The Living Church Built on Christ

Summary

The evening opens with the example of Nehemiah, who prayed persistently for roughly four months - from Kislev to Nisan - before the Lord moved the heart of the king. The lesson is simple: keep praying and do not lose heart, for God hears every prayer, whether the answer comes in a moment or after years. The church itself is a spring, the place where thirsty people come to drink the living water of God's Word.

Two pictures of the church follow. In Matthew 16, when Peter confessed 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,' Jesus said He would build His church on that rock - on the solid recognition of who He truly is. In 1 Timothy 3:15 the church is called the house of God, the pillar and foundation of the truth, and she is also the bride of Christ, meant to give birth to new believers. Each of us personally is the church, and Christ asks each of us, 'Who do you say I am?'

The senior pastor adds that no place on earth matters more than the church: all creation groans, awaiting the revelation of the sons of God. The church lives by relationships - love for God and for neighbor - not by buildings or music. Following the pattern of Acts 2:42, a healthy body holds to four things: the apostles' teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread house to house, and prayer. Like a coal that grows cold once pulled from the fire, a believer cannot stay alive apart from the gathered body, and the ministries Christ gives exist to equip us for our work in our own time.

Key Points

• Pray steadily and do not lose heart; God hears, whether the answer comes in seconds or after months.
• The church rests on one confession: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
• Come to God seeking Christ Himself, not merely what His hand can give.
• The church is the house of God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
• You are the church; if it seems lifeless, ask what you yourself bring to it.
• A living church holds to four things: sound teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer.
• Like a coal taken from the fire, a believer cannot stay warm alone - we need the gathered body.