Opposition from militant Islam, infiltration of secular worldviews that permeate Europe and the US, the prosperity gospel that is spreading from the West into all parts of the world are all tremendous challenges that the churches face in fulfilling the Great Commission and participating in evangelism and the work of missions. Consider:

There are 7.3 Billion people in the world.

1.4 Billion are significantly reached; 2.8 Billion have had minimal (inadequate) contact with the gospel; 3.1 Billion are entirely unreached with the Gospel (42%)

However, there is every reason to be hopeful and encouraged when we open our Bibles and consider the words of our Savior! Jesus states He will build His church! Will you be used by Jesus to build His Church?

Well, let me invite you to turn to Matthew chapter 16. It's good to be with you tonight. Looking forward to spending tonight and tomorrow with you, speaking on such an important topic. It goes without saying that I feel a real sense of my inadequacy, my insufficiency, But we trust in God's efficiency. I don't want this time that we spend together to be just an opportunity where we have superficial encouragement but a time where we experience the very presence of God and my prayer is that we will be deeply sanctified through the word, through our fellowship together, and that what we experience tonight and tomorrow would truly have eternal consequences.

So with that said, let's pray together again. Father, we thank you that you are a Father that is loving, that you have set your love upon us. God, you've demonstrated your love by giving the very best of heaven, giving your own son. God, we thank you that he was willing to be crushed for our iniquities, that God, we might be brought into your family, adopted into your family to dwell eternally, glorifying you and delighting in who you are and what you've done for us. God, we ask you tonight to please, based upon the merit of Christ, send forth your spirit.

Give us clarity, God, as we look at your word, as we seek to understand truths about missions. Father, would you direct our minds that what is spoken would be spoken with authority, that it would be in harmony with what your word teaches, and God, that it would penetrate our hearts. God, we ask you tonight to please bless, sanctify us through our time together, build up your church, and God lead us in the fields that you would have us to minister in, that your son, Christ Jesus, might be glorified, in whose name we pray, and amen. So I'd like to begin tonight by turning to Matthew chapter 16 and want to look at the topic of what Jesus expresses in verse 18, I will build my church. But let's read together beginning in verse 13 of Matthew chapter 16 and read through the end of the chapter verse 28.

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he was asking his disciples, who do people say that the Son of Man is? And they said, some say John the Baptist and others, Elijah, but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. He said to them, but who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered, you are the Christ, the son of the living God. And Jesus said to him, blessed are you, Simon, or Jonah because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

I also say to you that you are Peter and upon this rock, I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Then he warned the disciples that they should tell no one that he was the Christ. From that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and be raised up on the third day. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him saying, God forbid it, Lord, this shall never happen to you." But he turned and said to Peter, get behind me Satan, you are a stumbling block to me, for you are not setting your mind on God's interest, but man's. Then Jesus said to his disciples, if anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will that profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels and will then repay every man according to his deeds. Truly, I say to you, there are some of you who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." As we think of the words of Christ here, I will build my church.

We recognize, I trust, in the world that we live in, there is opposition to God's kingdom from so many different areas, from militant Islam, The infiltration of worldview that permeates Europe and the U.S. The prosperity gospel that is not gospel that is spreading from the West into all parts of the world. These are some of the tremendous challenges that the churches face in fulfilling the Great Commission and participating in evangelism. Consider Also, in addition to the opposition that we face as God's people, consider the statistics that are staggering. There are 7.3 billion people in the world.

Only 1.4 billion have been significantly reached with the gospel. 2.8 billion have had minimal or inadequate contact with the gospel, and 3.1 billion is entirely unreached with the gospel, 42% of the world. That's staggering, isn't it? As we think of the opposition, when we think of these statistics, we might have a tendency to throw up our hands in despair. In particular, when We look and we see the state of Christendom.

Maybe when we look around and we see how small and seemingly insignificant many churches are that are seeking to proclaim the gospel in its purity. Oh, and we look at our own heart and we see the indifference. We might have a tendency to throw in the towel. However, I want you to understand there is every reason to be hopeful and encouraged when we open our Bibles and consider the words of our Savior. He said, I will build my church.

Now Jesus says this in the context when he is speaking to his disciples, when he is asking them the opinions of the people surrounding them, what they think of Christ. Notice in the portion that we've read, I want to ask three questions to begin with. Who is Jesus? What did Jesus do? How should we respond to Jesus?

First of all, who is Jesus? Jesus asked his disciples, who do people say that the Son of Man is? And it seems among those that the disciples had interaction with, they had a rather high opinion of Christ, or what seemed like a high opinion of Christ. Some say you are John the Baptist, others, Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the prophets. It would seem as if Jesus was held in high regard and yet not high enough.

Now this is what the surrounding communities were saying of Christ. He's unique. He's not a mere man. There's something special about him, something special about his ministry. And in the culture we live in, what do people say of Jesus?

Jesus seems to be well thought of. He is a great teacher. He set forth a great example of love and morality. He's someone that we ought to follow as far as his example of doing good, of helping others. And yet that too is inadequate, isn't it?

Who do you say that Jesus is? More importantly, Jesus asked the disciples, but who do you say that I am? And at this point, Simon Peter responds with this great confession, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus was unique. The impact of his life and ministry is unequaled in human history, and the immeasurable impact he has made in the lives of billions of persons is unparalleled.

However, this does not answer our question, who is Jesus? Jesus teaching miracles, his companions and followers caused a tremendous stir in Palestine while he was there. He excited multitudes and ignited questions and conversations about his life and actions. Jesus was different from many of the religious leaders of his day. His compassion drew sinners to hear his message and his insight concerning the evil of the human heart angered others.

However, this does not answer the question, who is Jesus? He was a masterful teacher, wasn't he? Jesus was a compassionate miracle worker. He was a powerful exorcist. He had an informed message.

Most importantly, Jesus is the Christ, The Son of the Living God. Peter recognizes through the revelation that he received from the Heavenly Father that Jesus was not a mere mortal man. Jesus was a prophet, but he was more than a prophet. He was the Messiah. He was the long-awaited Deliverer that had been promised in the Old Testament, the one who had bruised the very head of the serpent.

He is the seed of Abraham, unto whom nations would be drawn. He was the prophet that was greater than Moses. He was the suffering servant of Isaiah. He was the one whose goings forth was from everlasting that was born in Bethlehem. Jesus was the Messiah.

He was the anointed of God. He was God's chosen to bring salvation and deliverance to the people of God. Jesus was the Messiah. Jesus was the Christ, the anointed of God, the one promised in the Old Testament that would bring eternal, everlasting righteousness to his people. He was the Son of the living God, the Son of the Living God.

He has a unique relationship with the Father like no one else. He is the eternal Son of God. He is the one that was in the very bosom of the Father from all eternity. He was the son in whom the Father delighted. He was the one that communicated love and glory to his Father and received love and glory from the Father.

From all eternity when Jesus was before his heavenly Father in that unique, mysterious, interpersonal relationship, the Father was saying to his Son, you are my beloved son in whom I am well pleased." From all eternity, the Father was delighting in the Son. The Son was communicating glory to the Father. Certainly as Believers in the Bible, the Holy Spirit was involved in the communication of love and glory as well. You are the Christ, the Son of the living God, the living God, the real God, the true God. You are the Son of the living God." Jesus responds, you are blessed, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

In other words, Jesus did not say, Peter, you've got great insight, but you did. Jesus is saying your insight, your understanding of who I am is a gift from God. It is because the working of God's grace. And tonight, if you and I can confess with our heart and profess with our lips that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, oh, how we are blessed Because God has worked by his grace faith into our heart So that we believe what is written and recorded in the Bible about Jesus So the world is saying many things about Jesus your friends your companions your neighbors your co-workers Fellow students many things are said about Jesus. But what do you say about Jesus?

Who is Jesus to you? Not only is the question asked, who am I? Who is Jesus? We also discover what Jesus did. Who is Jesus?

And what did Jesus do? Or why did Jesus die? Beginning in verse 21, Jesus begins to reveal to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and there in Jerusalem he would be abused and finally killed and raised up on the third day. Jesus begins to speak of his death. This is what Jesus must do.

He must die. The Messiah, the Son of the living God, God in the flesh, he must die. Once we understand who Jesus is, we can understand the magnitude of his death. And only then, if we think Jesus was simply a moral teacher who died a martyr's death and it ended there, then we don't understand the gospel, do we? Jesus is God in the flesh.

He is the mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. And he was conceived in the womb of Mary, taking upon himself the nature of a man, two natures in one person, fully God, fully man, in order to be a mediator, to bring a holy God and sinful man together. He must go to Jerusalem in order to die. And die He must in order for us to be redeemed. We must have one who will die in our place.

Why did Jesus die and why do we need a Savior? Because the punishment for sin is death, but the wages of sin is death. Death has affected and infected all of us. All of us in this room, we've been affected and infected by sin. Not only has sin manifested in our disobedient actions against parents and authorities, but it plagues our heart internally.

We are twisted and rebellious in the very core of our being, seeking to live our lives to satisfy our own desires and pursuing what we crave and want to and want above all other pursuits through sin. We have failed to love God supremely, and we've committed cosmic treason against the King of Glory. Our failure to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength is idolatry. We deserve his anger. We deserve his punishment.

We deserve to die. But Jesus, as we've heard, laid down his life for sinners. He laid down his life for sinners. This savior who enjoyed eternal felicity with his father. Jesus, who was always rejoicing with his father.

The Bible says, rejoiced in the world, his earth having delight in the sons of men. It's astounding, isn't it? Think of the interrelationship between the Father and the Son, and yet Jesus, I believe personified in the book of Proverbs, would say he would also have his delight in the sons of men. I can understand to a degree how the Son could have delight in his heavenly Father, but how could Christ have delight in the sons of men, the holy Son of God, dwelling in the midst of sinners and yet delighting in them? Not delighting in their sin, but delighting in what he would accomplish by his death.

Delighting in the fact that he would bring rebellious sinners to himself and present them to the Father without blame. This is the love of God. This is amazing grace. This is astounding mercy that Jesus would go to Jerusalem and there he would die. And not just a physical death.

Jesus on the cross would bear the wrath of God. He would bear the punishment that you and I deserve. He would absorb God's holy indignation and in bearing the wrath of God, he would propitiate the wrath of God. He would satisfy justice so that you and I, by placing our faith in Christ, might have our sins forgiven and be declared righteous before the holy judge of the universe. This is what Jesus did.

He died. He died for our sins. He took our place. He was our substitute, dying in our place that you and I might be forgiven, raised again for our justification. Jesus who was delivered for our offenses was raised again for our justification.

Do you doubt forgiveness tonight? Then look to the tomb and observe that it's empty and that tomb where Jesus was placed is empty because God raised him from the dead, because Jesus has completed the perfect will of God. He came to save sinners and he accomplished that and now the Father has raised his son from the dead, vindicating him, Declaring that Jesus has accomplished what he came to do. Who is Jesus? He's the Christ, the Son of the living God.

What did Jesus do? What did he accomplish? He died for our sins that we might live unto God. How do we respond to the claims of Jesus? Jesus declares, beginning in verse 24, that discipleship is costly, is costly.

As we follow in the footsteps of Jesus, we are assured by Jesus that we will suffer for his name's sake. Jesus said to his disciples in verse 24, If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. You must be willing to die, take up your cross, die to self, even die physically. It may cost you your life. Certainly it will cost you your reputation.

It will cost you in some shape, some fashion. It will cost you. Follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it. You say, I'm not willing to pay the price.

I'm not willing to suffer. Then Jesus said, then you will lose it. You will lose it. You will lose life. But whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

He will find true life, eternal life. For what will it profit a man? What will it profit a man? Listen to this question. What will a prophet, what gain will it be if you gain the whole world and you forfeit your soul?

What will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his father with his angels and will then repay every man according to his deeds. On that day, my friends, those of you that have followed Christ, those of you that have died to self, those of you that have taken up your cross, Know that the gracious reward of Christ will make all the sufferings that you have endured worth it. And certainly this applies to our life as Christians, the Christian life. How much more when we speak of missions, following Jesus Christ in order to proclaim the gospel of God's glory to a dying world.

There's cost involved. Jesus is asking, how will you respond? Will you deny yourself? Will you take up your cross? Will you follow me?

There is much to gain or lose spiritually. Let us feel the weight of what Jesus is saying tonight. Let us pray that God will enable us to search our own hearts, not thinking, I wish brother or sister so and so was here tonight to hear this. God in His providence has brought us together. Listen to this, parents, listen to this, children.

There is much to gain or lose spiritually by how we respond to Jesus. Our eternal destiny, heaven or hell, depends on how we respond to the message of the gospel. Jesus demands, He demands from us commitment and allegiance. We're not to live self-centered lives, but Christ-centered lives. The gospel declares that we are saved by the work of Christ, his death, in the place of all who will place their trust in Him.

And that life of commitment will be demonstrated by a life of obedience to the point that there will be a judgment according to deeds because our deeds will manifest whether there was faith in Christ. So with that being said, may we fill the weight, the urgency of the very message of Jesus when he came and preached, you repent and believe the gospel. So it's right here in the context of who Jesus is and what Jesus has done in the context of the gospel and the implications of the gospel, committing our life to Christ, that Jesus gives us this promise, I will build my church. I will build my church. Not, I probably will build my church.

Not possibly. Jesus does not say, in all likelihood I will build my church. It is very likely that I will build my church. My church, those that are called out of the world by the Spirit and Word to myself, the church, the people of God, those redeemed by the blood of Christ from all ages will be gathered together at the end of time to dwell with Christ forever. And now we see that church universal gathered together in small local geographical bodies around the globe.

Jesus is saying that the gates of Hades will not overcome, will not destroy my church. I will establish my church in the earth for my glory. I will build my church, " he states emphatically, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Jesus will build his church. Do you believe that?

I want us to be encouraged tonight. It's easy as Christians to be discouraged. When we think of the task of missions, it's too big. It And we're too weak, we're impotent. Jesus here is initially speaking to his disciples, some of whom were fishermen, uneducated.

He said, I'm sending you out to the very throes of Satan, and yet he will not overcome. Whatever obstacles you are faced with, they will not overcome you. I will build my church." Now, this verse has been debated for centuries. Thankfully, tonight, we'll be able to clear it up once and for all. I say that in jest.

I somehow thought that Jesus is saying, upon your profession, others have thought that the confessing Peter as he is placed in the office of an apostle with the other apostles, will be the foundation of the church as we find in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 20. We can all agree that Jesus here is not saying that that Peter was the first pope and there will be a line of successors that will continue for all time. Jesus is not saying that. I believe Jesus is saying that Peter as an apostle, as a representative of the apostle, and along with the other apostles, they have received revelation from God concerning who Jesus is, and their inspired, inerrant teaching concerning Jesus is the foundation upon which the church is built. Or as Paul would write in Ephesians 2-20, the church having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, the apostles, the prophets, as they receive revelation from God and we're inspired to record it in what we have in our Bible.

This is the foundation, Jesus being the ultimate foundation, the chief cornerstone, and the Word of God pointing toward him. Jesus says it's upon this revelation, it's upon this gospel, it's upon my word that I will build my church, that I will establish my church. And the gates of Hades will not overpower it or shall not prevail against it. The church built upon the Word of God, built upon ultimately Christ, the apostles and prophets being the chief cornerstone. The church boldly proclaims the gospel.

This church is invincible and indestructible. The church conquers and overcomes as the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ is proclaimed and applied to the hearts and souls of mankind. This is the purpose of Jesus. This is the promise of God. I will build my church.

My church will continue. My church will be perpetuated. My church will not be overcome. Jesus says it's my church. Jesus is the founder and Jesus is the foundation.

It's his church. Tonight you and I are blessed because of amazing grace to be a part of God's Church. The church is his possession. It belongs to him. It was purchased by his own blood.

And of this church, of these that he will call out of the world to gather into local bodies he says, It's invincible. Do you believe that? Again, we may be thinking of things based upon our experience. Experience can be helpful. But when we begin to interpret the scripture through the lens of our experience and our experience and the revelation of God begin to have conflict, we must not base our belief upon experience but ultimately upon the Word of God.

You and I have no reason to cower in a corner. You and I have no reason to feel as if the forces of darkness will finally wipe the faith of Christ from off the face of the earth. Even right here in your local body, you have every reason to be encouraged because you are the fulfillment of the very promise of Jesus. What he spoke 2, 000 years ago is today true, and we see it manifest right here in this body of believers. Look around.

The person to your right and to your left in front of you and behind you. That is evidence. It's an evidence, it's a manifestation that Jesus Christ is fulfilling his promise. He is accomplishing what he has stated. I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overpower, shall not prevail against it." The disciples were already taught in Matthew chapter 13 of the power of Christ Church, the Word of God, as it is proclaimed to overcome darkness.

Listen to what Jesus taught in Matthew 13 verse 31. He presented another parable to them saying, the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field. And this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches. Here he speaks of the church, how it's very small and insignificant initially, but through the power of God by the gospel, by the death of Jesus and his resurrection and in the outpouring of the Spirit of God on the day of Pentecost, Jesus is saying that my kingdom will become large and powerful. And that's the reason you and I should be encouraged when we think about missions, when we think about the gospel going forth and disciples being made from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation.

When we think about the gospel going forth and conquering dead hearts and giving life, we should be encouraged. We ought to be motivated tonight. I will build my church. Though it's small and insignificant, through my spirit working through my word, it will become large and powerful. Then immediately afterwards, he spoke another parable in verse 33.

The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened. And here Jesus is saying that his kingdom, his church, his gospel, it's like leaven. It permeates and it becomes influential. Tonight, because of the Spirit of God, the gospel is potent. The gospel is powerful.

It's the power of God unto salvation. And it's this gospel that God joins his spirit to that brings light where there is darkness. Even though the God of this world, Satan, has blinded the eyes of those that do not believe, Jesus has commissioned us to go forth and proclaim this glorious gospel of salvation, this good news that our sins have been forgiven and we are made righteous before God. So Jesus sends forth his disciples among those whose hearts are dead, whose eyes are blinded by the God of this world, and he says, preach the gospel. And as you proclaim the gospel, Paul would write, God speaks life.

In fact, Paul said that when the gospel is being proclaimed, there's something similar with the gospel proclamation In relation to what happened in creation. In the beginning, God said, let there be light and there was light. And now Paul writing to the Corinthians said that as the gospel is proclaimed, God says, let There be light. See missions, my friend, evangelism, it's not difficult. Tonight it's not rocket science.

Is God sending us forth, having entrusted us with this treasure. It's a treasure. It's like treasure that's in a field, So valuable that a man, when he comes into contact with this Christ, with this Jesus, with this gospel, is willing to part with everything that he may have the treasure. As we proclaim that gospel, God draws out of the world his people so that they might assemble together in local God. I will build my church.

I want you to listen to some of the promises that God has given concerning his church. Be encouraged. This is something that God will do. But not only must we be encouraged, we must ask ourself, do we want to be a part of what God is doing? I will build my church, but God will build his church through his church.

Are you gonna be a part of what God is doing? What God will accomplish will not happen in a vacuum. It will happen as we go forth proclaiming the word. Again, as we heard in Romans chapter 10, there is no faith without hearing. There's no hearing without the word of God.

There's no preachers to be sent, how will they hear? How will they be saved? I will build my church. Are you willing to be a part of God's plan and purpose? To carry the gospel to the world, to carry the gospel to all that God in his providence brings you into contact with.

One of my favorite Psalms is Psalm 2. It's a messianic Psalm. It's a Psalm that is picturing, that's looking toward Jesus. It looks beyond David. When David speaks, though initially he is speaking of himself, the magnitude of what he is saying is beyond the life of David.

It reaches into eternity. It lays hold on Christ. Listen to how the Psalm begins. Why are the nations in an uproar and the people devising a vain theme? There's opposition.

There's opposition against God. The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed saying, let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us. It's a world that's gone mad, isn't it? Should we insulate ourselves, church, tonight? Should we find a bunker somewhere and hide and keep ourself from the world?

Is that what Jesus is calling us to do? Should I take my candle and place it under the bed? After all, if I allow my candle to be put on a candlestick, a sudden gust of wind might extinguish it. So I'll keep my candle that's lit under the bed in order to protect it. But in protecting the candle, you failed to use the very purpose for which the candle was made.

We're not to certainly be of the world, but we're to be in the world. It's a world gone mad, but it's not time tonight to retreat. Jesus says, I will build my church. And then you have this conversation taking place between the Father and the Son, between the Father and the mediator. And in verse 8, ask of me.

The Father says, ask of me, Son, and I will surely give the nations as your inheritance and the very ends of the earth as your possession that's the reason Jesus could state emphatically I will build my church because he understood the promise that had been given to him by the Father the Father says ask of me and I will give you the nations as your inheritance. So what does Jesus do? The same thing he taught us to do. Jesus doesn't teach us to ask and then somehow he refrains from asking. Jesus practiced what he preached.

The Father said, ask of me son, so what does Jesus do? He asked of the Father. He's in the very shadows of the cross in John 17 and listen to the words of Jesus as he prays to his Father. He says, I desire that they whom you gave me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which you have given me, for you love me before the foundation of the world. He's asking for the nations.

The nations are his inheritance. Jesus has asked that they would be with him in order to behold his glory. I will build my church. I will build my church. Tonight, Do we believe what Jesus has said?

Are we willing to get on board with God's purpose to make himself famous through the proclamation of the gospel in the context of the church? I will build my church. My gospel will go forth among the nations. And then in Isaiah chapter two, Isaiah chapter one, it ends with judgment, God's judgment upon his people. And primarily for the first 39 chapters, the emphasis is God's judgment.

Israel, because of their sin, will go into captivity. First, the Assyrian captivity, later on the Babylonian captivity. And chapter one ends in this manner. The strong man will become tender, his work also a spark, thus they shall both burn together and there will be none to quench them. Sounds hopeless.

But then Jesus in chapter two of verse two, or Isaiah, speaking of the times of the Messiah would record, now it will come about that in the last days, The mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains and will be raised above the hills and all nations, all nations will stream to it and many people will come and say, come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob that he may teach us concerning his ways in order that we might walk in his past For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem I will build my church the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established on the top of the mountains and by grace, by God's drawing power, he will draw people unto himself. They will be like streams going uphill, which is contrary to nature, right? And when you and I embrace Jesus, This is contrary to our sinful nature. This is the work of God's grace. This is the Holy Spirit being applied through the preaching of the gospel that we might behold the beauty of Jesus and we might be drawn to embrace Jesus as our life, as our Savior, as our God.

All nations, I will build my church. All nations will flow unto the house of God. What is your response? We heard the call of Jesus. Will you take up your cross?

Will you follow him? I will build my church. Habakkuk chapter 2 verse 14. Habakkuk 2, 14, by the way, is surrounded by the announcement of doom by God. There's five woes that are announced.

Woe, doom, judgment. But in spite of the people's sin and indifference, and even their rebellion against God, God says, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God can cover Wake Forest as the waters cover the sea? Do you? Why wouldn't we? Why wouldn't we?

Because God here is not saying, I'm just going to fill this city with the knowledge of my glory. I'm going to fill the world. I will build my church. In spite of man's sin, in spite of indifference, God says, I will build my church. And then in Malachi chapter one and verse 11, it's here in Malachi chapter one that the priest are rebellious and God's name is despised and the people are indifferent.

But the promise is, for from the rising of the sun even to its going down, my name shall be great, shall be great. Not the name of Allah, not the name of the enlightened one Buddha. No, my friends, the name of God. God has determined to make his name great among the Gentiles. In every place incense shall be offered to my name and a pure offering for my name shall be great among the nation says the Lord of hosts.

I will build my church." Then we come to the end of the Bible. We come to the book of Revelation and what Jesus has stated, I will build my church, We see through the revelation of John, the revelation that was given to John, that Jesus truly has built his church. He's called out his people. He's redeemed his people. He's gathered them together.

They sang a new song, Revelation 5 and verse 9. They sing a new song. What are they saying? You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals. Why is Jesus worthy?

For you were slain. You were slain. You lay down your life, you bore the wrath of God, and therefore you have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe and tongue and nation. God is determined and purposed to build his church. Through the church, the gospel going forth to call people from every nation, every tribe, every people group, I will build my church.

I will build my church." Does that not give some oomph to the Great Commission? When Jesus in Matthew chapter 28 said to his disciples, when he said to his church, all authority or power is given unto me, notice the bookends of the Great Commission. All authority is given unto me, And then he closes out this great commission with, I am with you always, even until the end of the age. Those are the bookends. Why would we be fearful?

Why would we struggle with timidity or doubt or apathy? Why church? He says to go forth and make disciples. I have all authority. God, God, I believe this tonight.

I believe this, that God will strategically maneuver his disciples around obstacles for the sake of his name. He will topple dictators. Let's pray for North Korea, that an evil dictator would either be saved by the grace of God or he would be toppled so that the church meeting in catacombs can have the freedom to go forth and proclaim the gospel in North Korea. God Almighty, my friends, He is the one that raises up kings and puts them down, and He will topple dictators if it's His purpose to build His church in that manner. He will even convert persecutors.

He will bind Satan. He will bind Satan. He will protect his children from death Or sanctify their martyrdom in order to make the glory of Jesus Christ known to all peoples. I will build my church. Listen to the words of the missionary Adonai Amjutzen.

What he said in his generation, can it not be said to ours, let me beg you not to rest contented with the commonplace religion that is now so prevalent. Let us not be apathetic. Friends, church, let us be encouraged. Have hope tonight. Have hope, we're on the winning side.

Jesus Christ has redeemed a people for himself and he's purposed to bring them to himself. Don't sit on the sideline. Christ comes back. When Christ comes back, let us be able to receive that commendation. Well done, Thou good and faithful servant.

Let's pray. Father, we thank you tonight for this grace, God, that we can't even begin to articulate. God, we're so thankful that the gospel is so rich that even the most skilled wordsmith cannot articulate the richness of this gospel. But God, we do pray tonight, please by your spirit give us more clarity and God please by this promise that you will build your church help us to overcome any apathy, any timidity. God please instill within our hearts an overwhelming sense of the worth of your own glory.

God that we would not be so silly to try and promote our own, but to give our lives to the promotion of your glory and the expansion of your kingdom. Oh Father, please tonight bless this body of saints, bless this church. I pray in Christ's name, and amen.