A Work That Will Not Fail

A Work That will Not Fail

Matt 16:13-20

August 2, 2018 an amazing feat took place. On that date the shares of tech giant Apple hit a historic $1 trillion market cap value, becoming the first publicly traded U.S. company to ever reach the milestone. For employees and workers it was a historic day full of celebration. But for a man named Ron Wayne the day was not as exciting. 

You see Wayne is the third and lesser known founder of Apple. While Wayne is the creator of the Apple logo, the reason he is lesser known than other cofounders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak is that in 1976 Wayne had growing concerns for the financial state of Apple. While Jobs and Wozniak were young guys in their 20s and were sinking everything they had into the company, Wayne was a responsible 40-year-old adult with a house, a mortgage, and an increasing realization that financial responsibility for the company could fall solely on him. So he sold his 10% stake in Apple for a whopping $800. If you are a mathematician, you can realize that 10% of 1 trillion is $100 million. 

Wayne gave up a $100 million dollar business for just $800. He was uncertain of the future of the company. It was too risky so he pulled out of it. 

If you are uncertain about the enduring value of something you are not likely to invest in it. But the reverse is also true. If you know your work is going to prevail and that there will be a good return on your investment then you will be bold to act on that. 

As we work through a sermon series on God's mission in the world and how we find purpose on that, today we look at Jesus's words that say he is building his church and the work will not fail. The gates of hell may attack but they will not win! And if he is building his church and it will not fail, then we are fools if we do not invest in it. 

The Solid Rock Solid of the Church

This passage makes clear both the purpose and the strength of commitment to Jesus.

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (verse 18).

What is Jesus doing in the world? He is building his church. Ever feel like you don’t know what he is doing? Well, here you go. Are you in line with that? The church is a gathering of people, a people who are following him as Lord and working together to do what he has called them to do and in the manner he calls them to do it. 

The Church is the one institution Jesus created. This is what he founded. He calls people to himself and he calls them to the church. His people. Organized. And defined. 

This is what he entrusts to the mission of making disciples.

The church is the people who confess Jesus is the Christ. This is the rock-solid foundation that it is built on. Jesus says this is the rock he will build the church on. Some think he is referring to Peter. Yes, Peter’s name means rock. But the driving question of this passage is Jesus asking “who do people say I am.” When Peter answers Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God it leads Jesus to affirm Peter's confession and the significance of that confession. That rock is not Peter. That rock is the confession. Peter is absolutely important but it is the confession that changes him. There is power in it.

The church is built on that foundation. It's not based on how good we are, though we should seek to honor Christ in everything with all our heart. We still fail. Peter failed many times. We have a Savior who is better than any of us. And so when the church lets you down it is a reminder that the unfailing work is not the church but the Lord. *The imperfect church always points to the perfect savior.* The church is not the savior. The church is what points to the Savior. 

And if your church doesn’t let you down then it is not doing its job. The church is destined to fail you. Destined to disappoint you. That is the only way you learn to trust in Jesus. It's the way you learn what grace is. It's the way you show your commitment to Jesus, by forgiving others when they sin against you.

It is vital we know who Jesus is. People were talking about him being a prophet or John the baptist. But the disciple knew he was greater than any of those. He is the savior, the Christ. The one who was to come into the world to rule and redeem everything. 

" And they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets'" (verse 14).

Who you say Jesus is will determine everything about how you follow Him. If you think Jesus was a “good teacher” then you will follow Him like you would a good teacher. If you think Jesus merely had “some good ideas” then you will listen to what He says every once in a while. If you think Jesus was a “good example” then you will try to follow His example. However, if you believe that Jesus was and is the promised Messiah, who came to the earth to save us from our sins, to conquer sin and death, and to reign and rule over all as Lord then that changes everything about how you live. The church is made up of people who believe in Jesus and know Him intimately. Do you know Jesus intimately?

(David Platt, “Exalting Jesus in Matthew,” ed. Daniel L. Akin, David Platt, and Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2013, 216)

He is the one they are to live for. Not living for themselves. Not just doing their own thing. They are submitted to him. Not “Jesus, conform to my will and my desires,” but “I will serve you, and me saying that means I trust you to place me where you want me.” I just want to be faithful. 

There is power in this confession. The power is not some magical chant that we state and lock in a deal, as though we have a magic lamp and now control a genie. No, it's a confession that is believed in the heart and mind and flows out through the mouth. It is a confession that changes us. It brings us back to the purpose God created us for. Scripture says all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. This is that call. It is the belief in Jesus as the Christ, the anointed one, the one promised through eternity and the one who all the prophets and law testify to. It is belief in him as that one and also a submission to him as Lord. He is the Son of God and the one we submit to in all of life. He is the one at whose name the devil flees. There is power in his name. That power changed Peter and the disciples. That power will change us. You are the Christ. You are the Son of God. You are the King of kings. You are my Lord.

Jesus’s purpose is to build the church. His intention is clear too. Shortly after this he demonstrates his intention to suffer and die for his people. (Matt 16:21). Peter rebuked him, saying that is not the way, but Jesus said get behind me, Satan. He called the church, instituted the church, he suffered and died for the church. He is now presiding over the church and building the church. His blood will not be in vain. 

Jesus is building his kingdom. So what does this mean for us? It means we should build the church. Jesus gave his life for the church. He instituted the church. How can you read this, call Jesus your Lord and then say you are not interested in the church? We demonstrate our commitment to Jesus through our commitment to the church. 

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35).

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters" (1 John 3:16-17).

I don’t think it means we sit back and show up at church when it’s convenient. That doesn’t require me laying down my life. That doesn’t demonstrate my love and commitment. That doesn’t require me trusting him and resting in his power. 

If we are following Jesus, it will mean following him to lay down our lives. He has entrusted his mission to his disciples. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. That is an eternal work. Don't dilly dally about it. 

The Never-prevailing Gates of Hell

"And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (verse 18).

There is a great promise in this passage. But make no mistake. The promise entails a problem. Hell will not prevail.

-Will not prevail does not mean they will not try. 

-Will not prevail doesnt mean they wont attack. 

-Will not prevail does not mean they will not harm. 

-Will not prevail doesn’t mean they won’t win some battles. 

This verse tells us we are at war. A war that Christ will not lose, but still a war. God has a purpose for us walking through trials. Similar to what Jesus told Simon Peter. 

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31–32).

You may hear this and think, “Satan asked to sift me like wheat, but, Jesus, you told him no right? You surely told him he was not allowed to.” That’s not what Jesus said. He said, “But I have prayed for you that your faith may prevail.” Prevail when attacked. Prevail when it seems circumstances are contrary to the hope we have. Yes, we need to prevail in our faith. We need to prevail in the church. That means overcoming battles. 

“Gates of Hades will not overcome it” “gates of hell” (ESV), is a Jewish idiom for the powers of death. It’s a figure of speech where a part is used for a whole. Like wheels are used for cars. White House is used for the government. Gates of hell refers to Satan and his demons and destruction. 

We are promised those powers will not prevail. They will not overcome. The work of Christ is too strong and certain and steadfast to be thwarted. His work is eternal and not to be equated with the temporal. 

C. Ryle said:

Nothing can altogether overthrow and destroy [the church]. Its members may be persecuted, oppressed, imprisoned, beaten, beheaded, burned. But the true Church is never altogether extinguished: it rises again from its afflictions; it lives on through fire and water. When crushed in one land, it springs up in another. The Pharaohs, the Herods, the Neros … have laboured in vain to put down this Church. They slay their thousands, and then pass away and go to their own place. The true Church outlives them all, and sees them buried each in his turn. [The Church] is an anvil that has broken many a hammer in this world, and will break many a hammer still. [The Church] is a bush which is often burning, and yet is not consumed. (Principles for Churchmen, 118)

has the sense of “ability,” “capacity,” “power,” or “strength.” Beat it. Overcome. Prevail. 

Right now the gates of hell are plotting how to ruin your life. The world questions that, but if you read God’s word you know it’s certain. He wants your allegiance to anything but Jesus.

The enemy sows doubt, sows bitterness and unforgiveness, sows distraction. 

Right now some of the most powerful computers in the world are hard at work vying for your attention. They study you, know what captivates, what makes you afraid, what tempts you, and they are feeding you a steady stream of toxins because you give them free unabated access. You leave the door open and call them in. 

CS Lewis said, “Sometimes the best way Satan works is not by what he puts into our minds but what he keeps out.” He keeps us preoccupied with other things that give no time for God’s word. Entertainment. Business. Work. All distract from our goal of honoring God. 

Martin Luther said:

The Devil throws hideous thoughts into the soul-hatred of God, blasphemy, and despair. When I awake at night, the Devil tarries not to seek me out. He disputes with me and makes me give birth to all kinds of strange thoughts. I think that often the devil to torment me, vex me, wakes me up while I am actually sleeping peacefully exasperates me and makes me doubt whether there is a God. 

CS Lewis, “Prosperity knits a man to the World. He feels that he is ‘finding his place in it’, while really it is finding its place in him.”

The New Mindset of Disciples

If Jesus is building his church and calls his people to build the church then we need a new mindset. Too often we walk around like we are on vacation, like a battle isn't raging in our world and hearts.

Wartime Mindset Versus a Peacetime Mindset/Vacation. In September 1938, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain met with Adolf Hitler in Munich to resolve Germany’s demand for the Sudetenland, a fortified and industrially rich region of Czechoslovakia. Seeking to avoid another devastating war, Chamberlain agreed—without Czechoslovakia’s direct consent—to let Germany annex the territory in exchange for Hitler’s promise of no further expansion. Upon returning to Britain, Chamberlain waved the signed agreement before a cheering crowd and famously declared it “peace for our time.” But instead of satisfying Hitler, the concession emboldened him. Hitler saw it as a sign of weakness and within six months Germany seized the rest of Czechoslovakia, and by September 1939, Hitler’s invasion of Poland plunged Europe into World War II. Chamberlain didn’t understand the enemy he was dealing with. 

We need a different mindset. Let me give you some things to test your mindset. I got these from my friend Corbin Hobbs at the Heights Church in Denver when we visited.

The gospel changes everything. We have a Savior. We have everything we need. But I need to discipline myself to live under its nourishment. It’s easy to eat the fast food of the world, but it leaves you empty. Satan will come calling and telling me I’m not good enough, and I need the gospel to tell me that I’m not, but that Jesus is enough and he has redeemed me from all my sin. Sometimes I mess up and feel that I shouldn’t have done what I did and need new direction, and the gospel tells me I am a new creation and that my future is determined by Jesus and not my mistakes. I’m reminded I have a purpose. I have a higher calling in life to serve the Lord in all I do and nothing is unimportant. I’m stirred to live with discipline, that every day I am training for a marathon with Jesus. It shows me the importance of friends and friends who are pursuing Jesus and how I want to show up so they know I care for them and am here for them. I can easily grow cold and complacent and this reminds me of the spiritual realities all around. It also spurs me to rest because I get tired and need refreshing. 

You reap what you sow. If you are neglecting your spiritual needs and sowing to the flesh, the idols of the world, your own bitterness, laziness, and unbelief, you are going to reap the fruit of that. It may not be today but it will come. Don’t wait for adversity to become benign to start preparing for it. The battle is happening, and it will come upon you at some point. Don’t get sidetracked by the obsession of the superficial. 

I don’t know many marriages that have failed because his abs weren’t good enough. I know a lot of marriages that have failed because of the rampant selfishness warring inside. 

I don’t know many people that failed their families because they spent too much time with the kids. 

I don’t know many people who failed in life because they were too committed to reading the word and examining their lives. I don’t know many people who failed in life because they were so focused on honoring God and heeding the warnings of Scripture. 

Can I tell you the greatest thing our church has to offer you? This is a fantastic place to come and lay down your life for the gospel. We don’t have the bells and whistles, smoke machines and lights, the pastors with thousands of followers on X, but we are a place where you can come and hear the word of God and understand it, and know how it applies to you and how you can reach other people. 

Conclusions

In Jesus we have a purpose that will not fail us. We have a work that will make a fantastic ROI. But the church is too distracted. I long for the church to have a greater impact on culture. But too many say that with their lips, but by their actions they are not willing to participate. They are not willing to make time, give sacrificially, or take the time to learn how to engage with others. They throw up the white flag rather than rely on the overwhelming force that is with them. 

Do you know why churches are dying in America? The church doesn’t look that different from the world. 

Submit to Jesus. First time. Or perhaps it is the ten millionth time of going astray. Stop looking at the shifting sands that the world has and look at the rock. 

Discussion Questions

1. What does this passage tell us Jesus is doing in the world? How intent is he on doing this? Does your life reflect the same intent and commitment to church?
2. Does Jesus’s promise to build the church entail there will be no obstacles? How does this make sense of your experience of church or the Christian life? 
3. Do you have a peace time or war time mentality? What are the ways you most need to change? How committed to that change are you?