BUILDING THE CHURCH OF CHRIST – Pastor Chris
Saturday, August 31, 2019
And I say also 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 (Matthew 16:18).
The Church is important to Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:30 says, “For we are members of
his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.” The Church is His body. So, when He said, “I will build my church,” He was talking about the body of Christ, and that’s you and I; all our brothers and sisters around the world. But how can He build His church when He’s gone to heaven?
The Bible says, “And he gave some, apostles;
and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12). The word, “edifying” here is “building.” So, the purpose of the five-fold ministry gifts is building the body of Christ. He’s building His body through us.
As we all commit to soul winning, leading men
and women to Christ in our respective spheres of contact, we’re building God’s powerful super structure! Remember, when Solomon was building God a house, he sent a message to Hiram and said, “Please send me materials. The house that I want to build for God is a magnificent building” (Read 1 Kings 5). But you know what? The magnificence of the body of Christ today is even greater. Hallelujah!
The Bible says we’ll not give Him rest until He
makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth (Isaiah 62:7); until the Church of Jesus Christ is shown to be the most beautiful living thing on the face of the earth. Glory to God!
Moreover, as a member of that body, it doesn’t
matter where you’ve been; you’re being built strong; your faith is growing; you’re getting stronger by the day! He said in Acts 20:32, “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.”
CONFESSION
I’m a member of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones! My faith is built strong to repel the adversities of life, and I triumph gloriously today and always. The Lord is building His body through me, by my vital participation in the spread of the Gospel. Praise God!
FURTHER STUDY: 1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 1:22-23
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN 1 Corinthians 15:1-34 & Proverbs 5-7
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN Luke 20:1-8 & 1 Samuel 19
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