Christ is calling disciples, not mere believers.
Let's face it - we define believe in some pretty loose terms. I might believe I have a shot at being president but that's improbable at best and impossible at it's most reasonable. You believe you can drive ten over the speed limit without any adverse consequences. There are cops, however, who believe a whole lot differently.

Many Christian folks apply that same loose belief to their part in the Christian faith. It is time to put what we believe into action, don't you think? That is what NetFaith is all about.
Think about this: Your gross faith is all the measure of faith that God gave you. Now, determine what of it is being spent on less productive things than the Great Commission. You know. Stuff like faith in the Powerball or in your career or whatever else you may trust in. That is absorbed faith; sort of like that money from your paycheck that get absorbed before you get your net pay. Net faith is what actually gets used for the purpose intended.

That was the reason for this website being built 7 years ago. That's what I want to do with it for its ump-teenth reinvention. Maybe I'll get something worth using this time.

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And 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. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I 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 loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:13-19 ESV)

Jesus and his disciples walked everywhere they went and we can be sure they were walking quite a lot throughout His ministry years. One of the best ways to make a slow trip more pleasant is to keep up an active conversation. This excerpt from one of their travel talks is much more telling than most. The conversation may have lent itself to Jesus asking a general question to them all: Who do people say that I am?
They answered from their observations then Jesus redirected the question: Who do you say that I am? You can almost sense the silence after that question. Maybe they withheld saying what they really believed for fear of being wrong; having wasted their time on just another would-be Messiah. Maybe they too thought he was on par with John the Baptist or the ancient prophets. Maybe they just didn’t know what to think of Jesus except that He had words of life and they were compelled to follow Him. Peter, however, was not afraid to say what he believed. He answered in the hope that all of them shared. You are the Christ – Son of the living God! Jesus confirmed Peter’s opinion and all of them were graciously relieved to hear Jesus say for sure who He was. They knew for a fact who they followed.
That grips our attention so firmly that we almost overlook what Jesus said next. Not about Peter but about His Church. Peter’s confession is the basis of the Gospel – GOOD NEWS!
Jesus of Nazareth was God’s Messiah in the flesh who lived among men, was killed and returned from the grave victorious over death, the grave, and eternity. No longer is He merely Jesus of Nazareth, the man. He is Christ Jesus the righteous ruler of His Father’s creation!

So about the Church...
The Gospel is the rock upon which His Church is founded. Jesus said with the authority of God that the gates of hell would never prevail against it. They would have understood what Jesus meant right away. City gates were often built in deep extensions through the walls with an inner gate and an outer gate. It was a security thing. Gates are the weak point in a wall so it made the gate more of an obstacle. But that wasn’t what Jesus was talking about.

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Posted by: Frank

May 31, 2008