Part 1 of 3- “I will build my church” Statement for our Prayers in 2011: Matthew 16:18

Perhaps there is no statement in scripture as positive and full of hope. How many prayers have been
lifted up in the private and public place with the ring of these special words of Jesus Christ? I do not
believe that there is a text in all the 66 books that make up God’s revelation to sinful man, that
makes most sense to Dundee FPC in 2011. Could this statement of intent- “I will build my church” be
any more relevant to us?

If our Lord gave us blank piece of paper and asked us to write what we most desired him to do for
us, personally, I would write “Lord, build your church in Dundee.” However, we do not have to ask,
nor is this truth of the gospel an origination of the prayers of believers. Jesus Christ said to his
disciples: “I will build my church.”

Jesus Christ is the Master Architect: “to build” οἰκοδομήσω

Let’s analyse just how Jesus Christ is the Master Architect, as far as it is signified by Christ’s own
purpose to build his church. While we have a statement or decree of Christ in these words, it is
descriptive of a work of Christ or more properly ‘the’ work of Christ. For what we know of God is
only through the work of Jesus Christ in revealing himself in and to creation. Jesus Christ is the
revelation of God. God has not through any means since the beginning of time revealed himself in or
to creation except through His Son Jesus Christ. Ref: Hebrews 1:1-3. This includes Old Testament,
New Testament and creation itself. Verse 3 is one of the most descriptive verses in the entire Bible
concerning the ‘revelatory relationship’ of Father and Son. The Son is described as 1. “The brightness
of his glory”- ἀπαύγασμα meaning radiance or reflection (Consider John 1:1). This is the only place in
the Bible where this word is used! At risk of vain liberty, I must say that this impressed on me a
possible special use of the word to open up our view, at just a glimpse, to this amazing relationship.
If this wasn’t enough, 2. “The express image of his person”- χαρακτὴρ meaning impress or
reproduction. Again this form is only used once; two special words for a special relationship. But the
point I wish to communicate is that exclusive revelation that the Son of God is to this universe and to
time itself.

Therefore there is a two-fold view of the Master Architect to behold.

1. The Master Architect’s Two Great Projects:

1- His first and fundamental Project: as the Master Architect, Jesus Christ created this world and all
the universe. οἰκουμένη is used in: Luke 4:5- The word used is a form of our word to build. Note that
Satan shows Christ the world or the earth. He claims to have power over it so much so to be able to
give it to Christ. But consider the situation, the Son of God looks over the world and it is literally his
own work. He had complete power over the world, enough to destroy it in a moment. Satan did not
have a genuine offer, just as he claimed falsely in the Garden of Eden, so he seeks now to deceive
our Saviour. The Son of God chooses not to destroy but to perform a work of redemption. Rom
10:18 shows how the gospel is prophesied to go unto the ends of the world, again indicating the
work of Christ in creation. He made the world but as we will see he is also remaking men by the
power of the gospel. Also from a doctrinal perspective, Hebrews 1:10 shows us directly that Jesus
Christ was the master architect of this world and the whole universe.
This is God revealing himself in creation. How has he done it; through the creating Word of His Son.
For a sufficient understanding of Christ as the Word creating, we must compare John 1:3 and
Genesis 1:3. There is no doubt that God created all that we see and know through His Wisdom or
through the Word, His Son. When God spoke, he signified his will that the Word was the creator or
Master Architect of this universe. John Calvin deals with a seeming problem where God creates
before mentioning his Word in v1-2. He says in referencing John 1:3,

“It is certain that the world had been begun by the same efficacy of the Word by which it was
completed.”1

Thus, we are provided with a view of Jesus Christ who being the eternal Word created, as the Master
Architect, the universe. In other words, he built all that we see from nothing. Herein has God
revealed himself, through the work of his Son’s first project.

2- His second and most glorious project: his second work, as the Master Architect, was and
continues to be the redemption of man. Nothing is more glorious and amazing as his will to re-create
a ruined creation and a rebellious sinner. Man was God’s greatest creation as we were created in his
image (Gen 1:27). Returning to the word to build- οἰκοδομήσω, we must ascertain it’s branch of
meanings: Acts 9:31 shows us, very importantly, its meaning as ‘to edify or strengthen.’

Although Jesus Christ is the Architect as he plans and directs these great works of the divine hand, it
is the Spirit who performs or affects the work of Christ’s mind. Genesis 1:2 shows the Spirit’s
involvement in the work of creation (cherishing or holding together the creation), and other NT
evidences show this again and again. In the work of regeneration, for example, Christ directs and
plans while the Spirit immediately carries out the work giving spiritual life to the soul. How
powerfully this is put in Acts 1:8 as a promise to the NT church. In many ways the Spirit fulfils the
promises of Christ to us. The gifts and blessings of the Saviour to sinners and his church are
administered by the Holy Spirit. (John 16:13-16)

However, it is still Christ’s work. The tense of the verb “to build” is singular. ‘I’ will build shows his
intention to do the work by his own hand. Of course the work of redemption is a work that has
involved the life and death of the Lord. The work of building is based and built upon the Saviour’s
sacrificial redeeming work he has already accomplished for us. When Christ said “It is finished”, it
meant that Satan was conquered and the foundation of His church was laid. Yet the future tense of
the verb “to build” signifies a work he is continuing in the power of the Spirit.

I want us now to take a look at the building work of our saviour the architect. Again a two-fold view
is to be beheld.

2. The Master Architect’s Building Work:

1- Building in progress: Eph 2:19-22, same root (household) οἰκεῖοι here we get a look at this great
building being erected into a perfect building. The meaning refers to family and relations, for the
house is a related family of believers, crossing all human divides, including Jew and Gentile. With
building progress there is a lot of hard and stressful work. It is furthermore a building of doctrine
1
John Calvin p74 Banner of Truth
according to v20. The truth of God’s Word and the gospel is how the church is built. This is how to
understand the rock in Matthew 16. The Church is built upon the gospel. As Peter confessed one of
the great truths of the gospel, namely, that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God, our Lord taught the
disciples how he was going to build his Church. Not upon man or this little rock of human
understanding Πέτρος, but upon this bedrock of gospel truth πέτρᾳ, that is set in the hearts of
believers by the Holy Spirit! Therefore, by this means with Christ as the chief corner stone, v21-22
there is growth.

2- Building complete: Rev 21:2, here we get a view of the church as a completely finished and
furnished building or city- “New Jerusalem” and v9-10 confirms this is the church- “the lambs wife.”

I want to highlight Christ’s ability to build and to continue and complete the building of his church. It
is within his power to finish what he has started. It is a matter bound up in his covenant of grace, his
promise to complete the church and so glorify God in full and finished redemption. Thus He is
building: 1. The church as a complete visible and invisible body, but also 2. Saints as single bricks or
stones in that building. In other words, he is perfecting us in order to perfect and complete his
church!

We must learn from these lessons for our outlook this year:

1- The first question that we must ask ourselves is do we doubt the master architect? Are we not
confident of his power and purpose to erect the church glorious, even on earth? Get a view of the
Lord Jesus Christ and his creating power and purpose for Dundee FPC this year!

2- Naturally then, if we get a view of Him who is the Word of creation and re-recreation, we can pray
with a full heart of assurance and trust! If we are to pray for church growth and salvation to visit our
community, in effect we are asking Christ to build. Pray tonight for Christ to build! And when we do
this, we are calling upon his infinite mastery of creating and recreating.

3- As He excels in building the Church as a mighty building, so He builds us individually. 1 Peter 2:3-5.
Pray for the tender care of the builders hand to be applied to your life so that you fit well in the
building of God. As the builder he delights in edifying and strengthening you as the very central part
of his work!

Pray, simply, that we will see the Builder of the Church Build here on this plot this year.