Big Idea

Ekklesia simply means “those who are called out.” As the Church, we are a group of believers called out by God from slavery of sin through faith in Jesus Christ. This shapes everything that we do. Every church should be obedient to the headship of Christ and submissive to the truths that he taught.

Scripture reading

Matthew 16:13-20

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 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.” 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Discussion Questions

  1. Why do you think the church is important?
  2. Why do you suppose people don’t take church seriously anymore? Could it be that churches have strayed from the mission that Jesus gave his disciples?
  3. Talk about the importance of the Father in revealing truth to every believer.
  4. Is the rock bed (the confession that Peter made) really truly the rock bed of your life? How do you think Paul “lay” Christ as the foundation according to 1 Cor. 3:10,11? Look at 1 Cor. 2:1,2
  5. It seems in our culture today that many churches are man centered, not Christ centered. According to the latter part of verse 18 “I will build my church”, what should this look like in the local church? How are we misguided by the idea of the seeker sensitive movement?
  6. Have you ever stopped to consider that death really has no power over you anymore? If Jesus truly has defeated sin, and death, why are we terrified of dying?

Prayer Focus

Take this week to pray for the church. Pray that Christ would be the one to build it and that His followers would be obedient to the message in proclaiming Jesus as the Christ the Son of the living God.

Next Steps

Read the first 2 chapters of the book of Acts. Jesus did exactly what he said he would in Matthew 16. Search your heart and ask God how you can better be on mission for Him in His church.