Built To Last

Pastor James C. Ward

March 22, 2026

Sunday Morning

Matthew 16:13-18

(13) When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? (14) And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. (15) He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? (16) And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. (17) And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but by my Father which is in heaven. (18) And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Introduction

Ministry can be draining. For that matter, life can be draining – very draining. Sometimes, you need to be by yourself to recharge. Sometimes, you need to be with a small group to recharge. We all need quiet time with the Lord.

Jesus and the apostles had a demanding schedule. They made long journeys to meet the needs of people. Jesus took them on a ten-day retreat to Caesarea Philippi to recharge. During this retreat, He conducted a survey. He wanted to know what people thought of Him. He wanted honest feedback. There were two questions on the survey. Who do people in the public say that I am? Who do you personally believe that I am? (I know, totally correct English would use whom instead of who.)

The feedback of the public was good, but not good enough. They saw Him just as a prophet. Peter responded to the second question and hit the nail solidly on the head. Peter said, in essence, that you are the long-awaited Messiah. You are the begotten Son of God. Peter did not wait for a consensus of the group to answer. His answer was prompted by the Spirit. Peter’s response was met with a monumental response from Jesus: “Upon this rock I will build my church.” Let’s make it clear; Peter was not the rock. To be more specific, Jesus is the Rock, and Peter realized it and expressed it. (Over the centuries, grave doctrinal errors have been perpetuated by teaching that the rock referred to Peter.)

The tense of the verb to build in the Greek is the continuing present. This tense refers to something started in the present moment that will continue indefinitely in the future. So, Jesus is still building His church, and it is built to last. Some manufacturers deliberately make items designed to last only for a certain length of time so that you will have to buy another one. However, they make sure it will last the length of the warranty. In contrast, the church was built to last forever.

Let’s look again at this very familiar Scripture to refresh our spiritual memories and, perhaps, gain new insights as Antioch-Lithonia celebrates one hundred fifty-seven years of existence. Let’s see why the church is built to last.

Exposition

1. The Foundation Is Sure.

2. The Architect is Competent.

3. The Construction Contractor Is Experienced.

4. The Owner Will Never Sale, Lease, Or Abandon The Edifice.

5. The Church Will Never Be Demolished, Destroyed, Or Become Obsolete.

Closing Statements

The delivery system for the church – I am talking about the spiritual church, not the physical building – is a “design–build” delivery system. It is not a “design-bid” delivery system. In a “design-build” delivery system, the same company that provided the architects to design the building also constructs the building. There is only one company to deal with. Now, you see where I am going. Jesus did it all by Himself. There were no third parties involved in the inception of the church.

The church is built to last. The average sports stadium in America lasts about twenty years, and it is torn down to construct a better one. The Atlanta Falcons are playing in their third stadium. There is no need for Christ to construct a “new” church. He got it right the first time. It is paid for with His precious, holy, saving blood. Part of the church will be relocated during the rapture, but it will last forever and forever.

Give God Glory! Give God All The Glory!