Introduction: Whose church?

Context: They are among the most well-known words of Christ. Which words? Well, the ones about the true church being Christ’s. It belongs to him. Why? Because all members of the true church are born into it via God alone. No one appoints himself or herself into Christ’s church. Will we listen to what the text of Scripture actually says? Here’s what I mean …

Text:

¹³ Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴ And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” ²⁰ Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. (Matthew 16:13-20, ESV)

Teaching: It is so interesting how Jesus taught here. He poses questions to people who purport to be genuine followers, genuine Christians. In common parlance, we might say that Jesus asked his guys, “What’s the word on the street about me?” And the guys told him. “Well, some say you’re Elijah, Jeremiah, or another of the Old Testament prophets.” But then Jesus got eyeball to eyeball with his lead apostle, Peter. “But you, Peter; what about you? What do you say? I’m talking to you now.” And Peter had one of his greatest moments of theological education: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16, ESV). And will you notice what Jesus pronounced upon Peter’s accurate confession? Blessing. Divine favor. Why? Because Peter’s accurate theology about Jesus being the Christ of God was not a Petrine accomplishment; it was 100% from God. Jesus told him such: “And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 16:17, ESV). God brought Peter into salvation, not Peter. 100% God alone.

Encouragement: Very often when you step back and look at the macro church on the universal level, and when we look at our local congregations to which many of us belong and serve, it can be disheartening at times. We see staggeringly shallow teachings; we see juvenile leaders who purport to lead but who themselves are depthless and out only for their own name and fame; we see a church that apes the world rather than confronts the world with truth and grace.

We could go on and on. But will we listen to what Jesus told Peter? It’s Jesus’ church; it’s not ours. All of us who are true believers are in the true and invisible God-purchased, blood-bought church because of God’s work alone. It’s not something we accomplished via some silly decision where we purport to steer God’s sovereignty. That would mean God is dependent and his creatures are sovereign, which is utter nonsense.

God told Peter here that flesh and blood (i.e., human effort/will/decision) had absolutely zero to do with it. Peter was saved because God saved him, not because Peter somehow granted God permission; that is hubristic thinking of the worst sort. Peter was born from above, and the church Peter would serve was and is Christ’s church, not Peter’s. Peter, like the rest of us blood-bought sinners, was just a worker for the glory of the gospel.