R1624 The Rock, PT.1

Building a foundation on the rock and the pillars of faith grow and let's open outward together with Dr. Don Wilton in just a moment were heading to Matthew chapter 16 together, but I want to encourage you to our website as well and jotted down tewonline.org G a plethora of resources that GW online.org now Dr. Don Wilton Bibles. Matthew chapter 16. Just have your Bibles radioman. I want to show you a picture many of you have been to the nation of Israel.

If you haven't show that you looked at many pictures seeing videos in book titles. We see a lot of pictures of the nation of Israel. Many of you being with me. Many of you will go with me again so I want you to think about the sea of Galilee. Everybody fix the Sea of Galilee, Sea of Galilee is Israel you like okay it's a lake. It's a beautiful big Lake and it stands in the middle of these mountains and that they're all talons laptop various right there on the Sea of Galilee and the Sea of Galilee is very magnificent. All right, you'll see the Sea of Galilee will if you go north of the Sea of Galilee, about 25 miles north way up the mountain you come to a huge mountain called Mount Herman, HERMON next going toward the Syrian and Iraqi border.

All right, some Mount Herman everybody in that region knows about Mount Herman because you can see Mount Herman from everywhere. In fact, it's not uncommon to be in Galilee in places in Israel you can see snow all over Mount Herman just this huge mountain, and when you go up to Mount Herman. There's a place they called Caesarea Philippi Caesarea Philippi Caesarea Philippi is a location really back in. Many years ago. It was a big community rot on the base looking up on one of the sides of this huge mountain called Mount and when you go to Caesarea Philippi you will stand day and among many other things, these beautiful water folds and things. There is a huge hole in the side of the mountain. Some people call the cave, but it's just this huge wide huge hole big gap in the side of the mountain. I may tell you what happened there back in the very early days. This area called Caesarea Philippi was raising the center of pagan worship. So the pagans chose that spot they loved and in particular because very sadly back in the third and fourth and fifth centuries they would offer sacrifices they and some of them were pretty not too very nice at all.

I mean they would offer human sacrifices they and they would throw people into the mouth of this and they would disappear into the sky was just terrible.

Can you feel terrible letters and and it became known as lock the gates of hell, if it was a place of terror and and what happened they was that the pagans worshiped a God and the God's name was Pam P a in the God of 10. If you want to Google.

Look up the God of pan, the God of pan was half a goat and half a man so you would see a good body with a man head.

That was the God of pan.

He was known as the God of fright. If RI or the God of fear, the God of pan.

It's where we get our word panic pan Nick panic panic front people wearing fear.

This whole presentation around Caesarea Philippi associated with goal. The paganism and all that angst and the hate and the effort to worship this half man half goat God of pan created panic among all the people there was nothing they could do about it and all the worship that went on there was was just awful.

It was a center of paganism and it represented the world in which people live so can you imagine that Jesus chose this spot to tell us something that is so incredible. This is the spot Jesus chose to tell us about the rock he spoke about the rock. And when he spoke about the rock he said look, I know this panic everywhere. Your politics is in turmoil. The Romans are off to you. Pagans are infiltrating they sacrificing they are hurting each other. People are frightened people don't know what to do. I want to tell you something when you put your trust in me. I want you to know you going to stand on the rock.

I am immovable. You don't have to panic you have nothing more to fear. Cannot read this to you. It's right there in Matthew chapter 16 in verse 13 when Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he turned to his disciples and he said who do people say that I the Son of Man am so they replied they said, although some say you're John the Baptist and others say you're Elijah. Others say you Jeremiah 1 of the prophets. Many turned to one of his deceit, his disciples and he said to them, but what about you, he lost. Who do you say that I and Simon Peter on St. you are the Christ, the son of the living God. Jesus replied, blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. This was not reviewed to you by man, but by my father in heaven not tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and what ever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. This was an invitation that Jesus gave sitting before these believers in the most troubling fearful circumstances. Jesus said I'm going to give you the rock I'm going to tell you where you can stand on the tell you where to go and I'm in a tell you how you fit into this is what Jesus was saying and he said I want you to know if you listen and you do you follow what I'm saying you not even the gates of hell will come against you. You have no more reason to panic have no more fear because I'm with you. So let's just take a look at this because it it's a it's a it's an unbelievable statement. And Jesus chose this spot to make a statement. The church is the rock the church is the rock not just before impact this to you. Who is the church Jesus here divides the church into three parts. First he talks to Pete Peter Peter, the name some people claim that what Jesus was saying to Peter was Peter you are the church, not the word they means Peter you are a piece of the church euro piece of the church you like Joe and Phyllis and Susan and Bethany and Dawn and Jack every believer you Peter are a piece of the rock.

Second thing he was saying is, together you partner in the church gather all of you together, and the third thing he said on the foundation. On the one on the head of it all on the head of the church.

I watch the sparks. The church is the rock. If you would also need today pasta. What shall I do, I'd say make sure you belong to the church. I want you to listen what Jesus meant by the Jesus saying I want you to join the journey that everybody else is going to say none on this is the way I'm in a good and there are obvious things you not going to secure my financial investment Domino make sure I've got enough so security. I'm going to make sure that I'm willing healthy I'm gonna make sure that my children are capable Domino make sure all of these things are part of the fabric of life. Jesus said the one thing you must do if you want to stand on a rock you want to be solid you want to be panic free. Part of my church. Let's look at this, the church is the rock wife number one because of the headship of Christ because the headship of Christ, you could. There are so many Scripture verses saw my hundred and 1822 the stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, the cornerstone in the building is the very heart of the building upon which everything else depends holds everything together in Colossians chapter 1 in verse 18 Jesus Christ is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning is the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself will come to have first place in everything. Christ is the head of the church. That's what Jesus was saying to him right here, Peter looked at him and said you are the Christ during your the one it's all on you. We stand on you.

How firm a foundation is Jesus Christ our Lord.

The church, the church's one foundation is Jesus Christ our Lord electric from every nation, we come together, the headship of Christ is the greatest statement. It's the greatest joy it problems, scenes, race, color, ethnicity and gender.

The church Jesus gave to us a rock. He said you take the rock away you going to squabble about agenda until the sun comes down you going to be so full with racial strife, hatred you going to fight tooth and nail over politics you going to scramble you going to say Nietzsche the harbor Uganda cost one another out you going to get in each other's face you going to the same to such unkindness.

The church, this is not just a Sunday morning happening.

This is the foundation this is the rock and it's Jesus saying, I invite you to join the journey. The church is the rock because of the headship of Christ.

But it's also the rock because of the authority of the word. The authority of the word, regardless of trains. One of the trains that go on any society.

The trains all listened. Let's put on a show. People want to show I want something moving action one checks I want to just do something that's got some something and folks that's why soaping is so critical. Studying God's word together reading God's word. Life groups will of God Talk about bowl games and family and it's all about relationships is yes yes where to God. What about the word of God on things you can say about the word of God. Jesus was teaching as this is the church word of God's truth. You want no truth right there wound search number two. It's absolute, it's absolute if Tron seems our meetings, discussions it if Tron scenes the discourse of public opinion. It's it's so much better than a preacher word of God. Someone wonderful person wrote to me this week said how do I respond all of these theories going on conspiracy theories in this theory, and that person says this is going to happen to strip Alonso word of God test everything I would go back to the will of God can't be uncommon. No need to be unkind from people. Thank God for great teachers would thank God for your Sunday school teacher completed postures people get alongside moms in bed teach the word about none of us have a corner on this market. God does. It's his word. It's go back to his word.

Please forgive the interruption will be back with more of today's message in just a moment the doctor which was in her mind.

You were not just connecting in this particular broadcast 24 seven on a website right now to go to TW online.org that's tewonline.org G will discover many resources including a new book coming out in just a few weeks.

Call Saturdays with Billy about Dr. Wilton's relationship with Dr. Billy Graham over 25 years, give details, or online@twonline.org Activities teaching right. It's absolute but it's so sufficient. It is sufficient. The word is sufficient. What is that word sufficient mean in terms of the word of God and the church. It's very simple.

It's sufficient enough in orbits ways to restore through salvation. Even the most broken life. That's what it means the sufficiency of God's word.

It is sufficient to restore through salvation.

Even the most broken life.

It is sufficient.

It is sufficient to give reason to be thankful all these things, Jesus was standing there in the midst of all this panic. He said let me tell you something on my word. My church 20 sign stand on the rock stand on the rock the church, the headship of Christ. The authority of the it's sufficient to meet every human need. There is not a single human need that this word is not sufficient to meet.

Not a single one meet every single human need. It is sufficient to equip every believer.

For every good work. This would that's why God saves our responsibility in the church is to equip us believers for the work of ministry to do it. You know, does it stops us yapping away and gets us down there and actually doing what we say we believe that's what it means to be equipped otherwise. All you doing is spewing hot air and there is a lot of hot air going around. It means you redo your of the word and the sufficiency of Scripture. It quips every one of us. All believers to do the work of ministry.

The church is the rock Jesus. Gary is standing in the midst of all this obvious panic in this frightful condition. He chose that spot why the church is the headship of Christ because of your thought of the word, but because of the application of the spirit you not happening right now this bird is applying the truth of these were what is the spirit spirit convicts us one of three things.

Number one of seven. The church applies the spirit why the church does the Bible says, with two or three are gathered in my name. I'm right there in the midst guaranteed the spirit convicts us of sin. You and I of sin for a walk. Dr. today I knelt down upon kneeling bench. My good friend Dr. Kaminski made for me. 25 years ago on knelt my kneeling bench.

Before I walked out here and I cried to God in a CMO God I'm on my knees you there's nobody watching me. I'm in my little office and I'm just asking you, would you forgive me for my pains me. How can I get up and say anything. The only way that I can be blameless is because you forgive me. Application of the spirit he convicts us of sin.

He convicts us of righteousness. Word righteousness is right living.

You and I go to live Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday said what you facing this week the church. This is what God does for us in the gathered church in our life groups. That's why this is an invitation to join the journey convicts us on how to convicts us of judgment. One of judgment, because when we become convicted of the reality of God's righteousness. We become convicted of the reality that God cannot in any way tolerate or accept sin is folks these in a pagan world. You hear it everywhere. God get God doesn't really mind.

Yes he does.

He's righteous. You know that's just a dog you know you know how can you say God loves us and cite the same time, God will never seen anybody and it was hell. Bob is clear. Folks who matter how unpopular popular it might be. We are not the measure of the rightness or the wrongness of the righteousness of God who says we decide that God has already decided the church this rock.

This is a rock and this is where we go. Where else would we got when we go to stand on a rock who you turning to who's got the audiences whose arm swing out questions why don't you put on your TV tomorrow and see if you can find on some cuckoos telling us where we are we getting which what it question about everything Jesus said you say I am your I want to know what you say you are the Christ, the son of the living God. And then Jesus gave to them.

The three dynamics of the church sit on this rock I will boot my church on this rock the gates of hell. Why, because of the headship of Christ and the authority of the wooden because of the application of the spirit. How about this one because of the role of every believer because of the role of every believer when he talked to Peter. He was talking to me told you he was saying to you right you Matthew Mark and Luke and William like Mary every believer, you have me living you have the rock you are the temple of the living. This is the church.

He was saying you don't only come to church you all the church don't just go to church be the church because that's who you are. This is the great commission you been listening to Dr. Don Wilton and we talked about knowing who you are in the great commission, not just going to church for being the church. Are you a part of the church, not just that church. You drive by my church or your church.

But the body of Christ that comes not by walking through the door, not by standing behind staying. That's when his are being baptized. It comes from saying yes to Jesus Christ before we get away closing thoughts from Dr. Donald. Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now. Dear God, I know that I do not know that Jesus died for me today. I repent of my sin and by faith I receive you into my in Jesus name, my friend. I welcome you today into the family of God. This is exciting you if you just gave your life to Jesus Christ to rededicate your life. Welcome the family of God. Dr. Don has some free resources. Once you have if you call us at 866899 word 86689996733 could be this online as well. TW online.org that's TW online.org for wonderful resources will help you and many of you have asked how can you help us grow the ministry of Encouraging Word was by becoming what we call an encourager. The promise of spring brings the promise of hope. Where do we find help find hope in Jesus this great help with as many as possible. Will you join us. Your health encourages you to call us at 866899 word 866899973 information on how you can support the work of The Encouraging Word The Encouraging Word is a newer listener supported ministry. Thank you for listening today.

Didn't know the reverse and foremost here to encourage you and will do it tomorrow with the rest of today's message on the rock. I hope you'll join us and bring a friend.

Between now and then. Let's stay connected on our website at tewonline.org OR