April 13th, 2022

In Matthew 16:18, we read Jesus' famous words that He boldly declared to His disciples, "On this rock, I will build My church." When we break down these five words, we find each word has a Divine purpose; "I": The Divine Builder; "Will": The Divine Decree; "Build": The Divine Method; "My": The Divine Title Deed; and "Church": The Divine Structure. Let's look together at a few of these powerful words and what Jesus was announcing as His Kingdom. 

"I": The Divine Builder

The church that Jesus proposes is built on His deity, emphasizing the word "I." Moses asked who he should say sent him and Yahweh replied, "I AM THAT I AM" (Exodus 3:14). In John 6:35, Jesus says, "I AM the Bread of Life," and in John 8:58, Jesus says, "Before Abraham was, I AM." In Revelation 1:8, Jesus says, "I AM the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End." Does He have credentials to build a church? He is the same I AM who turned 70 souls into 3.5 million people called Israel, turned a rock into a river, turned a sea into a highway, and conquered death, hell, and the grave by the Easter tomb! Can He build a church in 2022? The church in the wilderness, the church in the upper room, the church in the dark ages, and the church today answers with a thundering, "YES, HE CAN!"

"I Will": The Divine Decree

Jesus decrees with His message from the beginning: I will lay down my glory and robe Myself in ordinary flesh. I will enter the world through the womb of a young virgin, and I will grow into a man. I will lay down My life, and I will let My blood be shed for My people. I will ascend to My Father, and I will put My blood on the mercy seat. I will fill my church with My nature and empower them, excite them, and defend them. I will activate them with the baptism of the Holy Ghost and turn them loose on the Earth. I will say preach the Gospel of the great I AM!

"I Will Build": The Divine Method

Jesus knew the time would come when men would not be able to endure sound doctrine, but the command to preach the Gospel was never rescinded. Before Jesus can come back for the church, He says the Gospel must be preached in all the world, and then the end shall be (Matthew 24:14). Nothing will ever replace the preaching of the Gospel, for it is like a hammer that breaks rocks into little pieces (Jeremiah 23:29) and pulls down the stone walls of the prisons. 1 Corinthians 1:21 says, "It pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe." The preaching of the Gospel can do what man can never do and is the Divine Method God has chosen in these last days. PREACH THE WORD!

His Church: The Divine Materials

When one builds a home, one chooses the best materials one can afford. But Jesus chose us as lively stones to use for His materials. Instead of perfection, He has chosen the twisted, the rotten, the broken, and the bruised. He has rescued us from the ashes. He's buried us in baptism and changed our nature. Then He declares, "This is my glorious church that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against." In our cesspool of sin, in our unusable condition, the Master Carpenter saw His purpose for us, washed us in His blood, and made us whole, beautiful, delivered, and radiating the glory of God!

In 1 Corinthians 1:27, we learn that God has chosen the foolish things to put to shame the wise. The way God brings about His plan will never be the world's way, and the people He chooses will never be the people the world would choose. But oh friend, aren't we grateful that God has chosen US! We are the people of God! We are His Glorious Church! Join us on Sundays online or in person at Regeneration Nashville as we gather as part of the global church to worship our Savior, Jesus Christ. May God bless you, keep you, and make His face shine upon you until next week. Be Regenerated!

Your friend in Christ,
​Pastor Jasmine