Matthew 16:18 is perhaps the most important verse in the Bible, that everyone should know and understand, who calls themselves a Church-goer, or member of some Church. You should know and understand fully what Jesus meant when He said those words!
Jesus said this in Matthew 16:18. He said, “And I say also unto you, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my church: and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” If you don’t know what Jesus meant when He said those words. You are destined to be ignorant of what the church is. You will be fooled and deceived by the church you attend. You will be manipulated and taken advantage of by some church. And the most dangerous thing that could happen to you is that you can spend so much time and money in a church and still miss heaven!
It is imperative that we know what Jesus meant when he said to Peter, “Thou art Peter.” It is imperative that we know what Jesus meant when He said, “Upon this rock.” It is imperative that we know what Jesus meant when He said, “I will build my church.” And it is imperative that we know what Jesus meant when He said, “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Before Jesus said those words, He wanted His disciple to tell Him, who did people say that He was. The disciples responded by telling Jesus that some said He was John the Baptist, some said He was Jeremiah, some said He was Isaiah, while some said He was one of the prophets. Then Jesus asked a poignant question. But who do you say that I am? Peter responded by saying, “”You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!
Jesus was not giving Peter a new name. He had called Peter by that name before. In the original Greek language of the New Testament, Jesus was calling Peter a “stone.” Peter had just made the first confession of who Jesus was!!! Everyone who confesses who Jesus is is a building stone for something Jesus is building. Peter himself, clears up the true meaning of this when He wrote this in his Epistle, I Peter 2:5. Peter wrote, “ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Peter would later say in I Peter 2:9, “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of Him, who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
When Jesus said to Peter, “upon this rock, I will build my church,” He was actually saying upon every confession of who I am, I will build my church. Without a confession of who Jesus is, you are not saved. Without a confession of who Jesus is, you are not part of the church He is building. The Apostle Paul makes this very clear in Roman 10:9-10.
Jesus told Paul, flesh and blood has not revealed this to him, only my Father in heaven has revealed this to Him. This also is in line with what Jesus said in John 6:44, He said, “No man can come to me, except the Father, which has sent Me, draw him to me.”
When Jesus said, “I will build my church,” he didn’t use the word church, he used the word, “ecclesia,” That word means a called out assembly. Jesus Christ has built and is building a church which is a called out assembly of people called stones, who have confessed who Jesus is. These people are able to make that confession because God revealed to them who Jesus is. And Jesus has called them out of darkness into His marvelous light. This called out assembly is not perfect, nor good, nor righteous. But in the eyes of the Father, they are good, perfect and righteous.
Jesus Christ is doing exactly what He said to Peter. He is building His church. Not a Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Jehovah Witness, Mormon Church or some other named denominational church. When we all get to heaven, there will not be special sections for these names. There will be only one section: A section of called out believers of Christ who have been sealed with the Holy Spirit.
Finally, Jesus said the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church He will build. Jesus knew Satan would come against what He was building. Jesus knew Satan would infiltrate His church people who say they are saved but are not. Jesus knew Satan would infiltrate His church with Pastors, Preachers, Bishops and etc. who called themselves while not being called by Jesus. Jesus knew Satan would try to spoil His church with lies, hypocrisy, traditions and false doctrine. Jesus also knew that near the end of the church age, many would not endure false doctrine and eventually leave the faith.
Jesus has made it clear, no matter what Satan does, His Called Out Assembly already has the victory. The only reason Jesus will return to earth is to take His church to heaven. You can rest assured His church is a chosen nation, a holy and royal priesthood, a peculiar people of stones who make up a spiritual house. And today, out of every local church, they together, are the spiritual form of the Kingdom of God. That’s why when you make that confession of who Jesus is, God sees you as a citizen of Heaven and not just some member of a local church.
Gilbert Owens is the minister at Kingdom of God Ministries.
