The 40th anniversary celebration pictures
Upon This Rock I Will Build My Church
This is the sermon that Robert M. Varner preached at the initial service of the Levittown Church of God. It was our organizational service. The State Overseer, Estel Moore was to speak but he forgot to show up.
Text : Matthew 16 : 13-19
Introduction: Jesus had brought his disciples into a new area to work. He had tutored them about their work and the hour that they would face. He had prayed for them that God would implant new strength within them so that they might become mighty warriors for Him. He had unveiled to them many of the mysteries of the plan of salvation and the future so that they might be able
to recognize their responsibility to God to the world.
Soon this band would go on the excursion of life without the visible presence of Jesus with them. Soon he would return to His
office at the right hand of the Father in Heaven.
Jesus solemnly asked them a question, "who do you say that I am ?" The world had been arguing and bickering as to who this
personality was. They answered, Elias, Jeremiah, John the Baptist or one of the other prophets come back to earth from the dead.
Then Jesus asked them, "But who do you say that I am ?" Up stepped Peter, the spokesman of the group. This was the man
who often said the wrong thing at the wrong time, but he spoke a mouthful of truth this time. He gave to us one of the great confessions in all of history. He said, " Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." He was not ashamed of his blessed Lord.
Point # 1: Much like the group was assembled that day we have assembled today. We have come into a new area to witness
for Christ. Who knows but what we have come to the Kingdom for such a time as this. Jesus is asking us this question, " Who does the world say that I am ? "
We are no longer living in a religious society. Here are some of the things that they are saying :
1. God is dead
2. Men evolved from the scum of the earth.
3.There is no God.
4. God is a Santa Claus, lollipop giving God. He is too good to send anyone to Hell.
5. There is no place for God in our economy.
God so pointedly ask us this question, " But who do you say that I am ?" I know what the world is saying about me but what
are you saying about me. We must arise to our feet and profess Christ before this community. We must confess Him as:
1. The Creator.
2. The Savior of the world.
3. The solver of all problems that mankind will ever face.
4. Our soon coming King.
5. The rewarder of all evil.
These things are not taught in the text books of our secular schools. You will not learn this from reading secular books of the
philosophic minds of our decade. It is not mastered from our Great Society.
This is learned on an excursion to Calvary. It is mastered in the school of heavenly love. It is learned when we sit at the feet
of the Great Rabbi and teacher of truth. Jesus is an expert on every subject. He is the master teacher of every lesson that we need to learn.
1. He taught Nicodemus a lesson on the New Birth.
2. He taught Paul a lesson on conversion.
3. He taught Peter a lesson on humility.
4. He taught Thomas a lesson on believing
5. He taught Lazerus a lesson on the resurrection.
6. He taught Moses a lesson on complete obedience
7. He taught the rich man a real lesson on the torment of money.
8. He taught Judas a lesson on the perils of the love of money.
we must confess Christ in our:
1. persistent testimony.
2. Consistent living.
3. Prayer life.
4. Church attendance.
Point #2: Jesus has promised us to build his church upon faith. Jesus looked at Peter through the eyes of compassion and said, "Thou art Peter and upon this rock I shall build my church." There has been a lot of discussion about what the rock, here mentioned by Jesus, refers to. Some say it refers to Peter and that Jesus said that he would build his church upon Peter. Some say that it refers to Jesus, who is the rock of ages. He is the rock of ages. He is a firm foundation. But I believe that he refers to the Peter's open confession that Jesus was the Son of God and his undeniable faith in Jesus. Peter heard what the crowd was saying but he knew that Jesus was no imposter. He was the real thing. HE KNEW WHO JESUS REALLY WAS.
Homer used the same root word, PETRA, in his work, Odissey , one of the greatest literary feats of all time, in referring to a rock that 22 wagons drawn by oxen could not move. Peter's confession of Christ was not moved by the surrounding heresies that he was hearing.
I confess to you that we are building this church upon faith that Jesus sent us here to build a church for him in this community. It is not being built upon human might or financial assurance. This is an endeavor by faith. We will rely upon the arm of the Lord as we establish this church.
We do not have a presidential appointment with a guarantee of federal subsidies, but we have a divine appointment from the King of Kings. He reigns from Heaven. Our appointment is made from heaven. We have the assurance of his promises in the Holy Word that whatsoever we ask in his name we can have it. We do not have difficulties. We will face seemingly insurmountable barriers. We may struggle at times but let us remember that our Father ownth the cattle upon a thousand hills and he will not forsake his own.
I only pray. "Lord, when we are weak strengthen us. When we are faithless give us faith. When we become discouraged show us our future reward."
Point # 3: We have a divine promises of victory. Jesus continued to talk to Peter 's great faith. He said," And the gates of Hell shall not prevail against you."
Let us remind ourselves of our spiritual strength as children of God. We can unmask Satan in his wretchedness and mockery. When he opposes us we will take him on a sightseeing excursion of Mount Calvary. We will show him where Jesus soundly defeated him. We will remind him of Christ's victory over him. We will show him the dust where he has to crawl when he faces Jesus and the disciples of Jesus. At Calvary Satan can never get off his belly. Here he has to admit his defeated state.
All of Hell, itself, cannot stop the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in this area.
Jesus continued, " I will give you the keys of Heaven. These are the keys of eternal life. These are the keys that open up unto men the doors to eternal peace, joy and happiness.
Whatsoever things thou name shalt bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven. When we bind the advance of sin on the earth God will bind it in Heaven as a sign of our victory and as an application in the Book of life for a reward.
Whatsoever things thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven. Every sinner that we help unshackle from sin and the fetters of death by the grace of God, God in Heaven loosens the sentence of eternal damnation that has been passed against him and allows him to stand before God as though he had never committed one sin. He declares him to be worthy of eternal life.
God looses the title of alien and foreigner to kingdom of God and embraces him in his loving arms and calls him a Son.
He looses the worldly desire of the sinner and gives them a flight into the sea of his forgetfulness. He places a love of new and different things in the heart of the converted sinner.
Conclusion :
1. We must confess Christ in this community.
2. By faith we will be faithful to our calling and serve God successfully and victoriously in this area.
3. We shall be guaranteed of victory.
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