The Purpose of the Church (Pt. 4)

18 And I tell you that you are Peter,[b] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades[c] will not overcome it.  Matthew 16:18

There is no greater army in all of video game history than Pikmin. In Nintendo’s military puzzler, you control an army of little plant aliens who will obey your bidding. When it comes time to unleash them in a campaign, the red, blue, and yellow aliens become a wave of terror for any giant predator that comes against you. These guys are more hardcore than piranhas.

Jesus gives Peter a new role and a promise in Matthew 16. He will be the very first campaign runner for the ancient church, a kick-off for Christ’s spiritual revolution. Peter is still a bit fuzzy on the details about Jesus’ death and resurrection, but Jesus is confident that the world will know the coming church. Even the gates of Hades will not be able to stand when Peter and his church get moving.

The tone sounds very militaristic, but Jesus’ vision for the church is a spiritual one, not a military one. There is an ancient and lurking evil that thrives on lies, ignored people, selfishness, greed, and fear, and Jesus assures Peter that his church will have the authority to knock it over. Jesus imagines a campaign where the church is invading the world of hurt, loss, deception, and spiritual curses and rescuing those afflicted by them.

And that role hasn’t changed in modern times. The church is called to journey through the world, united by Jesus, and find spaces to introduce the Gospel. The Gospel is not just a set of talking points on how to find salvation, but it is also about service, relationships, discussion, and prayer. The promise still stands today: The church will knock over the evil that stands in its way.  

Figure it Out:

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter,[b] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades[c] will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be[d] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[e] loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. Matthew 16:13-20

  1. Circle any words or phrases that you find significant.
  2. Why was it important for Peter to answer Jesus’ question before receiving the promise?
  3. If we think of Hades (lit. Hell) as a spiritual army against the church, what dangers is the church defending itself from? Which victories is the church gaining over it?
  4. Jesus is giving you the keys to his Kingdom. What are our responsibilities?

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