A Firm

Foundation
Biblical Reference
“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 16:18).

MODULE 2
LESSON 3

Objectives

1. To recognise Jesus as the Messiah and the only foundation upon which to build the
Church.
2. To recognise some of the fundamental characteristics of the Church of God.
3. To receive the inspiration to be a witness to the message of the Cross.
4. To understand the different ways you can demonstrate love for our sheep (disciples).

INTRODUCTION

“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. I will give you the
keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and
whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:13-19).
Near the beginning of His ministry, Jesus met with
His disciples and discussed with them His plans for
the foundation of His Church that He would build.

• How do other people see Me? (v. 13). Jesus wanted to know how His influence
was developing within the community.
• How do you see Me? (v. 15). Jesus wanted to know if they had already received
the revelation that He was the Christ.
• How did Jesus see His disciples? (v. 18a). Simon recognised who Jesus was,
even though he was someone prone to being inconsistent, impulsive and
unnecessarily reactive to circumstances. Despite all of Simon’s character flaws,
Jesus could see strength, like that of a rock, in his heart; when He prophetically
declared this over his life, that strength rose to the surface, and also spread to the
other apostles.
• Jesus includes them in the building of His church (v. 18b). The word that the
Lord gave to Peter is also for other believers. “You also, like living stones, are being
built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).
• Jesus ensured them that His Church would prevail through all adversity (v.
18c). As long as believers have a good relationship with the Holy Spirit, they will
overcome all demonic opposition.
• God entrusted them with the key for the salvation of souls (v. 19a). During the
feast of Pentecost, Peter took advantage of the fact that thousands of Jews had
come together, surprised by what had happened in the upper room. He preached
the Word to them, winning three thousand people for Christ (Acts 2:41).
• God gave them powerful spiritual authority, so that whatever they did on earth
would have an effect in heaven (v. 19b).

1. JESUS, THE CORNERSTONE OF THE CHURCH

The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, (by this I mean that there is only really one Church,
that for which Christ gave up his life), was established on a firm foundation, Jesus Christ, the
cornerstone upon which the weight of this spirit building rests. Upon this foundation were
placed twelve columns – Jesus’ twelve apostles; later would come the living stones – the
believers. “Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as
the chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20).

2. KNOWING THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST

“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went
around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was
with him. “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in
Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him from the dead on
the third day and caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by
witnesses whom God had already chosen – by us who ate and drank with him after he rose
from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one
whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him
that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name”
(Act 10:38-43).

Peter mentions several aspects relating to the Lord Jesus’ ministry:

• His ministry on the earth was supernatural (v. 38).
• God entrusted the disciples with the mission to be witnesses of all that Jesus had done (v. 39).
• He died and rose again on the third day (v. 40).
• He sent them to tell the people that Jesus is the Judge of the living and the dead (v. 42).
• Everyone who believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins (v. 43).
3. THE PRICE FOR HIS DISCIPLES
When Jesus saw the multitudes coming towards Him, He started teaching them, helping
them understand that following Him would not necessarily be easy, knowing that some
would not be willing to pay the price (Luke 14:25-33).
What was the price?
• To love Him above all members of our own family. “If anyone comes to me and
does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters –
yes, even his own life - he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14v. 26).
• To take up our cross and follow Him. “And whoever does not carry their own cross
and follow me cannot be my disciple”(v. 27).
• To visualise ourselves having the strength to reach the end of the race. “Suppose
one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see
if you have enough money to complete it?” (v. 28).
• To finish what we start. “For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it,
everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t
able to finish” ’ (v. 29-30).
• To give up everything we have. “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against
another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand
men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he
will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of
peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot
be my disciples” (v. 31-33).

4. BEING FERVENT WITNESSES

The Early Church believers became witnesses, preaching with power from on high, just as
the Lord had promised.
“With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and
much grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:33).
In his defence before King Agrippa, Paul said, “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient
to the vision from heaven. First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all
Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and
prove their repentance by their deeds” (Acts 26:19-20).
Since the moment of his conversion, Paul could clearly see his calling. He felt obligated to share
the Gospel of salvation with each and every person (Romans 1:14). He never became ashamed of
preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, because he knew that through it, the power of God was
working to bring salvation (Romans 1:16).
5. LOVING THE SHEEP

• Peter was confronted. “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again
Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord,
you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he
said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus
asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you
know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep” (John 21:15-17).

• Every believer is a child of God. “Yet to all who received him, to those who
believed in is name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not
of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (John
1:12-13).
• Paul became a spiritual father, even whilst in prison. “I appeal to you for my son
Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to
you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me” (Philemon 10-11).
• Women can bear abundant fruit of God. “But women will be saved through
childbearing – if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety” (1 Timothy
2:15).
• Paul fought for those who had left the faith. “My dear children, for whom I am
again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 4:19).
• Not bearing fruit brings shame. “Be ashamed, O Sidon, and you, O fortress of the
sea, for the sea has spoken: “I have neither been in labor nor given birth; I have
neither reared sons nor brought up daughters” (Isaiah 23:4).
• The example of barren fig tree. “Early in the morning, as he was on his way back
to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found
nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!”
Immediately the tree withered” (Matthew 21:18-19).

CONCLUSION

Just as in the ancient times, God gave Moses comprehensive designs for the tabernacle in
the Old Testament and then told him to do everything in accordance with this pattern
(Hebrews 8:5). The Lord Jesus left us a model for how His Church should be. What he
established needs neither change nor modification because he does everything perfectly.
Destiny Training - Module 2 Lesson 3
A firm foundation
Name: _________________________________________________
Pastor: ______________________________________________
Date: ________________________
Please hand in at your next training session

ACTIVITY QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Complete the following Bible passage:

“Who do people say the __________________ is?” They replied, “Some say John the
Baptist; others say _____________; and still others, Jeremiah or ___________ of the
prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” ________ Peter
answered, “You are the ______________, the Son of the living ______ replied, “Blessed
are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not _____________ to you by man, but by my
Father in _____________. And I tell you that you are _________, and on this rock I will
______________, and on this rock I will ______________ it. I will give you the
______________ of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in
heaven, and whatever you __________ on earth will be ____________ in
heaven” (Matthew 16:13-19).

2. What plans did Jesus unveil for the foundation of His Church?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

3. Mark true (T) or false (F):

! The Lord’s Church is built on a firm foundation; Jesus Christ is the cornerstone or the
base upon which the weight of this spiritual building rests. __________.
! Twelve columns – Jesus twelve apostles were established, and later would come the
living stones – the believers. __________.
! The Lord Jesus did not leave us the model for how His Church should be. What He
establishes needs neither change nor modification because He does everything
perfectly. __________.
4. Draw a line between the following statements and their corresponding verses from Acts10:
His ministry on earth was V. 38
supernatural.

God entrusted the disciples with the V. 39

mission of being witnesses of all
that Jesus has done.

He died and rose again on the third day. V. 40

He sent them to tell the people that V. 42

Jesus is the judge of the living and
the dead.

Whoever believes in Him will V. 43

receive forgiveness of sins.

5. List the teachings that Jesus gave to His disciples in Luke 14:
a. ___________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________________
d. ___________________________________________________________________
e. ___________________________________________________________________

6. List at least 5 ways that love for the sheep is shown:

1. ___________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________________________________
5. ___________________________________________________________________