The Church Matters

1. Read: Matthew 16:15-19

2. About the Text:

1) The solid foundation for the church is Jesus Christ.

2) “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11).

3) Jesus Christ is not going to let the church fail.

4) The church is the one organization that will survive through eternity.

5) “And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever” (Daniel 2:44).

6) The corporations of the world will dissolve and crumble.

a. PanAM airlines, Montgomery Wards, MCI, Blockbuster, Radio Shack, Toys R Us.

b. Human organizations come and go.

7) The governments of the world will dissolve and crumble.

a. Where is the once mighty Babylonian, Roman, and Ottoman empires?

b. Nations rise and fall.

8) Only the church of Jesus Christ is guaranteed to last forever!

9) Where should we be spending our time and efforts?

3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. It is God’s plan to replace what the fall corrupted.

1) God created the world perfect with mankind living in peace and harmony with Him and one another.

2) But, Adam and Eve sinned, and the whole world became corrupt. “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).

3) How does God remedy these corruptions?

4) It is through the body of Christ. “and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity” (Ephesians 2:16).

5) What is the body of Christ? It is the church. “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:22-23).

2. It is God’s plan for human fellowship and unity.

1) “that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel” (Ephesians 3:6).

2) That all mankind would be united into the one body of Christ is God’s eternal purpose (Ephesians 3:11).

3) “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26-28).

3. It is God’s plan for reconciliation with Him.

1) “And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father” (Ephesians 2:17-18).

2) “And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence…. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight” (Colossians 1:18, 21-22).

1. It is Christ’s body that belongs to Him.

1) It was bought and paid for by His blood.

2) “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28).

2. It is Christ’s body that carries out His will to seek and save the lost.

1) The church is the pillar and ground of the truth.

2) “but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).

3) The church is tasked with taking this truth to the whole world.

4) “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16).

3. It is Christ’s body that serves and worships God in spirit and in truth.

1) God is not served or worshiped in any other body today.

2) “Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:4-5).

1. It is saved people who forgive one another based on the blood of Christ.

1) There is no other place of forgiveness than in the church of Christ.

2) That is where the blood of Christ is, in the body of Christ!

3) “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

4) “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

2. It is saved people who exhort one another to be faithful to the Lord.

1) “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:12-13).

2) “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

3. It is saved people who are helping one another get to heaven.

1) “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:13-15).

2) “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).

1. The Church matters!

1) The Church is God’s Plan

2) The Church is the Body of Christ

3) The Church is Saved People

2. Invitation