Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Audio Link: https://www.spreaker.com/user/reachmanyradio/thoughts-in-worship-12-11-2018

This is devotional thought number 14 in our devotional series, “The Gospel According to Matthew.”

“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).

One day Jesus asked His disciples who people said that He was. They responded that some thought He was John the Baptist, Isaiah, Jeremiah, or another prophet. Jesus asked them who they thought He was. Peter, being the impulsive man that he was, and quick to speak, said that Jesus was the anointed Son of the living God. With joy, Jesus said that no human could have revealed such an incredible truth to Peter. In fact, the Lord revealed this to him. Jesus continued by saying that the church would be built upon this rock and the gates of hell would not be able to withstand or defeat it. The church was built upon Jesus.

There has been confusion since the time of Christ concerning His identity. Some say He was a good man. Others say that He was a prophet like Moses, or in their view, Muhammad. Still others consider Him an ordinary man; a mere human who may have done some good things. The Bible teaches that Jesus was no ordinary man. Rather, He was Emmanuel, that is to say, God with us (Matthew 1:23). Jesus, Himself being fully God, revealed the Father to the world. It was upon this firm foundation, this rock of Gibraltar that the church was built. Hence, the name, Christian. Can you imagine how unsettled and shaky the Christian church would have been if it was established upon a human being? Take Peter for instance. What if the church was founded upon him? Did the gates of hell ever prevail against Him? “And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech betrayeth thee. Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.” (Matthew 26:73, 74). Although in the end, Peter was a very faithful apostle, the church would be in trouble if we implicitly followed his or any other faithful person’s example. The foundation of God’s church must not only be faithful, but all-powerful and eternal.

Suppose the church was built upon Christ. Would the foundation be stable and secure? Was Jesus ever overcome by the powers of darkness? “Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.” (John 14:30). “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” (Revelation 1:18). I would feel secure if the church were built upon Jesus. It most certainly was. Jesus is the foundation of the Christian church. With this firm foundation, there is no way that the devil can prevail. It’s no wonder that throughout the ages, every attempt to destroy the church has failed. The devil could not kill it by murdering its Shepherd, inflicting twelve hundred sixty years of persecution, or infiltrating it with false doctrine. The Holy Spirit, through the word of God, brings the insidious nature of lies to light. We are secure with Jesus as our foundation. He is the rock. “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:10-12).

This has been...