Dear Christian friends:

Sometimes we worry about our church. We ask: Will it continue in the future? Will it become smaller and weaker? Am I doing enough to help my church grow larger and stronger? Am I a good church officer and leader? Am I a good church member? Pastors perhaps ask themselves if they are doing a good job. I'm sure that you often think about these things. You feel responsibility for your Pilgrim Lutheran Church for the Deaf.

We should ask ourselves these questions, and we should feel responsible for our church here, but perhaps we worry and fear too much and don't act with enough courage. We perhaps forget that Jesus really builds the Church. Here in our text Jesus tells His disciples, "I will build My Church." (verse 18) Jesus says, "My Church. I will build it." We must not forget this! The Church belongs to Jesus! He is the Builder, not we: If we remember this, we will have more confidence and be better church members and officers.


Jesus' Church is strong and cannot fail. Why? Because Jesus builds His Church on a "rock" foundation. You know that any house which is built on a rock foundation is strong and lasting house. It will not collapse during a storm.

In our text Jesus says to Peter, "You are Peter (the Rock), and upon this rock I will build My Church." What does Jesus mean? Does Jesus mean that He will build His Church on Peter the man? No! Jesus means that He will build His Church on Peter's beautiful answer. Jesus had asked His disciples a most important question. Jesus had asked them, "Who do you say I am? (verse 15) Peter quickly answered, "You are the Christ (the Messiah), the Son of the living God." (verse 16) That beautiful answer is the basis or foundation for Jesus' Church, not the man Peter. If the Church was built on a man it would be weak and easily fail. But it is not built on a man; it is built on the truth that Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Mary is also the Son of God and the Messiah, the Savior for sinners. Therefore Jesus' Church cannot fail. It will last forever. Jesus says the "powers of Hell will not defeat it." (verse 18b)

Jesus! Church cannot fail because it is built on a strong foundation. Also it cannot fail because Jesus Himself is the Builder. Jesus says, "I will build My Church." Sometimes we think that we are the Church builders. True we can build churches made of wood and bricks or stone, but we can't really build Jesus' Church. His Church is a spiritual building. His Church is believers, those who believe that He is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. That faith in anyone's heart is the work of God. Man himself can't believe in Jesus. You can't make anyone believe in Jesus. Even, I, a pastor, can't make anyone believe in Jesus. Only God can do that wonderful work. When Peter confessed his faith in Jesus, then Jesus said to him, "Peter, son of John, God has blessed you, because you did not learn this from any person, but My Father in heaven has showed this to you." (verse 17) God by the Holy Spirit makes faith in anyone's heart. When a person hears the teaching about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of the living God, then the Holy Spirit can come to him and give him faith. Yes, truly, we can't build Jesus' Church. Jesus, God, is the Builder.

Therefore, we need to be patient and trust in Jesus and wait for Jesus to do His work and build His Church larger and stronger. Don't worry so much! Have faith in Jesus. He will give someone faith and lead that person to join the Church. Jesus adds new members to the Church. We can't do that. That's not our responsibility. That's Jesus' responsibility.

However, while it is true that Jesus builds His Church, we must not forget that He uses us in doing that wonderful work. We are His agents in building the Church.

Here in our text Jesus says to His disciples, "I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Anyone that you bind on earth, will be bound in heaven, and anyone that you free on earth, will be freed in heaven." (verse 19) Here Jesus gives the office of the keys to His Church on earth. The keys are the authority of the Church on earth. One key opens heaven to sorry sinners who believe in Jesus, and the other key closes and locks the door of heaven to those who are proud and who are not sorry, those who refuse to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God.

This means that the Church has the duty and responsibility to preach the Gospel to all nations. Before He ascended into heaven Jesus commanded His disciples, "Go, ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19) We Christians have the responsibility to preach, teach, baptize, and witness that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. This is our part. This we must faithfully do all of our life. But while we do this important work we must remember to leave that other work to God, to Jesus, the work of making someone believe. We must not worry and fuss about whether the Church grows or not. Leave that to God: That's His business! Our business is to tell the Word of God to all people of all nations. We Christians are like a farmer. The farmer prepares the ground, plants the seed and cares for the plants while they grow. But God makes the plants grow. He gives them life and makes them bear fruit. So we are to plant God's Word in the hearts of men, and then wait for God to do His work.

And when God has done His work, then we announce to the people what He has done. We announce that those who believe in Jesus are saved; their sins are forgiven; for them heaven is open. We announce also that those who do not believe in Jesus are lost; their sins are not forgiven; for them heaven is closed and locked.

So, remember that Jesus build His Church. We can't! We are only His agents here on earth, nothing more. But remember, we are His agents, and we had better be attending to that work, waiting for His blessings.

Amen.