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5-21-2023 Sunday Sermon Message

Meditations of the Week: Psalm 91:1-16

Text: Matthew 16:13-18

Speech title: The Lord Jesus Christ, who gave life by breaking his own body as a rock

           After hearing Simon Peter’s confession of faith, Jesus said …upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18 KJV) The Roman Catholic Church thought of Peter as the rock and built their church upon him, claiming that Peter was the first pope and constructed the  St. Peter’s Square within the Vatican.

This is arguably the most ridiculous comedy in world history. In fact, the name Peter means a stone no larger than a pebble. Also, when Jesus prophesied his own death and that He would be raised on the third day, Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. (Matthew 16:22 KJV) the Lord immediately turned and scolded Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. (Matthew 16:23 KJV) The Roman Catholics made a huge mistake by building their church on Peter, who was called Satan. We can realize through the Bible what the rock Jesus was talking about is.

         When the Israelites cried out for lack of water in the wilderness, God commanded Moses strike the rock once and supplied an abundance of water in the wilderness:

Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. (Exodus 17:6 KJV)

       The Bible testifies about what happened when Moses struck the rock:

He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths. He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers. (Psalm 78:15-16 KJV) Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people? (Psalm 78:20 KJV)

     The Bible also testifies about who the rock is:

The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. (Psalm 18:2 KJV) ¶ Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. (Psalm 28:1 KJV)

      Apostle Paul testified of the rock that brought water in the wilderness by the guidance of the Holy Spirit:

¶ Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. (1 Corinthians 10:1-4 KJV)

     Christ Jesus built his church upon himself. Therefore, those who are members of the church, which is the body of Christ, the gates of hell cannot overcome them. Apostle Paul testified of Christ as the foundation of the church :

According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. ¶ For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (1 Corinthians 3:10-15 KJV)

     Apostle Peter received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and testified unto the Jews that Jesus became both Lord and Christ:

Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:29-36 KJV)

        Peter knew and testified about Jesus even before he received the Holy Spirit. Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. (Matthew 16:16 KJV)

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 16:17 KJV)

     In this day and age, unless you are born again by the Holy Spirit, you will not know the fact that Jesus of Nazareth became both Lord and Christ. When Jesus gave his last prayer, he spoke of those who were born again by the Holy Spirit, saying that they received eternal life when they came to know God the Father and Himself:

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (John 17:3 KJV)

      He is no longer just Jesus, but The Lord Jesus Christ  Therefore, when we pray to Heavenly Father, we must pray in the name of The Lord Jesus Christ, not in the name of Jesus. There are many Hispanic people with the name Jesus (Hessus). Apostle Paul testified that no one could know that Jesus became both Lord and Christ except through the Holy Spirit:

Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. (1 Corinthians 12:3 KJV)

       Acknowledging that Jesus is Lord is a confession of believing that He is no longer Jesus of Nazareth, but that He is God the Creator who was with God in the beginning and created all things and gives eternal life. Also, believing in Jesus as the Christ means believing that He died for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. By believing in that truth we are born again by the Holy Spirit, It is also a confession of faith, that He will now come again as the Messiah of Israel, the King of Kings, and the Lord of lords, to judge the world and establish his kingdom on earth, so that His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. It is a confession that we believe in the authority, power, and glorious kingdom of Christ that will be fulfilled forever and ever.

         Apostle Paul testified that when the Lord Jesus Christ spoke to him about the Lord’s Supper, he was talking about the fact that the Lord’s body was split like a rock and the blood of the testament shed for the forgiveness of sins:

And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. (1 Corinthians 11:24-25 KJV) Amen! Hallelujah!