After Peter confessed Jesus as the Christ the son of the Living God, Jesus commended him and promised;"...on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades(Hell) will not overcome it."( Matt. 16:18) Organic church author Wolfgang Simson notes that Jesus did not say;" You will build my church " or even "I will build your church" but He Himself will build His church! Jesus will only bless the church/ekklesia which He is building and not our plans or projects, however sincere they may be!
What is the rock Jesus is building His church on? It is the revelation about Jesus as the Christ, the son of the living God! This revelation is not just head knowledge or some superficial decision for Jesus, but is dependent on the mysterious work of God's Spirit in us. Embedded in this revelation is the concept of 'sonship'. To the believers He is the Messiah/Christ, but to the Father He is the Son! The true church will have a revelation of Christ and the outworking of that revelation is that believers will walk in an understanding of sharing His sonship. The church Jesus is building is not first of all concerned about titles, ministries, or anointings, but in relationship-that of intimacy as sons before their Father!
Jesus also said that Peter became a "little rock" because of this revelation(the Big Rock) and Paul said in Ephesians 2:20 that the church is build "on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone." Apostles and prophets(the true version!) are people who have received the revelation about Jesus and have been molded through the workings of God to present an accurate presentation of the Living Christ, both through word and in incarnating the Life of Christ. The result of their ministry will be an apostolic church which will incarnate(manifest) Christ in every locality and will in so doing bind the ruling powers of the heavenlies-and not only bind them but will become itself the ruling power in that locality! One of the biggest "gates of hades" for example, is prejudice against other races or religious groups, but where a church becomes truly apostolic, people of different races and religions will come together in the unity of the Spirit, reconciliation will be demonstrated(incarnated) and the prejudice and racism will lose it's stronghold on the minds of the people.
The only real hope of this world is the church which Jesus is building, and it starts with the church becoming truly apostolic and for that to happen the church must be given back to it's rightful Owner, Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Living God!
What is the rock Jesus is building His church on? It is the revelation about Jesus as the Christ, the son of the living God! This revelation is not just head knowledge or some superficial decision for Jesus, but is dependent on the mysterious work of God's Spirit in us. Embedded in this revelation is the concept of 'sonship'. To the believers He is the Messiah/Christ, but to the Father He is the Son! The true church will have a revelation of Christ and the outworking of that revelation is that believers will walk in an understanding of sharing His sonship. The church Jesus is building is not first of all concerned about titles, ministries, or anointings, but in relationship-that of intimacy as sons before their Father!
Jesus also said that Peter became a "little rock" because of this revelation(the Big Rock) and Paul said in Ephesians 2:20 that the church is build "on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone." Apostles and prophets(the true version!) are people who have received the revelation about Jesus and have been molded through the workings of God to present an accurate presentation of the Living Christ, both through word and in incarnating the Life of Christ. The result of their ministry will be an apostolic church which will incarnate(manifest) Christ in every locality and will in so doing bind the ruling powers of the heavenlies-and not only bind them but will become itself the ruling power in that locality! One of the biggest "gates of hades" for example, is prejudice against other races or religious groups, but where a church becomes truly apostolic, people of different races and religions will come together in the unity of the Spirit, reconciliation will be demonstrated(incarnated) and the prejudice and racism will lose it's stronghold on the minds of the people.
The only real hope of this world is the church which Jesus is building, and it starts with the church becoming truly apostolic and for that to happen the church must be given back to it's rightful Owner, Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Living God!
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