Title The Glorious Church / Matthew 16:13-20
Contents
The Glorious Church/Matthew 16:13-20 (see Isaiah 22:20-25)
Recently, Le Monde published a study showing that brain cells extracted from human fetuses were growing normally in the brains of baby monkeys. The paper predicts that we may even see monkeys born with human brains within a few years.
As early as Desmond Morris's first book titled "The Hairless Monkey", it immediately caused a huge stir. As the subtitle "Zoological Anthropology" suggests, the author's attempt to describe humans merely as zoologically met with strong opposition and was subject to severe persecution for religious reasons. However, despite such strong backlash and persecution, the book became a bestseller, selling more than 10 million copies.
The author argued that primate behaviors such as monkeys and chimpanzees are still evident in everything we do, and that we must understand them properly to prevent catastrophe and continue to advance human civilization. Indeed, he succeeded in garnering public attention as he intended by using the somewhat shocking and offensive-sounding title of "The Hairless Monkey". Today, I think we need to humbly listen to his point of recognizing our human limitations as a biological species.
So, are we humans nothing more than "hairless monkeys," as Desmond Morris said? Is it really that much? It's not like that! Never! Humans are noble beings created in the image of God. We humans are precious and precious beings created to rule and care for all creatures, including monkeys, according to God's good will. Especially as we Christians!
According to the Bible, when we refer to His people whom God has chosen and called, that is, we Christians, they are the house of God (1 Tim. 3:15), the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:23), and the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16). I did. These people of God are the holy church. In other words, the church can be said to be a gathering of people who have faith in God's only begotten Son, Jesus Christ as Savior, love and serve God, and follow God's will. So, what does the church really mean to us today?
Some people think of a large, ornate building with a high cross as a church. But such a building is nothing more than a gathering place for people. The church is not a building. It must be clearly understood that the church is God's chosen people, a gathering of those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Then, why does God choose His people and why does He call them the Church? Is he chosen and called to incite antagonism, confrontation, and division among men? It's not like that! The reason God chooses and calls him is not for the sake of antagonism, conflict, and division, but only so that his people may become one body. In other words, he has chosen and called us to make his people perfect the body of the Lord.
Second, the church is built on the correct profession of faith. In today's text, when Peter confesses, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!" Jesus said that he would build the church on this rock. Doesn't it say that the powers of hell can never overcome the church built on the correct profession of faith?
And Jesus promises to give Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven. What is the key to heaven? Doesn't he himself say that the key is the marvelous power that can bind and loose anything on earth or in heaven? He also spoke through the words of prophecy in Isaiah 22:22 and below. “And I will put the keys of the house of David on his shoulder, and when he opens, no one will shut, and when he shuts no one will open. I will be caught on it..." (Isaiah 22:22-24a)
What do you mean? It means that the true church will be built on the correct confession of faith in Jesus Christ our Lord, and that the church built on this correct profession of faith cannot dare surpass, harm, and never overcome any power in the world or even the powers of Hades. that is the word.
A correct profession of faith is faith in Jesus Christ our Lord as the only begotten Son of God and as our Savior and Savior. It is with this faith that we can overcome everything on this earth. Not only that, but this very faith is the key to heaven that enables us to enter the kingdom of God. And since the church is the house of God, the body of Christ, and the temple of the Holy Spirit, you must believe that God Himself will keep, protect, perfect, and finally fill you with glory.
Third, the church has a mission. The mission of the church is the mission of us Christians, and the mission of us Christians is the mission of the church. The mission of the church can be summed up in one word: to reveal the great and wonderful grace of God widely. This is the gospel. To summarize the content of the gospel, Jesus, the Lord of our salvation, has come. Jesus came to solve all our sins.
Jesus Christ died on the cross and was resurrected to complete our salvation. The Holy Spirit has come and is working in us so that we can believe this gospel. We have been saved and become children of God only through faith in this gospel. Therefore, we Christians should live only for the glory of God, and we should live a life that rejoices and enjoys God for eternity.
Therefore, all churches must first worship in spirit and truth. And we should always have fellowship with love. In addition, we must grow with the Word of God and serve our neighbors with the love of Christ. And we will have to take on the mission of preaching and witnessing the Gospel more actively. Only when we properly carry out our mission in this way can we become a true church and a living and working church.
Fourth, when the church fulfills its mission well, it can finally become a glorious church, and only when it becomes a glorious church can it be said to be a true church. There are many glorious churches around us today that exalt the name of the Lord, who is the head of the church, by fulfilling their duties and missions as a living and working church. It is not that such churches were able to fulfill their assigned missions because there were no difficulties. There was obviously persecution or tribulation. I went through trials and tribulations. No, you are still going through it. However, we must never forget the fact that we were able to overcome all trials through faith alone and only with the full power of the Holy Spirit.
Just as the Lord, the head of the church, was crucified and died, but overcame all the powers of sin and death and was resurrected, so today we too will become a glorious church by overcoming tribulation, persecution, trials, and adversity and fulfilling our mission well. you should be able to
Because the church is the house of God, it must display the glory of God. Also, because the church belongs to God, it must obey God's will completely. And because the church is the body of Christ, it must be able to express life and, of course, to grow and mature. In addition, since the church is the temple of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit must always be present.
Dear saints! Our God must no longer be shamed and insulted because of the Korean church and Korean Christians! No, to be honest, the holy name of God will no longer be reviled on account of me and you! Our God deserves only glory!
To do that, you must first believe that God has chosen you and called you! And you must believe for sure that that God saved you through the death of his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ on the cross! You must also believe that that God has entrusted you with a precious mission of saving lives!
Our God will be glorified through the service and devotion of all of you who are determined to be faithful to death only in order to fulfill the precious mission of evangelism to save lives! So, I sincerely hope that all of you who are truly blessed will be rewarded with the crown of righteousness, the crown of life, and the crown of glory when you finally stand before the throne of the Lamb.