The State of the Church

The State of the Church – 2017 

Matthew 16:13-27

Isaiah 32:8 “But the noble make noble plans, and by noble deeds they stand.”

The State of the (healthy) Church

Vs 13-17: “Who do people say the Son of Man is? But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God… Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah…”

1. The healthy church will always proclaim Christ’s m                   of the church.

• The true church – the one church is the one that upholds Jesus Christ alone!
• John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.”

Vs 18-19: “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...”

2. The healthy church will always partake in Christ’s m                   of the church.

• We live with a sacred trust – a sacred responsibility.
• Romans 10:14 “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”

Vs 20-23: “From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said.”

3. The healthy church will always participate in Christ’s m                 of the church.

• A lot of false gospels – false churches, in the end, are but ‘dead end pleasure trails.’
• 2Corinthians 4:1-2: “Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word the God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.”

Vs 24-27: “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.”

4. The healthy church will always make the preeminence of Christ the m                of the church.

• We exist for the preeminence of Jesus Christ!
• “His glory is my purpose; my purpose is His glory” 1Corinthians 10:31 “So

       whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

What unites us is Jesus Christ! What unifies us is Jesus Christ’s church!