Matthew The Church Made of Living Stones

Matthew

The Church Made of Living Stones

 

If you have the revelation like Peter, that Jesus is the Son of the Living God

Then God wants to build around you

Other living stones below you for support

Stones on the sides of you as friends

And stones you support above you

You cannot be a part of the church of Jesus

Unless you live in community with other living stones

Jesus said 

And I tell you that you are Peter,

and on this rock I will build my church,

and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

Matthew 16:18

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Church Made of Living Stones

 

 

Peter received revelation from the Father in Heaven

that Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ,

the Son of the living God.

 

This revelation unlocked and

opened his mind to life with purpose.

 

Not only does Peter see into heaven

but was given heavenly responsibility.

 

“I also say to you that you are Peter,

 and upon this rock I will build My church;

and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 

 

The statement…

 

 “I also say to you that you are Peter”

 

In the Greek would read like this…

 

I also say to you that you are Petros,

 “A piece of rock”

 

The next statement reads…

 

And upon this rock I will build My church

and upon this Petra “mass of Rock”.

 

So, from the Greek

 Jesus’ statement to Peter would read…

 

"I also say to you that you are a piece of rock,

and upon this Massive Rock I will build My church.

 

The foundation of the Church is a Massive Rock,

which is Jesus Christ.

 

On this Massive Rock are pieces

of rock, like Peter.

 

Jesus says…

 

 I will build My church

 

And from the text we see…

 

 It is made of a Massive Rock

and pieces of rock that Jesus

will build His church upon.

 

Jesus Christ and those pieces of rock,

who have the revelation of Jesus Christ,

 the Son of the Living God.

 

Peter gives us a picture of this in 1 Peter 2…

 

As you come to him, the living Stone —

rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—

you also, like living stones,

are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood,

offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:4-5

 

I love to look at rock and stone

architectural structures.

 

River rock is one of my favorites.

 

From a mountain of rock come smaller rocks.

 

When they break off from the mountain,

they have sharp edges.

 

As gravity and rivers tumble them down the mountain

they get washed and the edges become smooth.

 

At the bottom of the massive rock they came from…

 

They are collected and brought to a building site

where they are cemented back together

with other rocks from the mountain.

 

 In order for one stone to become a part of a wall…

 

 It must be connected by 5, 6, 7 other stones.

 

 

The church is the same way.

 

You and I like…

 

 Living stone, are being connected

to other living stones.

 Built upon the foundation Jesus Christ…

 

 The Solid Rock.

 

If you have the revelation like Peter,

 that Jesus is the Son of the Living God…

 

Then God wants to build around you others…

 

Living stones below you for support.

 

Stones on the sides of you as friends.

 

And stones you support above you.

 

You cannot be a part of the church of Jesus

unless you live in community

with other living stones.

 

Jesus said…

 

And I tell you that you are Peter,

and on this rock I will build my church,

and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

Matthew 16:18

 

 

 

Scripture Reading

 

Matthew 16:13-20

 

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"

 

14 "Well," they replied, "some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets."

 

15 Then he asked them, "But who do you say I am?"

 

16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

 

17 Jesus replied, "You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. 18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means 'rock'), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven."

 

20 Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.