I've titled tonight's study,
He Must. And the Gospel, according to
Matthew, is the only place in the Holy Word of God where He
uses the term, My Church. And I'd like you to see that,
if you would, in your Bibles. Look here at Matthew chapter
16, beginning at verse 16. It says, And Simon Peter answered
and said, thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And
Jesus answered and said unto him, blessed art thou, Simon
Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee,
but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee that
thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church. And there we have the title for
tonight's study. I will build my church, and the
gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto
thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou
shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever
thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then charged
he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus
the Christ. Now we'll stop there and we'll
come back to that in a few moments. So you want to leave that mark.
We'll come back and read verse 21 a little bit later. But I
want to begin with a quote from our brother Don Fortner who writes
this. He says, perhaps no word, this is in the handout, page
one, Perhaps no word in the Bible has been more misunderstood,
more abused, and more confusing to men than the word church. Man's misunderstanding of this
word has led to bigotry, secretarianism, strife, isolationism, and even
persecution. Now, the word church is used
in three different ways in the New Testament. Sometimes the
word church is used to describe local, visible assemblies of
professed believers in a given place. The church at rescue,
for example, a calling out, that's what the word church means. The
church at Marysville or at San Diego or at the Dalles, et cetera,
et cetera. In every local church, there
are both believers and unbelievers. Wheat and tares, as we looked
at in the book of Matthew, I believe it was chapter 15, I think we
looked at the wheat and tares. It might have been 14, I'm not
sure, but we've looked at that. There's sheep and goats. There's
true possessors of faith and false professors of faith. Every
local church has in its membership both the true and the false.
But still, every local assembly of men and women who profess
faith in Christ and the gospel of God's free grace in him is
set forth as a local church and is called the Church of God. Read with me how the Apostle
Paul addresses this. He says, I commend unto you Phoebe,
our sister, which is a servant of the church, the group, the
local congregation that she was affiliated with. She's a servant
of the church, which is at Centuria. that ye receive her in the Lord
as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business
she hath need of you. For she hath been a securer of
many, and of myself also," says Paul. Then he goes on, he says,
Greek Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus, who
have for my life laid down their own necks unto whom not only
I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles, all
the different churches that these two women, Priscilla and Aquila,
helped the Lord Jesus with in the Gentile nation. They all
give thanks unto her. Likewise, he says, greet the
church that is in their house. Romans 16, 1 through 5. Notice
Paul speaks of the church as a person. The church is not that
building that we meet in. The church are the people who
meet in that building. The church house is what we call
it. Sometimes the word church, in
the last paragraph of page 1, is used to describe all churches
at any given time. I'm not suggesting that the Church
of God is made up of all churches and denominations, no. But it
does include all New Testament churches at any given time in
the world. We are all one in Christ, one
in purpose, one in heart, and one in desire. Page 2. All true gospel churches in this
world, in Jesus Christ, are one. Listen to these words from 1
Corinthians 10, 31 and 32. Whether therefore you eat or
drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God. This
is our one purpose. This is what we are one with
Christ in, bringing glory to God. Give none offense neither
to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God. How shall you be known? For your
love for the brethren, the brethren who are in the church. And listen
to these, here's another one in 1 Corinthians 12, 27 and 28. Now ye are the body of Christ,
and members in particular. And God has set forth, has set
some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly
teachers, after that miracles, then gifts or healings, health,
governance, and diversities in tongues. So we see the Lord addresses
them as groups of people. The word church, as it is used
here in these verses, where the Lord says, and upon this rock
I will build my church, this does not refer to any local church
or any denomination, but to the church which is his body. the
fullness of him that filleth all in all, and that's what we
read in Ephesians 1, 22, and 23. He's referring to the family
of God, the redeemed and called out ones of Christ, of whom the
whole family in heaven and earth is named, as we read in Ephesians
3, verse 15. Here, as in many other places
in the New Testament, the word church is used to describe all
true believers of all ages, from the beginning of the world to
its end. All the saints of the Old Testament
and the New Testament ages, all of God's elect upon the earth
and in heaven, this is what is called the universal church.
It is the mystical body, the spiritual bride of the Lord Jesus
Christ. It is the spiritual body of which
Jesus Christ is the head, as we just read in Ephesians 1.22.
Listen to this. For the husband is the head of
the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, and He is
the Savior of the body. Therefore, as the church is subject
unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands, and
in everything husbands love your wives, even as Christ also loved
the church, the body. and gave himself for it. That's
Ephesians 5, 23-25. What does the Lord Jesus promise
his church? He promises to build it. I will build my church, saith
the Lord. In his church, he chose it. It is his church. He chose it.
He redeemed it. He builds it, calling his elect
to life and faith by his spirit. And he promises to protect it.
He says, the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Page
three. Local churches do wither and
die. How often we have seen the Lord
remove the candlestick from different places. but not one member of
Christ's mystical body shall ever perish. My sheep hear my
voice, saith the Lord, and I know them, and they follow me, and
I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father which
gave them me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck
them out of my Father's hand." Does that not bring peace to
your heart? Knowing that we are the church, the called out of
the world, those who are sanctified, set aside for holy purpose, are
protected. We're in the hands of our Father.
And as God, who can pluck us out of the hands of our God?
I've always said this, not even John can mess this one up. And
trust me, you leave it to me and I could. But thankfully,
God has not left it to me, nor to any of his people. We are
protected by him. The gates of hell shall not prevail
against it. Then in Matthew 16, verse 19,
he says, and I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom
of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be
bound in heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt loose
on earth shall be loosed in heaven. The Lord Jesus gave to Peter
and the apostles the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, and He
has given them to us by them in the volume of Holy Scripture. Christ brought in an everlasting
righteousness by his obedience to God as our representative.
He put away sin by the sacrifice of himself as our sin-atoning
substitute. And the gospel declares that
every sinner who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ hath everlasting
life. 1 John 5, verse 1. The key is the Lord Jesus Christ
and His Word. That's the key. He says, I will
give unto you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus Christ
is the key. Christ and Him crucified. Second
paragraph from the bottom on page 3. In Matthew 6.20, our
Master gives a charge to His disciples that has since been
reversed. He told his disciples to tell
no man that he was Jesus the Christ. This is because the Lord's
hour had not yet come. Four times we see this in the
Gospel of John, and I've listed all four here. Jesus saith unto
her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet
come. That's in John 2, verse 4. And
then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come, but your
time is all the way ready. The world cannot hate you, but
me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof
are evil. Go ye up unto this feast. I go not up yet unto this
feast, for my time is not yet full come." That's John 7, verse
6 to 8. And then they sought to take
him. But no man laid hands on him,
because his hour was not yet come. And then, that's John 7
verse 30. And lastly, these words spake
Jesus in the treasury as he taught in the temple. And no man laid
hands on him, for his hour was not yet come. John 8 verse 20. Folks, our Lord is a very What's
the word? Opposite of chaos. Stability?
Well, yeah. Everything he has put together
has been put together to meet a certain timing. Coordinated. Opposite of chaos. He hasn't
just hung things out there to see what happens. Everything
is purposed by him. Everything that he has purposed
shall be fulfilled. His time had not yet come. They couldn't touch Him. Those
that we just read about. What time? The fullness of His
time. Look at verse 21 of Matthew chapter
16. Look at this. From that time
forth, began Jesus to show unto his disciples how that he must
go unto Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders. This
is the time he's talking about. His time had not yet come. He
didn't want his disciples to say anything yet, because the
time for people to know him as he was was not yet. From that
time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples how that he
must go up into Jerusalem, that's the time we were talking about,
and suffer many things of the elders and the chief priests
and scribes, and be killed. And notice this. I find this
very interesting. Every time the Lord talks about
his death, he always finishes with this. He always finishes
with this, and be raised again the third day. There was never
a day that the Lord could have stayed in hell. There's never
a day that the Lord could have stayed in the grave. He knew
that the purpose of him going to the grave was going to be
satisfying the wrath of God the Father. He knew that God the
Father would raise him from the dead. His time had not yet come. Page four. Folks, Christ came
for a reason. He came to fulfill. His purpose. In Isaiah 46, verse
9 through 13, we read these words. Remember the former things of
old. For I am God, and there is none else. I am God, and there
is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning. And from
ancient times, the things that are not yet done, saying, my
counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. And then
he relates a worldly thing to us, calling a ravenous bird from
the east, the man that executed my counsel from a far country.
Yea, I have spoken it, and I will also bring it to pass. I have
purposed it, I will also do it. Hearken unto me, ye stout-hearted
that are far from righteousness. I bring near my righteousness. It shall not be far off, and
my salvation shall not tarry, and I will place salvation in
Zion for Israel my glory." What are we? We are the spiritual
Israel. He's not talking about those
people who live over there in that country called Israel. He's
talking about His people throughout all time, throughout all nations,
throughout every tongue. Aren't you thankful for words
like shall and must? Christ must needs go through
Samaria. There's only one thing that binds
the Lord to anything and that is His purpose, His desire, His
will. He is bound only in Himself. If He must, it is because He
purposed it. The Lord of hosts hath sworn,
saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass, and
as I have purposed, so shall it stand. Isaiah 14, 24. His
time when He must go up to Jerusalem had not yet come, but it was
coming, and it was coming soon. As a man, as our mediator and
substitute, as Jehovah's servant, there are some things that the
Lord Jesus Christ must do. As God, it could never be written
He must, but as the surety of the covenant, in order to fulfill
the terms of the covenant, because He is Jehovah's voluntary servant,
there are some things that the scripture declared the Lord Jesus
Christ must do. He told his parents that he must
be about his father's business in Luke 2, verse 49. He said,
I come to do thy will, O my God, in Hebrews 10, 9. He said to
his disciples, my meat is to do the will of him that sent
me. That's in John chapter 4, verse 34, page 5. He told a chosen
sinner at the appointed time of mercy, I must abide at thy
house. That's in Luke 19, verse 5. He
must do so because the time had come when that chosen sinner
must be called and saved by His omnipotent grace. We're talking
about the Lord God Almighty. He must. He must build His church. He said He would. He said He
would build it upon a rock and the gates of hell shall not prevail.
And that's the way it's going to be, folks. There's no question
to it to God's people. We are assured, not because of
anything that we can find in ourselves, or find in reading,
or finding in learning, but only assured in Him of who it is,
who it is that's making that promise. Listen to these words. He must do so because the time
had come when that chosen sinner must be called and saved by his
omnipotent grace. He says, thy people shall be
willing in the day of thy power in the beauties of holiness from
the womb of the morning thou hast the due of thy youth. Psalm
110 verse 3. Or how about these words? and
other sheep I have, which are not of this fold, them also I
must bring. And they shall hear my voice,
and there shall be one fold and one shepherd. John 10, verse
16. We read in John 4, 4 that he
must needs go to Samaria, as I mentioned a moment ago, because
there was another chosen sinner there, one for whom the time
of love had come. Now, when I passed by thee, saith
God in the Old Testament to Ezekiel, he says, when I passed by thee
and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love. And I spread my skirt over thee
and covered thy nakedness. Yea, I swear unto thee and entered
into the covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou
becamest mine, Ezekiel 16.8. Here our Lord told his disciples
that he must go up to Jerusalem, suffer and die, and rise again
the third day. Why? It was because the Father
ordained it, the prophets revealed it, the types portrayed it, God's
justice demanded it, and the time appointed for it had come. We cannot imagine how shocking
this must have been for the disciples. Like the rest of the Jews, they
were not anticipating a messiah who would suffer and die. They
looked for a political messiah. It seems that all of the disciples
were confused about our Lord's teaching regarding his death
until it actually happened, all except for a woman who anointed
him for his burial. This is what led to Peter's error
that we'll read about next here. Look at verse 22, just to refer
to that. Then Peter took him and began
to rebuke him, saying, be it far from thee, Lord, this shall
not be unto thee. Now, we are taught here that
a man can be a true disciple and yet be weak. and even ignorant
about some things." Page six. Again, Brother Don wrote this,
top of page six. He says, the issue of great importance
is not what do you know, but who. It is not the doctrine that
saves. But Christ, I do not suggest
for a moment, writes Don, that a person can be saved trusting
a false Christ, but the scriptures do show us by numerous examples
that people who truly trust Christ are ignorant of many, many things. Lord willing, we'll look at that
a little deeper in next week's study. So let us close the rest
of tonight's study considering the Lord's time has now come.
His time to be taken has come and gone. The time of his purpose
was accomplished. John chapter 19, verse 30, we
read, when Jesus, therefore, had received the vinegar, he
said, it is finished. And he bowed his head and gave
up the ghost. This was the time that Christ
was talking about. This is what was not his time
to come to yet. This is why he told his disciples,
don't tell anybody yet that I'm Jesus Christ. The time will come
for that, and we'll look at that in just a moment. Perfection
for his elect was accomplished. This is 3rd paragraph, page 6.
It says, but this man, after he had offered one sacrifice
for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God. From henceforth,
expecting till his enemies be made his footstool, for by one
offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. The
purpose of God was accomplished by that one offering, whereof
the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us. For after that, he had
said day four, this is the covenant that I will make with them after
those days. Sayeth the Lord, I will put my laws into their
hearts, And in their minds will I write them, and their sins
and iniquities will I remember no more. Hebrews 10, 12 through
17. Listen to this from 2 Corinthians
5, 21. For he hath made him to be sin
for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. That was God's purpose. And it
was finished. It was done. It was accomplished. Now, after that, He commends
us to tell all men everywhere that He is Jesus the Christ,
the Son of the Living God. And Jesus came and spake unto
them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo,
I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matthew 28, 18 through 20, page
7. In 1 Corinthians 1, verse 10, we read these words. Now
I beseech thee, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions
among you, but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind
and in the same judgment. Speaking of Christ. And just
to prove that, turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 1, and let's read Verse
18 through 31. I know familiar words. We use
them so often. There's certain parts of the
Bible that you can just tell we turn to it over and over and
over again. But these are such good words.
Look here at verse 18, if you would. 1 Corinthians chapter
1, verse 18. For the preaching of the cross
is to them that perish. Now this is what Paul was talking
about here in chapter 1, verse 10, where he says, now I beseech
you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye
all speak the same thing. For the preaching of the cross
is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved,
It is the power of God. What did we read a moment ago
in Matthew chapter 28? All power in heaven and earth
have been given unto the Lord Jesus. Verse 19, for it is written,
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring nothing
to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the
wise? Where is the scribe? Where is
the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the
wisdom of this world? For after that, in the wisdom
of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching. to save them that believe. For
the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom,
but we preach Christ crucified. Unto the Jews a stumbling block,
unto the Greeks foolishness, but unto them which are called,
the church, the called out, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the
power of God, and the wisdom of God. because the foolishness
of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger
than men. For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise
men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called,
but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound
the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world
to confound the things which are mighty, and the base things
of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen.
Yea, and things which are not to bring to naught things that
are, that no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him,
but of God Almighty are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God has
made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption,
that according as it is written, he that glorieth let him glory
in the Lord." Back in our handout. The Lord inspired Paul to write
to the saints of Rome in Romans 10, verses 13 through 15, where
we read, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord
shall be saved. How then shall they call on him
in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in
him in whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without
a preacher? How shall they preach except
they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful
are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring
glad tidings of good things. It says, as it is written, This
is Isaiah 52 verses 6 through 7, which I have here in the handout
as well. Therefore my people shall know
my name. Therefore they shall know in
that day that I am he that doth speak. Behold, it is I. How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth
peace. that bringeth good tidings of
good, that publisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, Thy God
reigneth. You know another words for those
that we just read there? Salvation is of the Lord. We're talking about the Lord
Jesus Christ declaring unto Peter and to all of his people upon
this rock, upon the fact that Jesus Christ is the son of the
living God, he says, I will build my church. And then he tells
his disciples he must go up to Jerusalem. This is what he builds
the church on. Look at the last paragraph there
of page seven. It is the business of his church
in this world, the only business of his church, to proclaim the
gospel to all. to all of those who God will
cause to cross our paths. And by this means, the Lord God
our Savior builds His church. Amen.