Day 10 – Building

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”
Matthew 16:13-18

My kids are into building things. Paper airplanes; forts in the living room; Lego tanks; and swords out of, well, just about anything. There are days they can sit for hours in their rooms, just building things using their over-active imaginations. It’s so much fun to watch and even more fun to discover what tie, belt, sock or shoe is missing out of my closet that has somehow become a necessary piece in their creative venture.

It seems as though all of us are in some way are building things - homes, families, friendships, careers, hopes and dreams. Some things that we build take a lot of time. Other things that we build happen quickly. Watch this story about a group of people who built an entire house in less than three hours.



Isn’t it amazing what people can do when they work together for a common purpose?

And when we come to this thing called The Church, isn’t it interesting that we rarely view it as something that Jesus is building. We often view the Church as something that is already built. And yet what Jesus began 2000 years ago, He is still building to this day.

The word “Church” literally means “called out ones” and began out of a conversation and then a confession. Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say I am?”. It was a simple question, but the response would determine the fate of these first century followers. Other people in the region were saying all kinds of things about Jesus - that He was a great teacher, a wise person, one of the old prophets of God risen from the dead. It seems like everyone had an opinion on this Jesus. But that’s not what Jesus really wanted to know. He wanted to know “Who do YOU say I am?”

Peter was the first to make the distinctive confession that Jesus is the Son of God and began what would become a long line of "called out one's". Jesus uses the analogy of a building. Jesus is the cornerstone upon which the "called out ones" would be built. Just like a large foundation is made up of many small stones, the Church is made up of many members all throughout the centuries who have made the confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

And Jesus is still building His Church today. Depending upon your answer to Jesus’ question, you might even be a part of this Church that Jesus is building. But while you are a very important part, you are not the last part. Because Jesus is still building. He is on mission. There are people all over this world who have yet to be invited to be a part of this “called out” community. And He invites us to be a part of the building process. His desire is for us to look around and see all the people in our lives who aren’t connected with this beautiful Church that Jesus is building – to let them know that Jesus is more than just a great teach or a wise person or even a prophet. Jesus is the Son of God who died on a cross for our sins, was buried and three days later rose from the dead. He now sits at God’s right hand. He has restored the relationship that was severed by Adam and now He continues to build His Church to this day. And He invites every person who calls on His name to be a part of the journey.

Join in the building process. Don’t just sit and watch “church” or simply go to “church”. Be the Church. Be the “called out ones” who represent Christ in this world, not focused on earthly things that will fade away, but focused on the task of building wherever we are. Jesus is going to be building His Church anyways. Why not be a part of the process. After all, it’s amazing what people can do when they work together for a common purpose.

As you pray, allow the following to guide your thoughts in your conversation with God.

• Thank Jesus that He is still building His Church.
• Thank Him for inviting you to be a part of the process.
• Ask God to make you aware of how pivotal your part is in His mission to reach this world.
• Ask God to give you the courage to live out the confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God – with all the implications that has for your life.
• Ask God to show you your role in the building process.
• Begin a list of people you know who aren’t followers of Jesus. Begin to pray for them by name and ask God to give you insight into how you can communicate to them who He is.