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The Church in Action
Lesson 1
Lesson Text—Matthew 16:13-14
Matthew 16:13-14
13 When Jesus came into the coasts of
Caesarea Philippi, he asked his
disciples, saying, Whom do men say
that I the Son of man am?
14 And they said, Some say that thou
art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and
others, Jeremias, or one of the
prophets.
Lesson Text—Matthew 16:15-16
Matthew 16:15-16
15 He saith unto them, But whom say
ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and
said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of
the living God.
Lesson Text pg 2—Matthew 16:1718
Matthew 16:17-18
17 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.
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou
art Peter, and upon this rock I will
build my church; and the gates of hell
shall not prevail against it.
Lesson Text pg 2—Matthew 16:19
Matthew 16:19
19 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.
Focus Verse—Matthew 16:18
Matthew 16:18
And I say also unto thee, That thou art
Peter, and upon this rock I will build
my church; and the gates of hell shall
not prevail against it.
Focus Thought
Jesus founded the church
upon the revelation of His identity
and positioned and purposed it
for victory over hell through our
born-again relationship with Him.
Introduction
Introduction
Jesus and His disciples traveled
from the region around the Sea of
Galilee and went north about thirty
miles to Caesarea Philippi (a
different place from Caesarea by the
Mediterranean Sea). It was here
Jesus questioned His disciples
about their faith in Him. He asked
them, “Whom do men say that I the
Son of man am?” (Matthew 16:13).
Their replies reflected a random
Introduction
assortment
of popular Old
Testament individuals—Elijah,
Jeremiah, or one of the other
prophets. Some even thought Jesus
was John the Baptist raised from
the dead. He then asked the
disciples, “But what about you?
Whom do you say I am?” Speaking
for the disciples, Peter blurted out
his famous words: “You are the
Christ, the Son of the living God.”
This Christ-centered proclamation
became a key component of the
foundation of the church.
The birth of the church in Acts 2
Introduction
was
the sequel to a four-thousandyear drama that portrayed an
incremental revelation of God’s
nature and expectations. From the
dismal fall of mankind in the Garden
of Eden to the Day of Pentecost, the
Scriptures reveal a progressive
revelation of the almighty God and
chronicle the repair of a breached
relationship. A good grasp of the
unfolding Old Testament drama is
essential to understanding this
glorious emergence of the body of
Christ and its identity and function.
Introduction
The birth of the church was the
fulfillment of years of prophetic
pronouncement and longing
anticipation. The substance of the
New Testament fully revealed the
shadows of the Old Testament.
Jesus introduced the church as a
social body made holy by His blood,
empowered by His Spirit, governed
by His Word, and given eternal
destiny by His providence.
Introduction
The church is positioned in a pivotal
place of opportunity, protection, and
blessing in this world. The worldly
system may not acknowledge this
special position, but the church
does not need the secular systems
to define it or to determine its place.
God placed His church in this world
to fulfill a specific mission and
purpose. The world cannot remove
it, define it, or take away its favor
with God.
Positioned
in Theology
I. Positioned
in Theology
The succinct definition of theology
is simply “the study of God.” For the
church, however, theology is more
than abstract concepts about God; it
is a means to deepen our
relationship and intimacy with God.
Understanding is more than just
knowing facts. Understanding
occurs when knowledge becomes a
part of the way we think and live.
I. Positioned in Theology
Theology forms the foundation of
our faith and provides sacred
reasons for our believing and
worshiping God. It provides us with
the parameters of proper conduct
that pleases God and assures us of
hope beyond the earthly realm.
Ephesians 2:20
“And are built upon the
foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ himself
being the chief corner stone”
(Ephesians 2:20).
A. Foundation of Monotheism
A. Foundation of Monotheism
One of the primary and often
repeated characteristics of God is
His absolute oneness. He is not a
multiplicity of persons forming
some mystical oneness, but He is
numerically one (ontologically one).
God has manifested Himself in
many ways, but primarily in three
ways:
A. Foundation of Monotheism
(1) Father as the progenitor of all
things,
(2) Son as the Redeemer of the
human race through Jesus
Christ, and
(3) Holy Spirit as the regenerating
and empowering presence of
God.
Deuteronomy 6:4-5
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD
our God is one LORD: and thou
shalt love the LORD thy God with
all thine heart, and with all thy
soul, and with all thy might”
(Deuteronomy 6:4-5).
A. Foundation
of
Monotheism
The Old Testament repeatedly
declares the oneness of God. This
emphasis and clarity give the
church a clear mandate to embrace
God’s oneness rather than
dissecting Him into parts or
persons. When Jesus was born, He
was the permanent and perfect
manifestation of the invisible Spirit
of God.
A. Foundation
of
Monotheism
He is the mediator between God and
mankind, providing us a view of God
who was before unseen (I Timothy
2:5). Jesus so perfectly lived and
died that His resurrected body has
been glorified and will be the only
God we see and fellowship in
eternity (John 17:5; 20:17;
Revelation 4:2; 20:11).
B.
B. Jesus Christ—Center and
JesusCircumference
Christ—Center . . .
Just as the sun is positioned at the
center of our solar system and the
planets orbit around it, so is Jesus
Christ positioned at the center of the
church. The magnetic field of the
sun keeps the earth in its exact
position— orbiting, rotating, and
consistently providing a reliable
calendar and the four seasons.
The energy
of the sun provides
B. Jesus
Christ—Center
. . . the
fuel for life on earth, just as Jesus
Christ gives life to His church
through His Holy Spirit. Without
Jesus the church does not exist. He
is the focus of our worship and His
blood washes away our sins.
Moreover, His Spirit gives us life and
hope for a great resurrection. Jesus
was not just a prophet, a spiritual
man, or a wise sage. He was and is
the Messiah, King of kings, and Lord
of lords.
1. Divine—God
Manifested. in
B. Jesus
Christ—Center
. .Flesh.
Jesus was unique. There has never
been another man like Him: “And
without controversy great is the
mystery of godliness: God was
manifest in the flesh, justified in the
Spirit, seen of angels, preached
unto the Gentiles, believed on in the
world, received up into glory” (I
Timothy 3:16).
As the
angel declared to Joseph,
B. Jesus
Christ—Center
...
Jesus was literally God with us:
“Behold, a virgin shall be with child,
and shall bring forth a son, and they
shall call his name Emmanuel,
which being interpreted is, God with
us” (Matthew 1:23).
2. Human—Christ
Secured. . .
B. Jesus
Christ—Center
Atonement. The uniqueness of
Jesus was that not only was He
divine, but He was also human. He
endured various human
weaknesses—was born as an infant,
grew up under the nurturing and
tutelage of parents, was hungry,
wept, grew weary, and ultimately
died. He had a physical body just as
any other person. His human body
provided the blood that He would
offer as a propitiation for our sins
(Hebrews 9:12-14).
Hebrews 10:4-5
“For it is not possible that the
blood of bulls and of goats should
take away sins. Wherefore when
he cometh into the world, he
saith, Sacrifice and offering thou
wouldest not, but a body hast
thou prepared me”
(Hebrews 10:4-5).
Positioned by
II. Positioned by Relationship
Relationship
The church has an impregnable
foundation that will stand against
undermining human philosophies. It
is a bastion of strength against the
hordes of hell that try to break it
down.
II. Positioned by Relationship
Jesus declared, “And I say also unto
thee, That thou art Peter, and upon
this rock I will build my church; and
the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it” (Matthew 16:18). The
church holds a position of strength
as long as it maintains its
relationship with Jesus Christ.
A. Founded upon the New
A.
Founded
Birth
The church is composed of people
who have been spiritually born into
it. It is not an entity that accepts
casual sign-ups or that permits
special membership for family and
friends. Each person must die to his
fleshly nature by repenting of his
sins, being baptized in the name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of
sins, and receiving the Holy Spirit
with the evidence of speaking in
other tongues (Acts 2:38).
A. Founded
Every member is accepted by the
same initiation experience.
Circumstances, sequence, and
intensity may vary, but the fact
remains that every member of the
church must be born again. Someone
cleverly observed, “God has no
grandchildren. We are all children of
one heavenly Father.”
B. Jesus—the Builder
B. Jesus—the Builder
The Bible compares the church to a
building with Jesus as the architect,
builder, and resident. Paul observed
that the church is “built upon the
foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ himself being
the chief corner stone; in whom all
the building fitly framed together
groweth unto an holy temple in the
Lord: in whom ye also are builded
together for an habitation of God
through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:2022).
C. Possessed by Christ
C. We
Possessed
by
Christ
are free to choose whether to be
a disciple of Jesus, but when we do
become a disciple, He owns us. Paul
wrote to the Corinthian church,
“What? know ye not that your body
is the temple of the Holy Ghost
which is in you, which ye have of
God, and ye are not your own?
C. For
Possessed
by
Christ
ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body,
and in your spirit, which are God’s”
(I Corinthians 6:19-20). (See I
Corinthians 3:23; 7:23; II Corinthians
10:7.) We belong to Jesus Christ, for
He purchased us with His own
precious blood!
D. Relationship with Jesus
D. Relationship with Jesus
People have frequently observed
that the disciples were the
companions of Jesus.
Acts 4:13
“Now when they saw the
boldness of Peter and John, and
perceived that they were
unlearned and ignorant men,
they marvelled; and they took
knowledge of them, that they had
been with Jesus”
(Acts 4:13).
The New Testament
D. Relationship
withmentions
Jesus the
word father 418 times, most of
which refer to God as our heavenly
Father. John referred to the church
as “sons of God” (I John 3:1-2). (See
also II Corinthians 6:18; Hebrews
12:5-7.) Other passages of Scripture
refer to believers as “children”
(Ephesians 1:5; 5:1; I John 3:10;
4:4). These terms illustrate the close
familial relationship that God has
with the church. We enjoy a position
of close relationship with Him.
Positioned
by
III. Positioned
by Revelation
Revelation
The church is in a position of
revelation, understanding things that
are otherwise unknown to the world.
Spiritual matters are foolishness to
many people, but God has revealed
them to His people.
III. Positioned by Revelation
“In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit,
and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord
of heaven and earth, that thou hast
hid these things from the wise and
prudent, and hast revealed them unto
babes: even so, Father; for so it
seemed good in thy sight” (Luke
10:21).
III. Positioned by Revelation
Paul wrote to the believers in
Corinth, “But as it is written, Eye
hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither
have entered into the heart of man,
the things which God hath prepared
for them that love him. But God hath
revealed them unto us by his Spirit:
for the Spirit searcheth all things,
yea, the deep things of God” (I
Corinthians 2:9-10).
A.
A. Revelation of Jesus’
Revelation
of
Jesus’
Identity
Identity
Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “How
that by revelation he made known
unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore
in few words, whereby, when ye read,
ye may understand my knowledge in
the mystery of Christ) which in other
ages was not made known unto the
sons of men, as it is now revealed
unto his holy apostles and prophets
by the Spirit” (Ephesians 3:3-5).
A. Revelation of Jesus’ Identity
The church understands the identity
of Jesus Christ. He was not just a
wise sage, a charismatic prophet, or a
benevolent humanitarian. Even
though He was all these things, He
was much more!
A. Revelation
of
Jesus’
Identity
• He was “God with us” (Matthew
1:23) and the founder and head of the
church.
• He was a servant, but now and
forever He will be our “King of kings,
and Lord of lords” (I Timothy 6:15;
Hebrews 7; Revelation 19:16).
• He was the supreme sacrifice for
mankind’s transgressions. It is His
precious blood that washes away our
sins (Hebrews 9:13-14; I John 1:7;
Revelation 1:5).
A. Revelation
of
Jesus’
Identity
• He was the manifestation of the
invisible God (I Timothy 3:16). (See II
Timothy 1:10; I Peter 1:19-20; I John
1:1-4; 3:5, 8.) Jesus said to Philip,
“Have I been so long time with you,
and yet hast thou not known me,
Philip? he that hath seen me hath
seen the Father; and how sayest thou
then, Shew us the Father?” (John
14:9).
B. Revelation of Believer’s
B. Revelation
of
.
.
.
Identity with Christ
“Beloved, now are we the
sons of God, and it doth
not yet appear what we
shall be: but we know
that, when he shall
appear, we shall be like
him; for we shall see him
as he is”
(I John 3:2).
as Jesus wasof
a manifestation
B.Just
Revelation
...
of God to humanity, the church is a
manifestation of Jesus Christ to the
world (II Corinthians 4:10). Paul
wrote, “Ye are our epistle written in
our hearts, known and read of all
men: forasmuch as ye are
manifestly declared to be the epistle
of Christ ministered by us, written
not with ink, but with the Spirit of
the living God; not in tables of
stone, but in fleshy tables of the
heart” (II Corinthians 3:2-3).
B. Revelation of . . .
Jesus told His disciples that they
were like lights in the world
glorifying God (Matthew 5:14-16). He
also referred to them as salt
preserving the world from
destruction (Matthew 5:13).
Positioned
by Purpose
IV. Positioned
by Purpose
God is deliberate and purposeful in
all He does. He established the
church to carry out His mission in
the earth, and He has delegated to
the church the responsibility for
executing this mission. God is
observing His servants as they live
their lives to carry out His
commission. It is supremely
important to God that we faithfully
conduct His business on the earth
through our lives.
IV. Positioned by Purpose
The apostle Paul declared, “Every
man’s work shall be made manifest:
for the day shall declare it, because
it shall be revealed by fire; and the
fire shall try every man’s work of
what sort it is. If any man’s work
abide which he hath built thereupon,
he shall receive a reward” (I
Corinthians 3:13-14).
A. To Evangelize
A. To Evangelize
“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 alway, even unto the
end of the world. Amen”
(Matthew 28:19-20).
A.
To
Evangelize
The great commission has two
imperative aspects—to baptize and
to teach. In other words, believers
are called to win converts to the
Christian faith and to disciple them
in the truth of the gospel. The
Christian faith is an aggressive,
evangelistic movement. We are a
missions-minded people in a
position to influence the world—to
persuade unbelievers to turn from
their sins and follow Jesus.
The
should not be passive
A. church
To Evangelize
but proactive in its commission to
win the lost. Just as the original
apostolic church was an
evangelistic church (Acts 2:41-47;
11:19-21), we should carry out God’s
desire that the whole world be
saved. “The Lord is not slack
concerning his promise, as some
men count slackness; but is
longsuffering to us-ward, not willing
that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance” (II Peter
3:9). (See also John 3:16.)
B. To Make Disciples
B. To Make Disciples
After converting sinners, the church
is responsible to make disciples of
them. The church should teach,
teach, teach! If we only convert new
people to the faith and do not
nurture them, we have only created
a “great commotion” rather than
fulfilling the great commission. The
church then becomes guilty of the
“great omission.”
In today’s complex and busy world,
B.keeping
To Make
Disciples
people
in the faith and
helping them grow takes enormous
effort, but that is the mandate of the
church. The church is to be a
nurturer—not only recruiting new
people to the faith, but establishing
them in the principles of God’s
Word. Paul exhorted Timothy, “And
the things that thou hast heard of
me among many witnesses, the
same commit thou to faithful men,
who shall be able to teach others
also” (II Timothy 2:2).
B.The
ToChristian
Make Disciples
worldview is often
radically opposed to the secular
worldview. Many converts coming
into the church today know little or
nothing about the Bible; therefore,
the church should invest the
necessary time and effort to
establish them in the truth.
C. To Represent Christ
C. To in
Represent
Christ
His Absence
Jesus prayed, “And now I am no
more in the world, but these are in
the world, and I come to thee. Holy
Father, keep through thine own name
those whom thou hast given me, that
they may be one, as we are” (John
17:11). The church represents Jesus
Christ in the earth. He has gone away
physically and left the responsibility
of building His church to believers.
II Corinthians 5:20
“Now then we are ambassadors
for Christ, as though God did
beseech you by us: we pray you
in Christ’s stead, be ye
reconciled to God”
(II Corinthians 5:20).
C. To Represent Christ
The church has heavenly citizenship,
yet it remains in the earth to
represent God’s kingdom. This is a
serious and profound responsibility.
Therefore, we should be courageous
models of Jesus Christ like the
apostle Paul: “Be ye followers of me,
even as I also am of Christ” (I
Corinthians 11:1).
Positioned in
V. Positioned Opposition to Hell
Opposition to Hell
The church stands for that which is
pure, honest, redemptive, and lifegiving while hell stands for evil,
dishonesty, destruction, and death.
Consequently, the church is in a
position of conflict with the forces of
hell, but Jesus’ words proclaiming
the strong position of the church
assure us greatly (Matthew 16:18).
The church occupies a victorious
position as believers maintain their
absolute trust in Jesus Christ.
A. Hell’s Negative Contrast
A. Hell’s Negative Contrast
The evil of the world gives the church
great opportunity to display its
contrasting virtues. Contrasts help us
to better understand things. For
example, light shines brightest in
darkness. Diamonds look brilliant
when displayed on black velvet.
Artists, designers, and sign painters
use contrasting colors to emphasize
the important aspects of their work.
A. Hell’s Negative Contrast
The destructive impact of sin is all
around us—disease, violence, crime,
mental sickness, and numerous other
symptoms. However, these products
of sin contrast starkly with the
benefits of a life given to God. Jesus
used such a contrast in one of His
statements:
A. Hell’s Negative Contrast
“The thief cometh not, but for to
steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am
come that they might have life, and
that they might have it more
abundantly” (John 10:10). Paul also
offered a contrast when he declared
to the Romans, “For the wages of sin
is death; but the gift of God is eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord”
(Romans 6:23).
B. The Futility of Hell’s Gates
B. The Futility of Hell’s Gates
Jesus assured Peter that the church
would prevail. The church
possesses the same victory that
Jesus experienced over death and
hell. Jesus said, “I am he that liveth,
and was dead; and, behold, I am
alive for evermore, Amen; and have
the keys of hell and of death”
(Revelation 1:18).
B. The Futility of Hell’s Gates
Jesus instructed His disciples, “And
as ye go, preach, saying, The
kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal
the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise
the dead, cast out devils: freely ye
have received, freely give” (Matthew
10:7-8). John’s words to the church
are also encouraging:
B. The Futility of Hell’s Gates
“Ye are of God, little children, and
have overcome them: because
greater is he that is in you, than he
that is in the world” (I John 4:4).
Hell’s gates may be strong, but they
cannot withstand the truthempowered church of Jesus Christ!
C.
The
Aggressive
C. The Aggressive Church
Church Posture
Posture
Jude exhorted the church to snatch
souls from the fire of hell: “And
others save with fear, pulling them
out of the fire; hating even the
garment spotted by the flesh. Now
unto him that is able to keep you from
falling, and to present you faultless
before the presence of his glory with
exceeding joy” (Jude 23-24).
Therefore,
the churchChurch
should
C. The
Aggressive
proactively promote the kingdom of
Posture
God. The
psalmist promised, “Thou
shalt tread upon the lion and adder:
the young lion and the dragon shalt
thou trample under feet” (Psalm
91:13). The disciples returned to
Jesus after He had sent them out,
saying, “Lord, even the devils are
subject unto us through thy name”
(Luke 10:17). The church occupies a
position of great responsibility and
power and should aggressively seek
to draw the lost to Jesus Christ for
His glory.
II Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore if any man be in Christ,
he is a new creature: old things are
passed away; behold, all things are
become new”
(II Corinthians 5:17).
Reflections
God has been progressively
revealing Himself to mankind over
generations, and He seeks to have an
intimate relationship with His church.
The church is the focus of God’s
work in the earth, and nothing
exceeds the importance of these
souls He has purchased with His own
blood. Thus, the church enjoys a
position of favor and protection from
God.
Reflections
The theology of the Bible provides a
foundation of reason and
understanding for believers. Since
the church has been filled with the
Holy Spirit, believers occupy a
position of understanding that
exceeds worldly understanding. The
body of Christ understands to a great
degree God’s nature and essence
and His ways and expectations.
Reflections
Becoming a member of the church is
our response to God’s overtures. The
church is committed to God through
a relationship of love for Him and
faithful obedience to Him.
Reflections
The new-birth experience provides a
bonding between God and the
believer that will endure inevitable
tests and trials. Through the new
birth, God lives within the human
heart and each believer becomes a
member of the church—not a
denomination or a local church, but
the body of Jesus Christ.
Reflections
“Therefore if any man be in
Christ, he is a new creature:
old things are passed away;
behold, all things are
become new”
(II Corinthians 5:17).
Reflections
When we become members of the
church, we enjoy a position of
security against the enemy where we
have power over evil and receive
divine illumination from the
Scriptures that guides our Christian
walk.
Reflections
Although the Lord guides us in this
life, the greatest benefit of being a
member of the church is eternal life
with Him. Jesus declared, “My sheep
hear my voice, 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” (John 10:2728).