Peter says to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!” To which Jesus responds, “Blessed are you, Peter…and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not overcome it.” Matthew 16:16-18
John Piper is one of my favorite authors. He opens his book, God is the Gospel, with this compelling question:
If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ were not there?
I wish this question was merely rhetorical. But the sad fact is, many people alive today envision a Christ-less heaven, whether by accident or purposely. There was even a best-selling book by Mitch Albom, Five People You Will Meet in Heaven where God is regulated to a very small insignificant role, if even present at all, in His heaven.
Yet Jesus Himself gives us a different picture, from His reign in heaven (Revelation chapter 4 and 5) to His church on earth (Matthew 16:18). The Christian church is His church and not man’s church. The Christian church is the church where Jesus Christ is central. It is the church where Jesus Christ is honored, worshiped, adored, studied and proclaimed. The sad thing is that ironically many churches today, like Albom’s heaven, give very little credence to God.
It has always baffled me why churches exist where Christ is not proclaimed, or perhaps not even believed. Christ may exist in these churches as more of a water-downed self-help guru; certainly not as “the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” These churches are nothing more than man-centered, feel-good, houses of self worship. Jesus is regulated to a role akin to a cosmic "ShamWow!" salesman. These kinds of churches settle for much less than best because they fail to proclaim a Person much more beautiful, much more just, much more powerful, much more worthy than mere man. And that Person is Jesus Christ Himself.
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, who emptied Himself in the greatest act of humility our world has ever seen. He took on a human body, lived on planet earth, was delivered up to Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried for our sins. Yet 3 days later Jesus came back to life with a new resurrected body and by it proved that He was God! He invites wayward man into completeness through fellowship with the Father through Him. There is no other like Him; He alone is worthy of our worship and adoration.
If your church is not centered on the teachings of the Bible and on the person of Jesus Christ, then you are not in the church of the Living God; rather you are in a dead church. Leave that “church.” And find one where Jesus Christ is exalted. And it is Christ’s church that the gates of hell shall not overcome!
Throughout history, there have been those who have tried to destroy the Christian church. From Nero to the Communists, enemies of God have risen up, and will continue to rise up, in a futile attempt to exterminate the church.
In an interview I saw recently with Timothy Keller, he said that the “New Atheists” have declared that religion is “the worst thing that has happened to humankind” and these atheists have declared that religion “must be wiped out.” However, they will fail in their goals, just like Nero and just like the Communists. Because a church built upon the Rock, even when the mighty storms come and slam against it, WILL NOT FALL (Matthew 7:25) and the very gates of hell shall not overcome Christ’s church.
Worship, adore, proclaim and enjoy Jesus Christ. For that is His purpose for His church, which is His bride. Christ is central to the universe; from His church on earth to His eternal heaven, the universe exists for the glory of God. To be central on anything else except the Christ, the Son of the Living God is foolish. Hallelujah! Come Lord Jesus, come!
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