Building a relevant church

Study Guide

The following may help you reflect further on the message
(the points could also be used as a discussion guide at fellowship groups)

1. Given our present situation at Crabtree, what is your response to the words of Jesus in Matthew 16:18: “I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it”?
2. How do the words of Jesus in Matthew 16:18 relate to the new atheism propagated by the likes of Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitchens? How can this encourage us in our daily witness for Christ?
3. Jesus asked his disciples about his identity in Matthew 16:13. Why was this critical then, and how is it still significant for us today? Who then is the Christ?
4. How do you understand Peter’s role as the rock in Matthew 16:18? See 1 Corinthians 3:11.
5. Why is it critical to understand what Jesus meant when he said he will build his church? How do you understand the idea of the church today?
6. Why should we rejoice if we are part of God’s building programme called the church. See Ephesians 2:19-22.
7. How important is the contrast in Matthew 16:18 when Jesus said, he will build his church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
8. Jesus is emphatic when he says he will build his church. How relevant is this statement today?
9. How do you understand the idea of relevance, and how does this relate to the dynamic growth of the church in 1 Peter 2:4-6?