Children can be dismissed for children's church. They're waiting for me. Children's can be dismissed for children's church. Amen. Amen.

Amen. They're waiting on you. Alright. I just feel better with my coat on on Sunday morning but when you're changing instruments on and off and on and off, the coat just gets in the way. So, Matthew chapter 16.

So find Matthew chapter 16. We're going to begin reading in verse 13 this morning. Know what you believe. Know what you believe about the Bible. The Bible is God's what?

God's word. God's inspired, infallible word to us. It is the basis of our faith and our practice and we are so thankful that the Lord has recorded it, preserved it for us, that we might know him, that we might know the way of salvation, that we might know his will for our life. Praise the Lord for the word of God. Know what you believe about creation.

We were created by the direct act of almighty God in six days. And on the seventh day, God what? God rested. Created in the image of God. Praise the Lord.

Sadly, we also learned about sin and the fall of man. Man is sinful. Man needs a savior. That all started back in the Garden Of Eden and it continues to this day. Man has not changed.

Man is just as wicked and sinful and needs a savior just as much today as he has in any day. And praise the Lord, we have one. His name is Jesus Christ. Know what you believe about the nation of Israel. God chose and called Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Jacob's children to follow him in the Old Testament that he might reveal himself in and through the people of Israel that he might be glorified in their care and the promise fulfillment of the promises that he made to them and in their service and obedience to him.

Sadly, they were not all that obedient and the covenant he made with them at Mount Sinai, they did break and God scattered them across the world. But as I said a few weeks ago, I do not believe that God is completely done with Israel yet. And I held off on talking more about that because the future of Israel is intertwined with the future of the church, and so we'll get to that in a couple weeks. And, of course, know what you believe about Jesus, and we looked at that last week. I think I had 16 points to that sermon.

You all did good listening to all 16 points, and I could I didn't tell you ahead of time because, well, you'd have thought we'd been here all all all day, but we didn't. I was done like five after twelve. But don't don't don't think for sure that I'll be done at five after twelve today. Maybe I will. We'll see.

But we could go on and on and on about Jesus, couldn't we? A matter of fact, every one of these messages in some way, form, or fashion is about is about Jesus because he is the way of salvation. He is our savior and without him, we would not be here today and have the hope, the sure hope of eternal life in him. Matthew chapter 16, we're going to look at the church at the church today. We're going to look at two aspects of the church, both of which are vitally important.

Matthew chapter 16 verse 13, when Jesus came under the coast of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples saying, whom do men say that I, the son of man, am? And they said, some say that thou art John the Baptist, some Elias, others Jeremiah, yeah, or one of the prophets. But he saith unto them, but whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, thou art the Christ, the son of the living God. Jesus answered and said unto him, blessed art thou, Simon Bar Jonah, flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my father which is in heaven.

And I say unto thee that thou art Peter and upon this rock, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord for your word today. Thank you for Jesus Christ, our savior. Thank you for the rock of our salvation.

The foundation, the cornerstone in whom we have put our faith to save our souls and to come to take us home one day to the place that he has prepared for us. Lord, we we pray that Jesus would be honored in all we say and do. We pray that you might be glorified today in this place. We ask for your wisdom and your guidance as we look into your word today. May you conform us more to the image of your son.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. The last verse we read there, Jesus said, Thou art Peter and upon this rock, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Jesus is introducing a new thing, a different thing. Paul, in his epistles, calls it a mystery.

In the Old Testament, God worked through the nation of Israel to make a name for himself through through those many centuries, but today, through the church that he has called to himself. Upon this rock, he said, I will build my church. This rock is not Peter, by the way. This rock is the confession of Peter. What was the confession of Peter?

That Jesus Christ that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, and the son of the living God. He is not just a good teacher. He's not just another prophet. He is unique. He is one and only, the God man, the only living son of the living God who came to die for sinners, who rose again from the dead.

And we could go on. We spent last week doing that. So we won't go completely into that today, but the foundation of the church is not Peter. The foundation of the church is Jesus Christ. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ, the one who came and bled and died for us and rose again.

Our savior, the Hebrew Messiah, and the son of the living God. And he says the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Satan will not win. We are overcomers through him that loved us. We are more than conquerors through him today.

And we have a place reserved in heaven for us who are kept by the power of God through faith under salvation ready to be revealed in the last day, first Peter chapter one five. But what is the church? What what does he mean by church? My church. Not just a church, but but my church.

What is Jesus talking about? The word church in Greek is ekklesia. Ekklesia. It's also translated congregation or assembly. Ek means out.

Klesia means assembly. It is a called out assembly. Called out by who? Called out by God. Called out by God in Christ Jesus.

Set apart, sanctified. That word sanctified means set apart. A group called out by God and set apart through Christ Jesus to do his will and to glorify Christ here on this earth. We are part of his church, my church, Christ's church. Those who have been called out in Christ Jesus by grace through faith in the one who gave his life for us, we are his church, his called out assembly through whom he desires to bring glory to his name this day.

Turn if you would over to first Peter chapter two. First Peter chapter two, And we'll read a few verses there. First Peter chapter two. And we'll be now, we'll start in verse two. Let's start in verse two.

Peter is writing to believers, and he says of them in verse two, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby. There is a reference to the word of God that we should be feeding upon as believers in Christ every day, not just on Sundays, but I'm glad you're here today to feast together. If so, be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious, which we who have come to know Christ through faith know that he is what? We know that he is gracious. To whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious.

That stone is Jesus Christ, the cornerstone, the foundation stone of the church. Ye also, as lively or living stones, are built up a spiritual house, not a physical house, but a spiritual house. And holy priesthood, that word priesthood is only used in the New Testament to refer to believers in Christ Jesus. There is no specific office of priest today in the church. That was for the nation of what?

Israel. Because the priest is a mediator and there's one mediator between God and man. Who's that? The man Christ Jesus. So there are no office of priests today.

When you see priests in the New Testament, if you're a believer in Jesus Christ, it is referring to you. You need no other priest. You can come directly to Jesus Christ. Ye also as living stones are built upon a spiritual house of holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. We no longer bring lambs and goats and sacrifice them.

Our sacrifices are ones of praise and service and love to our savior Jesus Christ. Hebrews thirteen fifteen, by him therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. That is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. There is many ways in which you can worship and bring spiritual sacrifices to the Lord today, but praise the Lord. Christ died once and we don't have to bring the blood of bulls and goats today before our savior.

He took care of it all. His work on Calvary is sufficient. But continuing on, let's see what verse six. Wherefore also let's see how far is it? Yeah.

Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture. Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Of course, that again is Jesus Christ. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious but unto them which be disobedient, the stain, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same has made the head of the corner. And a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense even to them which stumble at the word being disobedient whereunto also they were appointed.

Not all who not all will receive Jesus. Some sadly will what? Reject him. And he can be your savior or he can be your executioner, your judge. Praise the Lord if you will come to Christ.

He will be your father and your savior and forgive your sins, the one who took your place on the cross. But many stumble at Christ and sadly reject him. Verse nine. But ye are not of those who reject him, but of those who have received him. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people that ye should show forth the praises of him who have called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God, which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Who is Peter talking to? He's talking to Gentile believers who were outside of the covenants given to Israel but now via the new covenant, the shed blood of Jesus Christ, have by God's grace become the children and the people of who? And the people of God. What do we call that group of people? The church.

The church. A spiritual house. A spiritual house made of living stones. Sanctified stones built upon Jesus Christ their redeemer, bound together by the holy spirit that he has given to us. Some call this the universal church.

Unlike the Catholic quote unquote universal church as it claims, which has become institution sporting grand and opulent cathedrals, but having strayed far from the clear teachings of scripture or the traditions of men. Christ warned those in his day. He said, you have replaced the commandments of God with the what? With the traditions of men. How do we know the difference?

This right here is the what? Is the word of God. This is the foundation. Jesus Christ, the living word, and the Bible, the written word that tells us about him. The true universal church also described as the body of Christ or the family of God or the bride of Christ is made up of all believers in Christ.

All believers in Christ. Having been thusly saved by grace through faith in Christ's name and so placed by his spirit into one spiritual body, the body of Christ, the church against which the gates of hell will not prevail against it, the spiritual building that Peter was describing here in first Peter chapter two. First Corinthians twelve twelve and thirteen speak of it here. For as the body is one and hath many members and all members of that one body being many are one body, so also is Christ. For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have all been made to drink into one spirit.

The Bible tells us of the day of the birth of the church. We often call it the day of what? Pentecost. It was actually a feast that the Jews kept as part of their old covenant. And they gathered together from all over the world for three feasts a year, the feast of Pentecost, the feast of Passover, and the feast of Tabernacles to the city of Jerusalem.

And just prior to the day of Pentecost, what did Jesus Christ do? Well, after he arose again from the dead, he did what? He ascended up into heaven. And before he went up into heaven, he said this in verse four of acts one. And being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem but for but wait for the promise of the father.

What was the promise of the father? The holy spirit. John 14, John 15, John 16. And in verse eight he says, but ye shall receive power. After that, the holy ghost has come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

And a few days later, the Holy Spirit came and the church was born because we were bound who are believers in Christ, baptized into, placed into this new body, this spiritual house, his church, his family to represent him on this earth. He went back to the father and he has sent us out into the world as the representatives of Jesus Christ as his body. This day, a body not made of stone or ruled by a civil government, but a body bound together by the holy spirit in Christ Jesus, marked by faith in Christ and love for the brethren, a mystery to many. All believers in Christ Jesus and his atoning work on Calvary and his resurrection from the grave are saved, redeemed, sanctified, and justified in Christ Jesus. Baptized, regenerated, and sealed by the Holy Spirit unto eternal life.

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his what? His mercy, he has saved us. By his grace, we have been saved, redeemed, and accepted into the beloved, into the family of God. And we make up the body of Christ, the congregation of the righteous on earth and where? And in heaven.

Not those whose names are written in church roles won't won't suffice, but those whose names are written in the what? In the book of life. Not those whose heritage is this or that, but those who personally have chosen Jesus as their Lord and savior. Not those who keep numerous rites and sacraments of the church, so called, in a vain attempt to please the Lord and earn their place in heaven, but those who having abandoned all hope in themselves have chosen to place all their hope in the Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself for them. I use an illustration quite often about this fellow that walked across Niagara Falls on a tightrope.

And he walked across the falls, the story goes, and somebody has done this, I think maybe even more than one person now. And he got to the other side of the falls and he had a wheelbarrow of sorts on the other side and he pulled it out and he set it on the tightrope. And he asked the people, do you think I can push this wheelbarrow across the tightrope across Niagara Falls? And the cheering crowd said, No, no, no. That's not what they said.

They said, Yeah, yeah, because they wanted to see him do it, you know. And so he pointed to one fellow over here and said, Sir, come here. And the man came over and he said, Sir, do you believe I can push this wheelbarrow across Niagara Falls? And the man looked at him and said, yes, I do. He said, great.

Get in the wheelbarrow. Get in the wheelbarrow. That is saving faith. It is putting all our eggs in one basket, putting all our hope in one savior, the Lord Jesus Christ who came to earth to die on the cross for our sins. He is the one, the only one who has come to earth, died on the cross, rose again from the dead, gone back to heaven, and has promised to take all those who trust in him with him.

He alone is the way, the truth, and the life. It is in the confession of Peter that Jesus Christ is the son of the living God and the savior of the world through which we by faith have become part of his church against which the gates of hell cannot and will not prevail. But Jesus Christ did also ordain, as the name suggests, assemblies of believers who meet together as the first assembly in Jerusalem in Acts chapter two to fulfill the mandates given to the church here on earth. And we call that the local church. A matter of fact, the letters that we read in the New Testament were written to local churches.

Most of the commands written regarding the church are to local churches, and they're to be understand understood that way. Local assemblies are intended to be smaller samplings of the whole body of Christ who gather together in a given locality with a common faith and purpose to bring glory to the name of Christ and fulfill Christ's commission. In the early days of the church, you have the church at Ephesus, and you have the church at Philippi, and you have the church at Thessalonica. And each city had its own church, but over time, those churches divided and multiplied and went to other and you had, like in the area of Ephesus, you had many churches in surrounding towns and and cities, local assemblies that have been commissioned by Jesus Christ as a body, as the body of Christ to fulfill his command. A local church, therefore, is a local assembly of redeemed in Christ Jesus, not the buildings, but people.

Baptized in obedience with the scriptures, that is immersed in water, who assemble together regularly to carry out the work of the ministry, the worship of God, the propagation of the gospel, the baptism of new believers, the edification and training of the congregation in the word of God. Where do we get that from? Well, we get that from well, right here. Matthew 28. Christ's commission to the church.

And Jesus came and said and spake unto them saying, all power, that means all authority, is given unto me in heaven and earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations. That word teach means make disciples of all nations. How do you do that? Well, by preaching what?

The gospel of Jesus Christ. Then baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy ghost. That word baptized means literally to dunk. That's what the word in Greek means. If you pour or sprinkle, that doesn't that's not the same thing.

It does not picture as Paul said, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ in Romans chapter six. The proper mode of baptism of which Christ spoke here is immersion. Immersion of the believer, the one who has been discipled and received the gospel of Jesus Christ. It does no good to dunk a baby. A baby Christian, that is one who has just received Christ as savior, yes, but not a literal baby who cannot choose yet to do that of their own volition.

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. So win souls to Christ, baptize them publicly as identifying them with their savior, and then teach them what? This. Teach them the word of God. All things whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.

What is the mission of the church? What is what is the purpose of the church? To obey the commands of its head. And the head of the church is who? Jesus Christ.

In accordance with the example set by the first church in Jerusalem, look to Acts chapter two. Well, do you look look up here on the screen? I picked out a few of the verses there. Acts chapter two, we see what happened after the first group of believers after the day of Pentecost and with many other words that he testify and exhort saying, save yourselves from this untoward generation. How do you do that?

Well, by receiving who? By repenting and accepting Jesus Christ as who he really is, the Lord and savior. Then they that gladly received his word, that is believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, were baptized. And the same day, they were added unto them about 3,000 souls, and they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread in prayers. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people when the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

In other words, because they gladly praised and followed and served the Lord as one body in Christ, serving one another, souls were saved and the church wide and the church grew. The church grew. To edify and to encourage one another, that is part of the responsibility of the church. Church meaning who? The pastor?

The programs? The deacons? No. The church is what? All of us.

Hebrews ten twenty four and twenty five, and let us consider one another to provoke and to love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching. I've knocked on many doors and they I say, you know, I'm so and so from Missouri Avenue Baptist Church, and do you have a moment I could talk to you? And I asked them often where they go to church and sometimes they'll say, well, I don't go to church, but but I'm but I'm a Christian. I'm a Christian. I I I I trust in Christ as my savior.

You don't have to go to church to be a Christian. And I answer to that is yes and no. No. You don't get to heaven by going to what? Church.

You can go to church every day of your life and still die and spend eternity in hell because your salvation is not determined by your church attendance. But every Christian should be going to what? To church. They should be gathering and assembling with other believers. God has called us to that for his glory and for our what?

For our good. Because we need one another. Every Christian should go to church. A bible believing, teaching, Christ serving church until the Christ comes to take us home. What is the glorious hope of God's church?

One day, Jesus is coming to take us home. John fourteen one through three. Jesus said, let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house are many mansions.

If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am, there ye may be also. Jesus says his disciples, yes, I'm going away but don't don't be don't be troubled in your heart. Don't be discouraged because I'm going I'm going away to prepare a place for you and one day when when the time is right, I'm going to come back and I'm Why would I go and prepare a place for you and not come and take you to the place I'm prepared?

That doesn't make any sense. He is borrowing a metaphor from the marriage process in in his day in Israel. The betrothed groom would would leave his betrothed wife And he would go away and he would prepare a home for her. And once the home was prepared, he would return and they would be wed and they would become husband and wife, and then he would take her to the home that he has prepared for her. Christ is the groom and we, the church, as we're reminded in Ephesians five, are the what?

Are the bride. And one day he is coming to take us home to be with him. We will have new bodies as he tells us in first Corinthians 15. Those who have died in Christ or sleep in Christ as Paul puts it, will go before us. They will not be left behind.

And we will all receive new bodies, and we will forever be with who? With Jesus Christ, our savior. But the question this morning is this, are you part of Christ's church? Not just a member of this church, though I would desire if you know Christ and you believe as we do that you would become a member of this church, but are you a part of Christ's church? Is your name written in the what?

In the book of life? Have you been born again by the spirit of God, by grace through faith in his son. John three three, Jesus answered and said unto Nicodemus, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Do you know him? Have you repented and put your faith in him?

When did you call upon him? Do you remember when you trusted in him? For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, what? Shall be saved. I was nine years old.

I didn't understand as much about the Bible then as I do now. I I wasn't a teacher of theology, but the Bible says that we can come as the faith of a what? The faith of a child. I understood I was a sinner and I needed a savior, And I knew who the savior was. And I knew he died and I knew that he rose again.

And I knew that if I trusted in him, he would save my soul and give me eternal life. And I knew that if I didn't, I would never see heaven. And so I came and I trusted Christ as my savior. Have you done the same? Have you been born again?

Sadly, there are many a person sitting in a church pew even today who have never made that all important decision and humbled themselves in repentance to receive Jesus Christ as their savior, to save them from their sin, and to give them eternal life. If that is you, you are part of God's family. You are part of his church. Satan will not prevail against you, and there is a place reserved in heaven for you, and one day he's coming back to take you home. If not, you can become part of his church.

When? Today. Behold, today is the day of salvation. In just a moment, we'll sing a hymn of invitation. If you have yet to trust Christ as savior, if you have any doubts whatsoever, they'll keep singing.

I'll I'll meet you right down here, and I'll answer any question you have. I'll pray with you. I'll help you to know how you can know you are saved and part of God's forever family. Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you, Lord, for Jesus Christ, our savior.

Thank you for coming and dying on the cross for our sins. Thank you for saving my soul. When I was but nine years old, thank you, Lord, that you have kept your promise and will continue to do so until the day I stand before you complete and all who have put their faith and trust in Jesus as savior. And I pray, Lord, if there be one here this morning that is yet to make that decision to trust Jesus, to humble themselves, to ask for his forgiveness, and to receive him as their Lord. I pray that they would make that all important decision even today as we sing this hymn of invitation.

In Jesus' name. Amen.