There is an interesting, yet potentially disastrous, phenomenon taking place in Christianity, more so today than at any other time in Church history. There are many people, professing to be Christians, who purposely remain outside of the organized Church. One of the major problems today is that many, if not most, of the Christians in this day and age do not really understand the role of the Church, it’s place in our lives, nor our place within the life of the Church.
Sometimes it seems that there are more “believers” outside of the Church than inside of it. When asked why, they usually say something like they would rather take a Bible with them to a quiet place somewhere in the mountains and read, than come into a church building on Sunday mornings. But a “Lone Ranger” Christian is in real trouble. If you think you can take on Satan all by yourself and beat him, you are in for a rude and very unpleasant awakening.
Reading the Bible in a quiet place is a good thing indeed. It does help. Unfortunately, polls show that among professing Christians, less than 10 percent read the Bible on any kind of regular basis. Even inside the Church, we have many people who come on Sunday mornings to gather and worship, but with conditions. Many treat Sunday worship, especially the Scripture readings and teachings, like they are a smorgasbord. We hear people say things like, “I’ll take what teachings I like and I’ll ignore or reject those teachings that I don’t like or agree with.” We do that, and then we wonder why our youth find it so easy to ignore and reject the teachings of the Church as irrelevant.
When we look at today’s Gospel reading, we could, at first glance, think that Jesus agrees with those who think that it does not matter where or how you worship, just so you worship. In this reading we find Jesus alone with His disciples and He asks them, “Who do the people say I am?” The disciples answer that the people think Jesus is a re- incarnation of John the Baptizer, Elijah or Jeremiah. Others say that Jesus is a prophet of God. Interestingly enough, Jesus does not make any comment on who the crowds think He is. Instead, Jesus goes right to the heart of the matter. He next asks the disciples, “But what about you, who do you say that I am?”
The answer to that question is what is most important for the disciples, and also for me and you. In other words, it does not matter to your salvation what anyone else believes about Jesus. It does not even matter if you go to church every Sunday of your life. Neither of those things ultimately provides your salvation. Your salvation is an individual, personal matter between you and God.
I have also heard some folks say that they would join a church if they could be assured that they would then be part of the true Church. Also, there are denominations that even claim that they and they alone are the “true” Church. The answer to the question as to whether or not you are a part of the True Church of Christ does not hinge on where you go to attend services, but rather is solely dependant upon how you answer the question that Christ asks everyone, “Who do you say that I am?”
Peter answered for the disciples when he said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” When we answer as Peter did, we too hear Jesus tell us that we are saved through our faith, yet even that is not of ourselves, but has been given to us by God, as He reveals His truth to us, and changes our hearts.
Now, if we stopped there we might well say that we do not need the Church at all, since our salvation is secured by our faith in Christ alone. But Jesus goes on to explain that His truth goes hand in hand with His Church, and that we need to be a part of, and take an active part in, that Church.
Jesus next says something that has been much debated in the Church. Jesus says, in verse 18, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church.” Many people use this passage to stress that the Church is built on Peter, and Peter became the first pope of the Church. Thus those people assign all authority within the Church to the pope. But is that really what Jesus was saying?
A close look at the original Greek seems to indicate that this is not what Jesus had in mind. You see, Jesus uses two different words translated as “rock” in English. Jesus says, “You are Petros (a small stone or pebble) and upon this petra (a huge rock or foundation) I will build My Church.” It is the belief of many, many scholars (and little old me) that the “rock” that Jesus is speaking of is not Peter the human being, but rather it is Peter’s confession that Jesus “is the Christ, the Son of God”. It is through this confession and the authority given to Peter in verse 19, and also to all of the other disciples in Ephesians 2:19-20, that the Church is built with Christ as the cornerstone.
Peter’s role in the Church is important – he preached at Pentecost and was the most dynamic leader of the Church at the time (until, arguably, Paul came upon the scene). So leadership is very important to the Church, as that leadership is to be used by Christ, and Church leadership is to be given only to those who share Peter’s confession of Christ as Lord.
Jesus says, “I will build My Church.” In essence, Jesus is saying that this is His Church. Salem is not my church; it is not your church; it is Christ’s Church. We can do what we can to try to build this church and indeed we sometimes may seem to be trying to destroy this church, but the future growth or decline of the church is in Jesus’ hands. We are simply blessed to be used by Christ as His tools for the work of His Church.
It is in these passages that the word “church” first appears in the Bible, and it is here that we discover what church is to be. Our word “church” comes from the German word “kirche”, which has its root in the Greek word “kuriake” meaning “belonging to the Lord”. The Greek word for “church” is “ecclesia” meaning “called out from”. So we, the Church, are people belonging to Christ, who have been gathered together (called out) from within the world.
This does not mean that we are to be separated from the world and leave it to its own devices, but rather we are to be “different” than the world, so that we can bring that difference back into the world. That is why it is so important for us to be part of a local church and attend worship services. We come so that we can remember who we are, get away from the world, recharge our spiritual batteries, and then go back into the world in order to help change it.
The Church is the body of Christ. We are the physical presence of Christ in the world. The Holy Spirit dwells within each and every believer in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. It is possible to be a member of a local church and yet not be a member of Christ’s true Church. Only those who believe in and profess Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Christ hold membership in the true eternal Church.
All believers must work together as one body, not separate groups doing their own thing, but a single-minded body, woven together by God Himself. We need to stop bickering about the non-essential issues of religion and start performing the work we have been given as Christ’s Church.
This body of Christ has been given a very specific and important task to perform. I know I have spoken about this before, but I remind you now that our task, our job, our commission from God as His people, is to go out into the world, however, wherever and whenever we can and make Jesus Christ known to the world. We are called, we are commanded to go forth and show the light, Christ’s Light, to this dark and needy world.
Church is vitally important in nurturing our faith, encouraging us and aiding us in accomplishing our task. In church we receive our messages from God, we grow in knowledge of and faith in Jesus Christ, and we learn who we are in Christ. Through all of that and through all of us, Christ continues to build His Church. He does it through His word, and our belief and faith in Him as our Savior and Lord. For Jesus says it is