Matthew 16:12-20 

“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.”

I. THE RIGHT FOUNDATION 

    The foundation is the most important part of a building. If the foundation is weak a building will not stand for long. Jesus did not build His Church upon a pebble like Peter. He established His Church upon a solid rock foundation. The foundation that Jesus build upon was Himself who was the eternal Rock of Ages. His Church was established upon an everlasting, indestructible, and unshakable footing. The strongest part of the church upon the rock is its foundation. 

II. THE RIGHT MAN 

    The true church was not built upon a fickle human being. It was build upon God Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus told Peter upon this rock. What rock? Jesus was referring to Peter’s previous statement --“Thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God.” In essence Jesus was saying, I will build my church upon myself, I will build my church upon my deity, I will build my church upon rock solid fact– the fact that I am God. I am the eternal Rock of Ages in human flesh! Peter wasn’t old enough to be the foundation of the church. But Jesus is because He is the Ancient of Days and the eternal Rock of Ages. 

III. THE RIGHT MATERIAL 

    The Church on the Rock was build with the very best material. The Lord never intended for his church to be built with wood, hay, or stubble. The right church will have the right kind of membership. We need to get off of this business about quantity and get back to quality like the Lord Jesus Christ did. The right material is those who are saved. 

IV. THE RIGHT REVELATION 

    Divine truth was revealed to Peter by the father in heaven. In order to be saved one must have Christ revealed to him as his very own personal Savior. Has Christ been revealed to you? It happen like this to me. In the Book of Revelation John would hear a voice, then he would look, and God would reveal things to him. One night I heard the Gospel message, I looked to Calvary, and the Holy Spirit revealed Jesus to me as my personal Savior! What a revelation it was! 

V. THE RIGHT PROFESSION OF FAITH 

    Jesus choose people with the right profession of faith. The greatest profession of faith ever made was made by Peter when he said, “Thou are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Yes, Jesus wanted a saved membership. He wanted people made out of the right stuff! He wanted genuinely saved people. 

VI. THE RIGHT BAPTISM 

    Jesus build His church with people who had scriptural baptism. His first disciples had Baptist baptism for they had been baptized by John the Baptist. Baptism is not essential for salvation but it is essential in order for a saved person to be the right material for a church. When I speak of scriptural baptism I speak only of true Baptist baptism. Do you have the right baptism? Do you have John’s baptism? 

VII. THE RIGHT DOCTRINE 

    The true church on the Rock has the right beliefs. All truth is based on the deity of Christ. It is not based on His Lordship but on His Godship. Jesus not only is Lord but first and foremost Jesus is God. 

VIII. THE RIGHT CHURCH 

     Church doctrine is important. Inter-denominationism and nondenominationism are unscriptural and unpleasing to God. It does make a difference what you believe. It does make a difference where you go to church. Don’t go to the church of your choice; go to the church of God’s choice. Go to the church that his only begotten Son established during His lifetime. 

IX. THE RIGHT PRACTICE 

    Some say we need the same message but new methods. No, we still need Bible methods. God’s Word does not change with every generation. It stays the same year after year after year and century after century after century and millennium after millennium after millennium. His Word is fixed in heaven and that includes both Christian doctrine and Church practices. The principles and practices are laid down in the New Testament. 

X. THE RIGHT BLUE PRINT 

    We even have right blue print to follow. We have the only perfect blue print in existence and it is the infallible, the supernaturally inspired Word of God. Hebrews 8:5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount. 

XI. THE RIGHT GOVERNMENT 

    The Lord has entrusted His church with the keys to the kingdom of heaven. The first thing that comes to most Baptist’s mind is church authority. But this teaches church responsibility not authority. Who has the keys to a school house? The superintendent or the principle? No, the janitor. Keys here symbolize responsibility. When I was a lead man on a job the foreman told me, you don’t have the right to fire anyone but if you do I will back you up. Jesus tells His church you have no authority but if you do what I tell you to do and the way I tell you to do it I will back you up unto the end of the world! 

XI. THE RIGHT HEAD Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 

    The head directs the human body. Therefore every New Testament church is to recognize and respect Jesus as her one and only head! 

XII. THE RIGHT ARCHITECT 

    Today many will tell you what they want in church. What man has wanted never has been important in a church! Jesus knows exactly what a church should be. Churches and members need to start respecting Jesus Christ who is the head and has the final say in all church matters. Missionary Baptists need to get off this business of church authority. Women’s lib did not begin in the secular world but in church when someone came up with the idea that we will run the whole show like we want to. There are too many liberated Baptist churches. Today as never before the Bride of Christ needs to learn to be submissive to her head which is Christ and Christ, alone! 

XII. THE RIGHT BUILDER 

    On the cover of the 1999 yearbook of the Missionary Baptist Association of Texas are the words, “We build churches.” Who do they think they are? Men do not build churches, not real churches. Jesus said, “I will build my church.” The problem is that too many of us preachers and missionaries have tried to do Jesus' job for Him and it has not worked and it will not work. Yes, we are to labor but we are to leave the final results up to Jesus! 

XIII. THE RIGHT HERITAGE (THE RIGHT HISTORY)  

    Does the true church have a history? Can you trace her lineage back to the ministry of Jesus. Yes, for Jesus said that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Just find the church in history that Satan has tried to destroy and you will find the true church on the rock. You find the persecuted church through history and you find the true church. In order to find the church on the rock just follow the Trail of Blood through history. She has always been there since the days of Jesus and she will be there when He comes again! 

XIV. THE RIGHT DESTINY  

     Since the gates of hell shall not prevail against it the true church will still be in business at the return of her bride groom. Yes, in some instances the Bible does teach destiny. Don’t accuse me of being a hard shell. I never have been. Souls are not predestined to heaven nor hell but the church is predestined to become the chaste and pure bride of the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:27 “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.”