20/09/2026
Faith church Sunday Worship Service and Family Day
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡?
𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐈𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡?
Revelation 1:12–20
Matthew 16:13–23
We confess that 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲
Then we need to ask an important question:
“𝐈𝐬 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡?”
In Revelation 1, Jesus is shown walking among the seven golden lampstands and holding the seven stars in His right hand.
The seven golden lampstands represent the churches.
Jesus is not far away from His church.
He is present among His churches, watching what they do, what they say, what they love, and 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠.
In Matthew 16, Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ.
But shortly afterward, when Jesus spoke about His coming suffering and the cross, Peter tried to stop Him.
Peter loved Jesus.
He wanted to protect Jesus.
But Jesus said to Peter:
“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬.”
Sometimes, even when we think we are doing something for Jesus, we may actually put our own thoughts, plans, and desires before God’s will.
So the church must continually ask:
“𝐈𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬?”
“𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝?”
“𝐃𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡, 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧?”
And there is another important question:
“𝐃𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝, 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝?”
Simply reading the Bible, hearing God’s Word, and knowing the Scriptures is not enough.
𝐈𝐟 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝?
God’s Word was not given simply to fill our minds with knowledge.
It was given 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬.
The religious leaders in Jesus’ time also knew the Scriptures very well.
But Jesus said that they sought glory from one another rather than the glory that comes from God.
So in the end, we must ask:
“𝐖𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐦 𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠?”
When we desire human approval and honor too much, there may come a time when the voice of people becomes louder than the voice of God.
And this is not only a problem for the church.
We must also ask:
“𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞?”
Am I living according to my own thoughts and desires while still calling Jesus my Lord?
The church does not belong to us.
The church belongs to Christ.
The church is the body of Christ and the bride of Christ.
And Jesus Christ loves His bride and gave His life for her.
Therefore, we should confess:
“𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞. 𝐈𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮.”
And at the same time:
“Lord, my life is not mine. It belongs to You.”
True restoration of the church begins not when people become the center, but when 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧.
May our worship point to Jesus,
may our decisions follow His will,
may our service show His love,
and may our lives acknowledge Jesus as our Lord.
𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡.
𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬.
Amen.