My Church – Sermon 24 August, 2014

My Church
“I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will built my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” (Matt. 16:18)
The title of the message this morning is “My Church”. Where is this church? Of course we know that our church is right here in Longueville 47A Kenneth St. That is not what I am asking though; I want to know where is the church, that was declared by the Lord in Matthew 16:18 to be founded, has gone?
We read this morning that 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?” “Who do you say I am?” And Simon Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”.
You see Jesus asked His disciples who they thought He was and Simon declared: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”. Simon got this from the Father through the Holy Spirit. And because of what he said, Jesus declared that he will be Peter and on that rock He will built His Church, “My Church”.
The words “My Church” refers to Jesus and “His Church”, not “my church” or “our church”. Sometimes we do the mistake of saying ‘my church’ or ‘our church’. There is no such thing as ‘my church’ or ‘our church’. It is “His Church” and only “His Church”. If it is ‘my church’ or ‘our church’, then the gates of the hell will be able to overcome it. We cannot proclaim and proudly tell people about ‘our church’. It’s not like that. Jesus said it is and it will always be “My Church” “His church”, which should be standing firm because of Him and our faith and conviction that He is the Son of the Living God.
From seemingly small beginning, the “Church” began to grow. At the start however it looked as though it was going to fail, as, Jesus was accused, sentenced, crucified and buried. But God had other ideas about His Son and His Church! “His Church” continued to grow and grow as the book of Acts 2:38-47 bears witness. By the witness of the faithful believers “His Church” grew day by day and the Gospel message spread all over the world.
As the church grew, it needed structure and order, because God is not a God of confusion as Paul said: “For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace, as in all the congregations of the saints.” (1 Cor. 14:33)
Because He is the God of order He has set in place certain positions or offices for the church.
We are part of the “Church” “His Church”, we have important roles to play, but the church is not “our church”, we are not the owners, we are the servants, His servants, called to do our part according to the gifts that we have. Yes, we do the work, but the “church” is not our church. We are founded on the truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God and that He forgives sin and is the Saviour of the world, and all we do flows from these. Without Christ we have no power, no authority and no strength.
The thing that worries me today is that the church has lost track and I am afraid is without Christ. The church have become like what it was warned not to be in these last days. Simply because we have lost track of the meaning “My Church”; we have made the church ‘our church’.
Where has that church gone, the one who declared Jesus Christ to be Son of the Living God?
Where is the church that used to believe that Jesus is the Saviour of the world?
Where is the church that used to believe that sin is to be confessed to Jesus and then forgiven?
Where is the church that believes in divine healing?
Where is the church that stands for what is good and right in the eyes of God, not in the eyes of man?
If we do not get back to being the church Jesus started, we are hopeless.
But there is hope for the church. We need to believe who Jesus is and what He has done.
We need to get back to what the early church knew and did; praying, fasting, trusting and believing that God sent His Son Jesus Christ to save us and then sent His Holy Spirit to enable us to live and believe like the church we are supposed to be, HIS CHURCH!!! Holy and blameless church, full of love, full of the Spirit, prophets, teachers, etc.
And this could only happen if we are “His Church”.
If we look around we can find big churches with big congregation, many activities/services and three or four pastors. And in contrast there are other churches, which were powerful witnesses to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, with big congregation and active members. But their numbers have shrunk and they struggle to last financially. One could ask why?
I believe that over the years a shift occurred as the emphasis switched from presenting the Gospel to only helping others and serving the needy. We should acknowledge that helping those in need is a very worthy and Christian thing to do, and churches should be praised for doing so. But when prayers are not offered in the programs, nor is the name of Jesus ever mentioned, because they are concerned that someone might resent it, the churches decline.
Why? What is the church supposed to be? And what is the church supposed to do?
To answer those questions, we look at the church in the 1st Century – its beginning, its core, its mission, and its assurance.
First of all, we must realize that the Church was planned and created by God. Remember what Jesus said: “My church” – The Lord’s Church! That was God’s plan from the beginning of time – through Jesus Christ to build His church as “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God…” (1 Peter 2:9)
After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to the apostles on the Mt. of Olives and told them “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.” (Acts 1:4) “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (1:8)
After His ascension the disciples went to Jerusalem and waited to the kick off.
1. The beginning of the church
Amazing events brought about the beginning of the Lord’s Church. They had no church building, no money, no formal organization, no constitution and by-laws. And yet with little of what we have today, but heavily armed with prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit, they were able to change the world of their day.
2. The core of the church
Who were those men who made up the core group of the early church? They were just 11 disciples.
Ordinary men – fishermen, a tax collector, men from the hill country of Galilee. There is no indication of anyone rich or influential or highly educated among them. They were just ordinary people.
Later on, there were some rich and influential followers. Saul of Tarsus would fall into that category. He had a great education. He was part of an influential family. And he was well respected among his people before he became a Christian. But we also need to remember that Saul had to be humbled before God could really use him.
So the first thing is that the men who made up the core of the first church were very ordinary. And that ought to be encouraging to us, because that is what most of us are, just ordinary people.
These men were imperfect. Even some of them doubted Him. There was Thomas, the Doubter. How about Simon Peter? You never knew just what he would say next. James and John had problems with their egos, always wanting to be first.
The men who made up the core of the first church were far from perfect. And that ought to be encouraging to us, because we’re imperfect too, we all have our weaknesses.
But they loved Jesus and wanted to obey Him.
So we discover that those men were ordinary people with lots of imperfections, but they loved Jesus and desired to obey Him. They recognized Him as the Son of God who had risen from the grave. So whatever He commanded them to do, they sought to do it. They tried to put Him first in their lives.
That is what the church is. The church is made up of ordinary and imperfect people, who desire to make Jesus both Lord and Saviour of their lives.
3. The mission of the Church
They had a mission. Jesus gave them a command and said: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Remember, the mission of the church is to make disciples of “all nations”. We are to reach out to the whole world with the gospel of Jesus Christ, to make disciples of them, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
4. The assurance of the church
They had the assurance and the promise that Jesus will be with them always. “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) Every time they gathered to worship they knew that at any moment soldiers might come and arrest them. But they had the assurance that He was with them. After all it was and still is “His Church”.
I don’t know how you identify the church. I don’t know if you picture a little church where you and a few of your friends can get together. Or you see a church where thousands of people gather together in worship.
But I know this; the church does not exist solely for its members. The church exists to help reach the lost. And the moment we turn our sights inward, and begin to think that the church is just for us, we are no longer the Lord’s church. We are a private little club.
We exist for a lost world.
We exist to give ourselves away.
We exist to touch a world that doesn’t know Jesus Christ and to show them the way to be saved from their sins and to live for all eternity.
The church is so much more than just a relic of the past or a heritage from the past.
It is the body of Christ, the family of God, and it has been entrusted with a message of salvation for the world – for all those everywhere who will accept Jesus as their Saviour and their Lord.
The church is “His Church”.

Krikor Youmshajekian