How Jesus Will Build His Church

However, a church is not a civic organization but it does do ministry. Two differences I see in a civic organization and the church is purpose and power. The reason a church does the ministry it does is so that Jesus will be glorified through that action or ministry.
The power to change lives that is available to the church comes from God Himself blessing the actions and ministry of His servants.

(slide 4 point 1)
II. Will Build
Look again at verse 18. What does this passage tell us Jesus will do? He will build His church. God is the architect and He is able to design and build whatever He wants to build. Jesus is the master builder and knows how to build a church that will stand the test of time.
The wording of Jesus in this verse indicates intention “I will build” is future tense. Not that He had built at that point, but was going to build His Church when the time was right.
(slide 4 point 2) The question comes, “How will Jesus build His Church?” What tools, resources will He use? (slide 4 point 3)
1. Through doctrine
Jesus will build His Church through doctrine. Look back at our text at verses 15, 16 – Peter’s confession of faith is that Jesus was the Christ the Son of God! This establishes the doctrine of salvation. In the ABC’s of salvation we teach the children – B is for believe. What do we want the children and adults to believe about Jesus? That He is the Christ the Son of God. The same thing Peter professed.
Have you come to a time in your life that you believe Jesus is the Christ and invited Him into your heart to be your Savior? If not, do so today.
(slide 4 point 4)
2. Through the revelation of the Holy Spirit
The second way Jesus will build His Church is through the work of the Holy Spirit. We see in verse 17 that the truth about Jesus was “revealed” to Peter by the Holy Spirit. There are so many ways the Holy Spirit works in the church to bring glory to Jesus. The Holy Spirit:
• reveals truth
• gives comfort
• guides us to God’s will
• empowers us with the Fruit of the Spirit to accomplish great things for God
• Prays for us when we cannot speak

The Lord’s work requires the Lord’s power. We cannot accomplish what God desires with fleshly, finite, weak, earthly human power. We need the strength of the mighty Holy Spirit of God to perform the work He has given us to do. What God has called us to lift requires the muscle of the Holy Spirit. Allow Him to give you strength.
(slide 4 point 5)
3. Through the courage and dedication of His disciples
Jesus will build His Church through the courage and dedication of His disciples. Jesus says in verse 18 the “gates of Hades will not overcome it”. The reference to gates is to authority or power. Gates allowed people to enter or exit the city – it gave them power to do that.
The word “Hades” refers to the realm of the dead. The KJV uses the word “hell”, but this is not the final destination of all unsaved people. This is Hades “the abode of the dead” or grave. When we pull both of these words together we refer to the authority and power of Satan and death. Jesus broke this power when He was resurrected from the dead. Therefore, the disciples of Jesus do not have to fear death because Jesus has proven