What Does Jesus Envision for His Church?
When Jesus spoke about the church, what did He have in mind? If we asked twenty different churches about their mission, we'd likely get twenty different answers. This lack of clarity shouldn't surprise us, but when it comes to God's church, we must be all pointing in the same direction. The Foundation: Built on the Rock In Matthew 16:13-18, Jesus asks His disciples a pivotal question: "Who do you say I am?" Peter's response - "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God" - becomes the foundation for everything that follows. Jesus declares that on "this rock" He will build His church. What Is the Rock? There's been debate about what Jesus meant by "this rock." Some suggest it's Peter himself, but the Greek text tells a different story. Peter's name (Petros) means "pebble," while the word Jesus uses for rock (Petra) means "boulder." Jesus isn't building His church on a pebble - He's buildin...