of the church is a person - Jesus Christ. And to be part of that church is essential that we believe the truth about Jesus. He is the Christ, the Messiah, the fulfillment of the OT prophecies. He is the Son of the living God. He is God in the flesh. He was born of a virgin. He is sinless in nature.

The church is the “called out ones,” the blessed ones who understand and embrace this truth. That’s the foundational rock of the church. The church is people empowered to profess and proclaim that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Jesus has committed to build his church upon this truth and upon his person. It is Christ who builds and not us. We are instruments in his hands to perform his task and accomplish his purposes.

and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

The gates of a city were the means to keep it safe against attacks. It is especially interesting that the picture painted here is that of the church prevailing against the darkness, against death, against sin, against bondage, against evil. How do we know the church is the church? When it prevails against evil.

The truth that I want to emphasize here is the fact that the Church is the agent of the kingdom of God. It is the one who has been appointed to advance the kingdom upon the earth. He promises to give the keys of the kingdom so they can accomplish the task for which they were called.

What are these keys of the kingdom? A key is a symbol of authority. Authority is to have permission and power to do something. The best picture to have is that of a steward who has been given the keys of his master’s property. A key grants the steward permission to the property as well as the power (ability) to enter the property. In the case of the kingdom of God, the keys represent at least two different things:

1. Doctrine - the truth of the Gospel - Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God
2. Discipline - curbing sin in the church by keeping our brethren accountable

Kingdom Key#1 - Doctrine (Mat.16)

It is essential that each and every believer understands the truth of the Gospel - that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. It is imperative that we are able to articulate that truth, engage people in conversation with it, and defend it when necessary. The world in which we live has become so relativistic that there is no place for absolute truth. Yet the Gospel is absolute. Christ claims exclusivity in salvation. The Bible is authoritative for faith and life. If we can’t articulate the truth, we are incapable of opening doors for ourselves to grow and incapable of opening doors for others to escape bondage and sin to become part of God’s kingdom.

The real power of the church is in its legislative authority that Christ has given it. Over every conflict upon this earth, the church has the power and the responsibility to rule to help bring people into conformance to God’s Word under the rule of God’s kingdom.

Kingdom Key#2 - Discipline (Mat.18)

The advancement of God’s kingdom depends on our willingness to use the authority God has given us to keep each other accountable. Church discipline is not a matter of judging anyone to a final condemnation. Church discipline is a judgment unto restoration in the kingdom. Only God can exercise final judgment upon any given person. Our reluctance to get involved in the sin of others is pathetic and renders the church ineffective in the world. We need to get involved!

The proper application of discipline is as follows:

1. call the brother alone
2. call the brother with witnesses
3. call the brother before the church (church leaders)

Why don’t we have the courage to call out our brother by ourselves first? Why do we hesitate to follow up with witnesses when we see no change? Why do we hesitate to bring the issue before the authorities when all the above has been done? Our way is to avoid the person, talk about him behind his back, and hold unforgiveness for as long as possible that develops into resentment and bitterness.

Notice that the keys are meant to bring harmony between the heavens and the earth. Sin came into the world and established a rift, a wall, a separation between God and humanity. When we use the keys we work towards the establishment of the original harmony God intended between the heavens and the earth. That’s why we pray your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Matthew 26:36-46 Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

In the kingdom of God, prayer is the prescription for my trouble. The intensity of the prayer should be at par with the intensity of the problem. Jesus' problem was great indeed. It was not fear of torture and death, though that may be enough to trouble me. But it was the prospect of having to drink of the cup. This cup represents the work of redemption on the cross. It represents the bearing of the sin of all humanity with all its shame and guilt and condemnation. Jesus was to bear the wrath of God in our place. Now that is troublesome. All my problems pale in comparison.

When my trouble is difficult to bear on my own, I should recruit supporters to pray with me and for me. Jesus took his disciples to pray and he even chose his inner circle to be closer to him as he prayed. Unfortunately, the disciples were too tired to pray. They could not watch with him, not even one hour. Jesus was so troubled that he prayed three times the same prayer: if it was possible for the cup to pass from him. On all three occasions, the disciples fell asleep. I have fallen asleep plenty a times instead of watching and praying.

When temptation is at hand, I must watch and pray to prevent falling into it, seeking for a way out. Jesus' temptation at that moment was to refuse to drink of the cup, but he surrendered his will to the Father through prayer. He humbled himself to ensure that his human will would not interfere with the Father's will. How many times my will does not want to do the will of God? I have wrestled and unfortunately, I have not been victorious because I don't come in humility. I come demanding what I want.

I must discipline my flesh to follow the desires of the spirit because the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. This is the main reason for spiritual discipline. It is to train the flesh to follow the spirit and not the other way around. Unfortunately, the disciples missed their opportunity to prepare for what was to come. They were unprepared and responded with violence, fear, and denial of Christ. How many times have I missed the opportunity to prepare in prayer for lack of discipline?

Lord, thank you for your willingness to drink the cup to redeem me. Teach me to pray. May I discipline myself to seek you day by day to prepare for life's challenges. May I seek you especially when I am in trouble.

Matthew 13:24-30,36-43 The Parable of the Weeds

Kingdom business is difficult because I have a king who is righteous and demands righteousness from all his servants (me included), yet I know I am flawed, imperfect due to my sinful nature. Doing business in the kingdom demands that we deal with one another's sins. The disciplines of confession, repentance, and forgiveness are a must in order to succeed in our service. People who have difficulty exercising or refuse to exercise any of these disciplines don't understand the kingdom of God at all.

Now let's add to the personal sinfulness of each servant in the kingdom the fact that we serve in an evil world. There are other people in the world who do not care for the kingdom at all. These are the sons of the evil one. Jesus explains in his Parable of the Weeds that there is a work of the enemy in the world; people who reject and even persecute God's servants.  When asked about uprooting the weeds, Jesus is against it lest the wheat is uprooted along with the weeds. Kingdom business is not about leading a crusade to eliminate infidels. It is about enduring the hatred and persecution of those infidels with the love that God can only give until the end of the age.

Moreover, I can't avoid the thought that if we have weeds in the field (the world), there are some trying to infiltrate the ranks of the faithful in the local church. There is plenty of warning in the Scriptures against false teachers who set themselves against the teaching of the apostles and silently slip into the congregation to spread their teachings. Jesus' teaching to let the wheat and the weeds grow together applies to the world, but not to the church. The counsel of the apostles is that we must keep on eye on these wolves and keep them from harming the flock by whatever means: Membership classes, Supervision of the teachings, especially in Small Groups, and Church Discipline that includes excommunication.

Kingdom business is performed in a hostile environment. I may sit in a neat and tidy office, but spiritually I am in the depths of a battlefield. The battle is being waged on multiple fronts: relationships among brothers and sisters within the church, relationships with the world that surrounds us, and the dealings with wolves that step into the local church to harm it. How can I survive? The hope that Christ offers keeps me going. One day, I will shine like the sun in the kingdom of my Father.

Father, give me strength to stand firm until the end of times. Fill my heart with the hope of your return. Don't let my heart grow weary in the work of the harvest.