“I Will Build My Church”
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“I Will Build My Church”

Matthew 16:13–20  (ID: 3308)

When children ask where God lives, we may stumble to respond—but the Bible provides an answer! God doesn’t live in a tabernacle or in outer space, explains Alistair Begg, but in the church, which He is building. In the church, believers are gathered together by the Holy Spirit and placed into union with Jesus Christ and into communion with one another. As “living stones,” we form the temple that is God’s dwelling place.


Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

13Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17And 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. 18And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock2 I will build my church, and the gates of hell3 shall not prevail against it. 19I 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 loosed4 in heaven.” 20Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Copyright © 2024, Alistair Begg. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Text provided by the Crossway Bibles Web Service.

Alistair Begg
Alistair Begg is Senior Pastor at Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Bible teacher on Truth For Life, which is heard on the radio and online around the world.