"Where the Music Starts"

These are my notes from Apex this morning. Rob is starting a new series called House of Jazz. With jazz music it's not just melody,bridge, chorus..it's a mixture of instruments and a mix of everything...not predictable.
Church life is the same way..You have to learn to"play jazz"

Matthew 16:13-20

What are the basic note of church?
Church...the word means assembly. It's not a "religious" world
There are many models of church. We can't be "committed" to a model.

1. Note of confession
We confess Christ. We are a community of confessors. We declare something under duress..it's something you bank your whole life on.
Different from profess. Profess is to talk about it but have no relationship.
The most important question..."Who do you say that I am?"

2. The note of revelation
The way God reveals who he is is through the church. God is real and he makes himself known through His church.
You can tell this in house church by how they go at things through prayer. They seek God's wisdom. The blueprint of the church is in heaven.

3. The not of advancement
" I will build my church" At Apex there is no senior pastor. Jesus is our senior pastor. There will always be a church now and in 1000 yrs. When he talks about Peter in this passage..it's a metaphor..it's not literal that he is building His church on Peter. Catholicism uses this passage to support the pope as the mediator between here and heaven. There is only one mediator..Jesus. Peter and the church are fallible.
"gates of hell" you are locked behind gates of death.
If you are a Christ follower the gates of hell(death) won't prevail.

4. Note of victorious influence
Keys of the kingdom gives you authority and access.
Keys are:
gospel
spiritul warfare
church discipline..we need to get in each other's lives to make the bride more beautiful.