I Will Build My Church
October 26, 2025
Pastor Landon Henry
Episode Notes
Matthew 16:13-20 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he
asked his disciples, who do people say the Son of Man is? They replied, some
say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the
prophets. But what about you, he asked, who do you say I am? Simon Peter
answered, you are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Jesus replied,
blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh
and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter and on
this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I
will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth
will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in
heaven. Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the
Messiah.
Why do we still bother with the church?
Matthew 5:13 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness,
how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be
thrown out and trampled underfoot.
“If the church is central to God’s purpose, as seen in both history and the
gospels, it must surely also be central to our lives.” - John Stott
1. What is the church?
The Greek word ekklesia means “assembly” or “gathering.”
In the New Testament
Paul: 49 times (mostly for local churches)
Acts: 23 times (to describe early Christian gatherings)
The Church is the covenant people of God called out to live for the
covenant purposes of God in the world.
THREE MARKS OF THE CHURCH
The Faithful preaching of the Word of God
The right administration of the sacraments
Authentic Discipline of its people
2. What’s the church meant to do?
● Formation
Romans 8:29 For those God foreknew He also predestined to be
conformed to the image of his Son, that He might be the firstborn among
many brothers and sisters.
Galatians 4:19 My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of
childbirth until Christ is formed in you
“The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them
little Christs. If we are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions,
sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time.” - C.S. Lewis
“The church meets to imagine what our lives could be like if the gospel were
true.” - Walter Brueggemann
● Mission
This is the purpose of the church to become like Jesus and then to live for
his mission in the world.
3. Why does the Church matter?
● Jesus loves the Church.
● Jesus is personally building his Church.
● The world needs the Church - it’s a sign, a witness, a foretaste, and
an answer to the questions the world asks.
“He can no longer have God for his father who has not the church for his
mother.” - Cyprian of Carthage
4. Why is The Church such a mess?
● Because of people... LIKE YOU.
“The church is always God hung between two thieves. Thus, no one should be
surprised or shocked at how badly the church has betrayed the gospel and
how much it continues to do so today. It has never really done very well.
Conversely, however, nobody should deny the good the church has done
either. It has carried grace, produced saints, morally challenged the planet, and
made, however imperfectly, a house for God to dwell in on this earth...
...To be connected with the church is to be associated with scoundrels,
warmongers, fakes, child molesters, murderers, adulterers, and hypocrites of
every description.
It also, at the same time, identifies you with the saints and the finest persons of
heroic soul within every time, country, race, and gender.
To be a member of the church is to carry the mantle of both the worst sin and
the finest heroism of soul because the church always looks exactly as it looked
at the original crucifixion, God hung among thieves.” -Ronald Rollheiser
“For He seems to do nothing of himself which he can possibly delegate to his
creatures. He commands us to do slowly and blunderingly what he could do
perfectly and in the twinkling of an eye. He allows us to neglect what He would
have us do, or to fail...” - C.S. Lewis
5. The promise and possibility of the church.
● Because of PEOPLE LIKE YOU!
John 13:34-35 A new command I give you, love one another. As I’ve loved
you, so you must love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are my
disciples. If you love one another.
“The Bible knows nothing of solitary religion.” - John Wesley
Why YOU should bother with the Church
“Christ has no body now, but yours; No hands, no feet on earth but yours.
Yours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion on the world.
Christ has no body now on earth, but yours.” - St. Teresa of Avila
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