Matthew 16:13-18 – Don’t Throw Away the Church – Bible study

Matthew 16:13-18 Dont Throw Away the Church There are many things that are disposable today, i.e. razors, diapers, plates, cups, gloves, liter boxes, mouse traps, wipes, and on the list goes. We have become such a "cast-away" civilization that some throw away things that are disposable without realizing it, i.e. mates, children. People are also throwing away spiritual components. 1. Some have thrown away the Bible thus casting away truth. 2. Some have thrown away salvation thus casting away a relationship with God. 3. And some have thrown away the church thus casting away Gods help to their own soul. Let me clarify, by church I mean Gods church. Some organizations that call themselves a church need to be thrown away. Those organization that do not preach and teach the Bible need to be thrown away. Those that pervert and deny the Bible need to be thrown away. But Gods church is a gift to world, and saved or not it is too valuable to cast away. Lets consider the church tonight. I. The church is the people of God. A. Not everyone can be a part of the church because not everyone is the people of God. 1. The people of God are comprised of the saved, the born again, those who have been redeemed. Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 2. If you are not saved, you can visit with the church but you can never be part of the church. 3. Why? Because the church is Gods family. a. Like any other family, we are related by blood, the blood of Jesus Christ. b. But we have also been adopted by God into His family. c. We have received the inheritance of our Father, the Holy Ghost. d. This world is no longer our home. We are just waiting for Dad to come and get us. B. Even so, both the saved and the lost can feel the presence of Gods people. 1. The saved certainly need Gods people. a. Christian people need Christian people. (1) When God created Adam, the perfect man, and placed him into the Garden, the perfect environment, He immediately acknowledged that man was not capable of handling things alone and created Adam and helper, Eve. (2) If the perfect man living in a perfect world needed other people, how much more do imperfect Christians living in a sinful world need other Christians? b. Even with the Holy Spirit living inside of Christians, Christians are extremely weak and susceptible to sin. (1) Most dont intend to be. (2) Christians are like the M&M. (3) We have the good stuff on the inside but we can be hard on the outside. c. Being around other godly Christians helps us stay on the mark. (1) Christians can encourage Christians. (2) Christians can counsel Christians. (3) Christians can show Christians. (4) Christians can teach Christians. (5) Christians can help Christians. (6) Christians can rebuke Christians. d. Christians, dont throw away what God has given to help you! 2. But the unsaved world also needs Gods people. The world does not want them but they need them. a. It is the voice of Gods people that holds sin in check. Eph 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. (1) Sin is insatiable. It always demands more sin to satisfy itself. (2) The church becomes the conscious of the world to hold the world back from overdosing on sin. (3) The world is very happy with itself today. It thinks it has put the church into its place (neutered). (a) However, the world is already in the process of imploding on itself. (b) You legalize one drug for recreational use, and they will want another. You legalize one defiant sexual behavior, and they will want another. You allow one rebellious act, and they will commit another. (c) Rebellion breads more rebellion, hate breads more hate, lust breads more lusts, violence breads more violence, and on it goes. (d) No one has to take my word for it. If you were watching, you would already be seeing it, but it will get so bad that soon you cannot miss it. (e) The church, standing against sin is what has been holding sin back. b. It is the presence of Gods people that has been gaining the world Gods mercy and holding back Gods wrath. 2Thess 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. (1) There are two things that hold back Gods wrath and give Gods mercy, the Holy Spirit and the people of God; however, these two are tied together. (2) The Holy Spirit lives inside of the Gods people. (3) You diminish the presence of Gods people and you diminish your own blessings. c. The witness of Gods people is the only witness that can lead a person to salvation. Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (1) Sorry, but Jesus was clear on this point. (2) There is only one Way to heaven. It is not through religion, a church, a ritual, or a series of them. (3) It is through Jesus death and our repentance of the sin that crucified Him and life-changing faith in Him. (4) Gods church is the only one that is going to keep telling you that. d. World, dont throw away the church, the people of God. II. The church is the power of God. A. In our text, Peter was given the truth by the Holy Ghost as to WHO Jesus really was. 1. \#15\ Jesus asks, "Whom do men say that I am?" 2. \#14-15\ Several of the peoples guesses are given. 3. \#16\ Peter nailed it! "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." 4. \#17\ Jesus told Peter that God had revealed that truth to him. 5. \#18\ Jesus said upon that rock, the truth that Peter had understood and the truth that God had given to Peter, God was going to build His church. a. Some want to say that the church is built on Peter. b. They were not talking about Peter. They were talking about who Jesus was and that God had revealed that to Peter. c. It is the truth and the person of Jesus that the church is built upon. B. But notice the power of the church. Luke 10:18 the gates of hell shall prevail against it." 1. Notice who is the defender and who is the attacking force in that verses. a. Whose got the gates? hell b. Who is coming against the gates? the church c. Who is doing the attacking? the church! 2. Not only is the church the attacking force, but hell is the defeated defender for the verse says their gates can not stand! 3. This verse describes the church as the unstoppable power of God in the world! a. Sadly, somewhere along the way, the church quit attacking hell and starting defending from it. b. I am convinced that one of those spiritual armies is always going to be attacking the other. (1) If the church quits attacking hell, hell will immediately start attacking the church. (2) What is that old saying, "The best defense is a good offense"? (3) The Green Pond Baptist Church needs to get back into the attacking mode! C. But consider, the power of the church is not in the people. 1. It is in the person of the Holy Ghost. a. I mentioned earlier that it is hard to separate the people from the Person of God because the Holy Ghost lives inside the people. b. But make no mistake. The churchs power is not in its people. It is in the person of the Holy Ghost. 2. The churchs part is twofold: a. First to be holy. 1Pe 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, Ps 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. (1) As you compromise your holiness, you compromise the Holy Spirits power. (2) I would rather mistakenly do without some things and have more power than less power and more things. b. Second, we must be unified. Eph 4:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ro 14:19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. D. Do not throw away the church for if you do, you cast away the power that God has sent to help you! III. The church serves for the purpose of God. A. I will make this short and simple. 1. The church exists for one purpose and one purpose only. 2. That is to glorify God. Romans 15:5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. B. Our primary purpose is not to feed, to cloth, to aid, to help, to love others, to teach, to preach, to witness, or even to win the lost. 1. Those all are the things we do to accomplish our purpose. 2. Our purpose is head and shoulders above them all. 3. It is to glorify God. C. May God help us in accomplishing that goal and may we not throw away the only people and power of God capable of fulfilling it! Friend, Gods church is needed like never before. May we be wise enough to see the church is not disposable.