Jesus Guides His Church with a Powerful Promise (Matthew 16:13-20)

Jesus Guides His Church With a Powerful Promise, Week 1, September 6, 2020

Readings for this Week:

First Lesson: Joshua 4:1-9: Twelve rocks told the story of God’s grace and preservation to generations of his people. Through the Word, they still speak to us today. As he once used his might to halt a river in its place to preserve his people, so today God still preserves and protects the new Israel, his Holy Church.

Psalm 34: Psalm 34 gives thanks to God for delivery from danger.

Second Lesson Revelation 7:1-8: God doesn’t just hold back rivers, but he even holds back the winds of destruction until every one of his elect is safely sealed.

Gospel:  and Sermon text: Matthew 16:13-20:  In this reading, Peter confesses Jesus to be the Son of the living God. This living God is the hope of every sinful man. Jesus had the mission to restore life to this world of death. This truth is the rock on which the Church stands. Because it stands on the rock and not on the pebbles of mem who serve it, the Church will stand forever: its message is changeless; the ramifications of its work are eternal..

Sermon:  Jesus Guides His Church with a Powerful Promise: Matthew 16:13-20.

The powerful promise of Jesus is that Christ’s Church will always stand—-right up until the end of this world’s existence.

It will not go away.

It will not be defeated.

And it will continue to exist as God’s people live with him for all eternity.

This encourages us in our faith as we see the pressure a sinful world puts on Christians.

This gives us comfort and peace.

Pastor Ron Koehler