Jesus Builds His Church

Jesus said boldly, "Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not overcome it" (Matthew 16:18).

Have you ever really thought about what Jesus means when He says "I will build my church"? Obviously He means that the church is His. He is Lord and King. He is in control and is the one that does the building. But builds into what?

What is Jesus trying to build when it comes to the church? Quickly the image that comes to mind is a large structural building with plenty of seating, a stage and maybe multiple services. People who long to "go" or "come" to church. The more you have "going" or "coming" must mean Jesus is really be pleased with you because He is building your church into something bigger and better. This is the paradigm we operate from isn't it? But is that the "what" that Jesus is trying to build? Probably not.

Jesus had something bigger and better in mind, but it is not what we perceive the church should look like. It is not in our own image, it is in the image of Jesus which should be in focus.

So, what is Jesus trying to build? Let's rephrase that, what is Jesus building, whether we are involved in the process or not?

Throughout the world Jesus is building His church and in many places the way we see the church, buildings, worship services and how many people come is not how they see The Church. Their focus is on one thing, "Making Disciples!" So much of the other stuff we focus on takes away from the mission and our involvement in Jesus building His church.

Sit and think about that for a while. In your disagreement, try to find verses that defend your paradigm. Let's walk together as we discover the "what" Jesus is building that push back the gates of hell!