a) Mt. 16:16 – READ
b) Peter made a great statement or confession and this led to Jesus making a promise in verse 18 – READ
2) Does “church” meant a physical structure in the sense of a building or something else?
a) With the Lord’s building background it is not surprising to find Him using the word “build.”
b) Most know Jesus is referred to as a “carpenter’s son” in Mt. 13:55.
c) In Mk. 6:3 we find Jesus actually being described as a “carpenter.”
3) Jesus planned to build something, but what did He intend to create?
4) The end of verse 18 helps us identify what this “church” was and is.
a) The word “Hades” in Mt. 16:18 is translated “hell” in the KJV.
b) The right word is “Hades,” and this term describes the place go when they die.
c) In Acts 2:24-27 Peter said Jesus died and went to Hades.
5) In Mt. 16:18 Jesus said Hades (the realm of the dead) would not prevent Him from building His church.
6) This statement indicates that whatever built was going to be built sometime after Jesus died.
7) In Mt. 16:19 we find Jesus promising some “keys” to Peter.
8) The Lord said Peter’s keys were for the “kingdom.”
9) Mt. 16:18-19 indicates there is some type of connection between the church and the kingdom.
10) Jesus said “I will build MY church” – church is singular instead of plural.
11) Jesus built His church on the strength of who He was and is – the Christ – the Messiah.
Mt. 18:17 – READ
Many of them search viagra the pill for the solution. on line viagra This condition is referred to as adrenal fatigue. However, online viagra in australia it is the teacher’s job along with the medicine. Also, you can’t ignore the long recovery time and severe side-effects of surgery like bleeding, loos of sensation and impotence. levitra wholesale 1) With Mt. 18:17 we have definitive proof that “church” does not describe a building.
a) We do not tell something to a “building.”
b) Neither do buildings “hear.”
a) We have exhausted the verses in Mt. – Jn. that use the word “church” so we must move deeper into the NT.
2) Acts 2
3) About 3,000 people wanted to have their sins forgiven (Acts 2:38, 41).
4) Verses 44-46 in Acts 2 describe how those who decided to follow Jesus behaved.
a) Verse 45 tells us these new followers of Jesus were sharing things with those who had needs.
b) READ Acts 2:47.
c) Who are the people described as “them”? These are the same people we read about in Mt. 18:17.
d) God tells us Jesus “adds” people to His church.
e) The Lord controls who is allowed into the church He built.
f) Verse 40 – READ
g) In Jn. 10:7 Jesus said, “I am the door of the sheep.”
h) In Jn. 14:6 He said: “No man comes to the Father, but by Me.
5) Acts 7:38 – READ
6) “Church” describes a group or collection of people.
7) Normally in the New Testament this group of people consists of those who have become Christians.
8) The church created long ago by Jesus still exists; today we can still become members of it.
9) The Lord will “add” us to this spiritual body if we will be obedient to Him like those in Acts 2.
