I.

Matthew 16:13-17

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his

disciples, Who do people say the Son of Man is?
13

They replied, Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still
others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.
14

15

But what about you? he asked. Who do you say I am?

16

Simon Peter answered, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.

II.
Jesus replied, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not
revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell
you that you are Peter,[a] and on this rock I will build my church, and the
gates of Hades[b]will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the
kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be[c]bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth will be[d]loosed in heaven.
17

Introduction:
Who do you say I am?
a. He asked this question to all of His disciples, during this time they had
witnessed so many miracles:

Jesus Healed the man with leprosy in Matt. 8:1 in the presence of
many witnesses

Jesus drove out many Demon possessed in Matt. 8:16 in a mass

crowd

Jesus calmed the storm in Matt 8:23

b. Caesarea Philippi
Gentile territory,
120 miles from Jerusalem in the northern part of Palestine.

c.

Region was strongly identified with various religions: Center for Baal
worship; the Greek god Pan had shrines there; and Herod the Great had
built a temple there to honor Augustus Caesar.

They replied, Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and
still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.
14

Modern World: Who do you say I am?

a. Saksi: Small God (Inferior God)
Pero sinabi ni Jesus: Ang Ama ay mas dakila kaysa sa akin. (Juan 14:28) Kaya hindi namin sinasamba
si Jesus yamang naniniwala kaming hindi siya ang Diyos na Makapangyarihan-sa-lahat.

Iglesia: Jesus as a Man, not a God

Conclusion of INC doctrine: The Father is God, Jesus is the Son separated from the Father and is not
God just a man. Jesus was himself then lost until he was saved by some method or means of salvation.

b. Muslims: A Prophet
but you must believe in him Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), as only a Messenger of Allh and a
human being, before his death. And on the Day of Resurrection, he Iesa (Jesus) will be a witness against
them. (Quran 4:159).

c. Mormons: Jesus as the Brother of Satan

Our Father said, "Whom shall I send?" Two of our brothers (Lucifer and Jesus) offered to help. Our
oldest brother, Jesus Christ, who was then called Jehovah, said, "Here am I, send me" Doctrine of
Mormons

d. Evangelical/Apostolic/Pentecosal View:
The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining
all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at
the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Hebrews 1:3

For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. Col 2:9

It was in the midst of this pagan superstition that Peter confessed Jesus as the
Son of God. And same to us today, in the middle of so many religious beliefs and
interpretations God is asking us this same phrase: Who do you say I am?.

And it was probably within sight of paganism that Jesus announced a

surprise: He would not yet establish His kingdom, but He would build His
church.

Title: The Church of Christ

17

Jesus replied, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not

revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.

I tell you that you are Peter,[a] and on this rock I will build my
church, and the gates of Hades[b]will not overcome it.

18

And

Petros- a pebble
while petra is a solid, immovable rock, a boulder

1. THE CHURCH IS A SPIRITUALY LED CHURCH

Heavenly things are not revealed to us by our own efforts, it comes from God Himself
a. Verse:
i. v. 17;
ii. Romans 8:14 - For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the
children of God.

iii. Jeremiah 17: 9 - "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?

b. Interpretation:
i. Speaks of Authority
ii. The Church will lead by someone Great and Deserving! With great
wisdom and understanding!

c. Example: Testimony sa Church from scrap to nindot

2. THE CHURCH IS A BELIEVING CHURCH
a. Verse:
i.

Jesus replied, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for

this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my
Father in heaven.
17

ii. Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on
your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will
make your paths straight.

b. Interpretation:
i. When God reveals something in our lives it is up to us, if we confess it
and believe in it.
ii. Peter chose to confess and wasnt even afraid to tell Jesus identity even in
the midst of an idolatrous nation!
c. Example: My Testimony from medtech to pastor

3. THE CHURCH IS A MILITANT, A FIGHTING, A TRIUMPHANT CHURCH

a. Verse:
i. Matthew 16:18
ii. Deut. 20: 4 - For the LORD your God is he who goes with you to

fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.
b. Interpretation:
i. The Church should be a threat to the devils kingdom (do not lose by default)
- 2Tim 2:3 Endure hardships with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No
one serving as soldier gets involved in civilian affairs-he wants to please
his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he
does not receive the victors crown unless he competes according to the
rules.
ii. The Church should be a fighting church which cannot be overtaken
- Put on all of Gods Armor so that you will be able to stand firm against
all strategies and tricks of the devil.
c. Example: Si tatay INC.

iii.

THE CHURCH IS TRIUMPHANT, WE HAVE A WEAPON AND IT ITS NOT

CARNAL

(A triumphant soldier has the right weapon)

a. Verse: 2 Corinthians 10:4a
The weapons that we fight with are not the weapons of the world.
Verse: Ephesians 6:12
For our struggles is not against flesh and blood, but against the authorities, against the
powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
b. Example:
c. Interpretation: We ought to have the right weapons,
Faith
The Bible
Prayer,
Power of the Holy Spirit
Fellowship of Believers
Also note: **We can only be triumphant if we have the spirit of God in
us! If God is with us who can be against us? Romans 8:31

Conclusion:

Jesus must be the center of our church. The chief Cornerstone. The very foundation of our faith.
The church should be a believing church. Having faith in God means trusting that he is in control over
everything.
To become a stronger Church we must be Militant, like a soldier willing to take orders from His
Commander (God)
We must have the right weapons to avoid casualties and be assured of victory
We should be vigilant. Watchful and careful of any possible difficulties. Accepting and Learning.

And lastly, We cannot be a strong Church if we do not know the identity of the one we are serving. We
should know Him and desire to have a personal encounter with Him because He is the foundation of our
faith, the very reason the church Exists.