What's Right with the Church: Built on the Rock

Aug 23, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: A Church That Loves Like Family

The story of a deacon advocating for a new parsonage to protect a baby’s knees from hot floor registers reveals a church’s heart. Love here isn’t abstract—it’s practical, attentive, and intergenerational. When a community prioritizes the vulnerable, it mirrors Christ’s care for His people. This kind of love creates belonging, where even children sense they’re cherished. Such churches don’t just preach the gospel—they embody it through everyday acts of protection and provision. The church thrives when its members see one another as family worth sacrificing for. [37:11]

“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
(John 13:35, ESV)

Reflection: When has someone in your church family shown you unexpected, practical love? How can you actively notice and meet a specific need for someone this week?

Day 2: Letting Jesus Own the Church

A three-year-old’s indignant claim—“Don’t she know my daddy owns this church?”—exposes a common confusion. The church belongs to Christ alone, not pastors, committees, or traditions. Trusting Jesus’ ownership frees believers from control and empowers humble stewardship. When conflicts arise, the question isn’t “Who’s right?” but “What honors the true Owner?” A church flourishes when its people seek the Manager’s guidance before asserting personal preferences. [57:56]

“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.”
(Matthew 16:18, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you subtly claimed “ownership” over church decisions or relationships? How might surrendering control to Jesus change your approach to disagreements?

Day 3: Flames That Warm the Cold

A church with burning spiritual vitality naturally draws those shivering in life’s winters. Members become inviters not through programs but contagious joy in Christ. The warmth of transformed lives—not perfect preaching or facilities—compels the lonely and hurting to come near. When ordinary believers share their stories of grace, they stoke fires that melt skepticism and kindle hope. [50:33]

“Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
(Matthew 5:16, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your circle needs the warmth of Christ’s hope? What simple act or story could you share to invite them toward His light?

Day 4: Rocks That Hold the Story

The limestone bedrock of Caesarea Philippi, where Peter confessed Christ’s divinity, reminds us that the church stands on unchanging truth. Like stones fused into one foundation, believers—flawed yet chosen—are knit together by Christ’s revelation. Personal testimonies, like the pastor’s childhood conversion at a family altar, become living stones in God’s eternal story. The church outlasts cultural shifts because its Builder secures it to Himself. [52:07]

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
(Matthew 16:16, ESV)

Reflection: What part of your testimony feels most like a “living stone” in God’s story? How can you share it to strengthen someone’s faith this week?

Day 5: Grandparents of the Gospel

When a child mistakes a teacher for “Jesus’s grandmother,” it reveals a church saturated with His presence. Talking about Christ isn’t reserved for sermons—it’s the natural overflow of hearts shaped by daily relationship with Him. Every believer, young or old, becomes a spiritual grandparent when their words and actions point others to the Savior. A church’s greatest legacy isn’t its programs but its people who can’t stop speaking about Jesus. [01:00:58]

“We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.”
(Psalm 78:4, ESV)

Reflection: What “praiseworthy deed” of God in your life could you share with someone younger? How might your story help write the next chapter of the church’s legacy?

Sermon Summary

The church is right, not because every congregation has everything figured out, but because Jesus said, “I will build my church,” and ain't nothing gonna stop it. Southside Baptist Church stands in the memory of a church that loved a young pastor, his wife, and his children, and that love became part of the work God carried on through the years. The church at its best loves the family of God, supports the call of God, and makes room for servants to grow, study, preach, and keep following the Lord.

Matthew 16 puts the church on the right foundation. Jesus asks the question that matters more than any other question: “Whom say ye that I am?” Peter gets it right when he says, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” That confession does not come from flesh and blood, but from the Father in heaven. Jesus is not building the church on Peter as a man, but on the great rock of who Christ is and what the Father has revealed.

The church is right in its membership because entrance begins with admitting the truth. A person does not join the church by crowning a good reputation. A person comes by saying, “I know I’m a sinner,” and by asking Jesus to forgive, save, and come into that life. Red, yellow, black, white, rich, poor, young, old, the door of the church opens where the grace of Jesus is received. The good news of rising baptisms, especially among adults, shows that God is still at work and that an awakening may be coming.

The church is right in its management because it belongs to Jesus. The word “my” matters. The church is not the pastor’s church, not the deacons’ church, not the congregation’s private possession. Opinions must bow before the leadership of the Holy Spirit, because the manager of the church is Christ himself.

The church is right in its proclamation because the proclamation is always Jesus. Caldwell County may have Baptists everywhere, but many people are still outside any worshiping church and carrying needs they may not even know how to name. The church has something to say to them, and that something is not politics, pride, or religious habit. It is Jesus, so much so that a visitor ought to leave thinking Jesus must have a bunch of grandmothers and grandfathers there, because he is all they talked about.

Key Takeaways

1. Membership begins with admitted sin. [44:00] The church receives people at the place where self-defense finally breaks down. Respectability cannot save, and reputation cannot become a doorway into Christ’s body. The honest confession, “I know I’m a sinner,” is not humiliation for its own sake, but the first truthful step toward mercy. [44:00]
2. Christ owns and manages the church. [54:55] The little word “my” carries the weight of the whole church’s life. The congregation may vote, lead, plan, and serve, but none of those things make the church a human possession. A church becomes dangerous to itself when opinion speaks before prayerful submission to its true manager. [54:55]
3. The rock is Christ himself. [51:34] Peter’s confession points beyond Peter to the solid rock of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God. A small stone may share the nature of the rock, but the church does not rest on human strength. The church stands because Christ builds what death and hell cannot overthrow. [51:34]
4. The church must talk Jesus. [58:50] A church may have programs, memories, influence, and a long history, but its living word is still Jesus. People outside the church often carry a hidden hunger that no one sees on the surface. The church’s calling is not to steal sheep from other folds, but to make Christ plain to sinners who need him. [58:50]
5. Invitation belongs to Jesus. [01:01:43] The invitation is not mainly a church custom or a closing religious form. Jesus himself calls sinners, wanderers, and burdened people to come into the light. A step forward can become an outward act that helps settle an inward surrender before God.

## [61:43]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[32:23] - Returning to Southside Baptist Church
[35:06] - What’s Right with the Church
[36:23] - A Church That Loved a Family
[38:27] - Southside’s Support Through Seminary
[41:54] - Matthew 16 and Peter’s Confession
[44:00] - The Church Is Right in Membership
[46:42] - Baptisms, Adults, and Awakening
[48:42] - The Duck Dog and Baptist Negativity
[51:12] - Caesarea Philippi and the Rock
[54:55] - The Church Is Right in Management
[58:50] - The Church Is Right in Proclamation
[61:22] - Jesus’s Invitation to Come
[62:30] - Joining a Gospel-Preaching Church
[63:25] - Coming Forward to Pray

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 16:13-20
“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.' Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.” [41:54]

Matthew 11:28
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” [01:01:22]

Ephesians 2:8-9
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” [44:00]

Observation questions

In Matthew 16, what different answers were people giving about who Jesus was, and what answer did Peter give?
What does Jesus say he will build, and what does he say will not prevail against it? [54:28]
What kind of confession marks the doorway into the church: “I have always been a good person,” or “I know I’m a sinner”? [44:34]
What little word in “my church” shows who the church belongs to? [55:03]

Interpretation questions

Jesus asks, “Who do you say that I am?” Why does that question matter more than public opinion, family background, or church tradition? [42:19]
Peter confesses that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” How does that confession show that the church stands on Christ rather than on human strength? [51:34]
If the church belongs to Jesus, what should that change about how decisions are made, opinions are expressed, and disagreements are handled in a congregation? [58:41]
Jesus invites weary and burdened people to come to him. Why is that invitation more than a church custom at the end of a service? [01:02:13]

Application questions

If someone asked today, “Who is Jesus to you?” how would that answer sound? Would it be clear that he is the Christ, the Son of the living God, or has the answer become vague and secondhand? [42:40]
Membership in Christ’s church begins with admitted sin, not polished respectability. Is there any place where pride, image, or self-defense is keeping honest confession from God? [44:15]
The church belongs to Jesus, not to any one person or group. When strong opinions rise up, is there a habit of first checking with the true Manager in prayer, or of speaking first and praying later? [58:41]
The message of the church is Jesus. In everyday conversation with family, coworkers, neighbors, or friends, what is most naturally talked about? Would people around you know that Jesus is the center? [59:03]
Many people nearby may not look needy on the outside, yet they are carrying burdens and living far from a worshiping church. Who comes to mind right now as someone that could be invited, encouraged, or spoken to about Christ this week? [01:00:07]
Jesus says, “Come to me.” Is there a burden, sin, fear, or uncertainty that needs to be brought plainly to him instead of carried another week? What would it look like to come honestly to him? [01:01:43]
A faithful church makes room for people to grow, serve, and follow God’s call. How can this group help strengthen that kind of church life by encouraging others, welcoming newer people, and supporting those who are trying to obey the Lord? [40:04]

Sermon Clips

55s

#JesusOwnsTheChurch

“There's a little two letter word in this passage that I just read. Did catch it? Jesus said, upon this rock I will build church. Now, I don't know a lot of grammar, but I know that that is a possessive pronoun. The church belongs to Jesus. Now I hear Baptist sometimes say, well, I vote my opinion. No, you don't. You better vote the opinion that you believe that Holy Spirit God has given to you because there is a sense that we say that's my church, and and it is. If you remember, that is your church in a sense, but ultimately, it is Jesus's church. Upon this rock, I will build church.”

44s

#CheckWithJesus

“Because I can mess up. And if we follow some of your opinions, will be an absolute mess and you know it, you probably don't know it at the moment, but sooner or later it will be a mess. Unless we check with our manager. In fact, before we open our big mouth, we need to check with our manager. It is his church. And then notice from the passage that the church is right in its message. And the message is always Jesus.”

43s

#JesusLivesInYou

“and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Now I know some translations say Hades, well, and Hades literally means death, but if you don't know Jesus, death is hell. In fact, if you don't know Jesus, you're dead already in trespasses of sin and the Bible says that. But if you have Jesus, he not only gets you ready for heaven, gets you, takes you to heaven, gets you ready for heaven, but right here, right now he lives on the inside of you, and you have the nature of very Jesus God, a very God living on the inside of you. To which I will say for you, amen.”

63s

#ConfessToJoin

“First of all, you'll notice with me that the church is right in its membership. I think that I received about 900 something church members while I was pastor here at Southside. And you know what you gotta do to be a member of the church? You gotta begin by admitting that you're bad. You walk down the aisle this morning, you say to me, brother Don, I've always been a good man. And I thought I would crown my legacy by becoming a member of this church. Am I gonna present him for membership? Shake head this way. Uh-uh. Uh-uh. But you let man woman burger walk down the aisle this morning and say, preacher, I know I'm a sinner. I've asked Jesus to forgive me, come into my life, and save me. Or he comes and says, I'm willing to do that. Will I present that person red, yellow, black, or white or whatever social economic error there? No, I'll present him for membership. Why?”

61s

#TalkAboutJesus

“Now, some of them, they may not tell you they're looking for a church or looking for Jesus or got a need inside of them, but they do, they do, they do. And we've got the message. Little girl went to church one Sunday morning with grandparents and on the way home she said, granddad, granddad said to her, sweetheart, who was she teacher today? She said, I don't know, but I think she's Jesus's grandmother. Well, granddaddy laughed like you did. He says, sweetheart, why do you think she has? She said, because Jesus is all she talked about. Well, somebody comes here who not used to go to church or if even if they are, and they don't know any better. May they leave here thinking that Jesus has a bunch of grandmothers and grandfathers here because you talk about Jesus.”

39s

#ChurchUnstoppable

“lives in me. God lives in me. Upon this rock, I will build my church and ain't nothing, I'm a use my native language, ain't nothing gonna stop it. Ain't nothing gonna stop the church. You say, know a congregation quit. Well, but the people who were saved in that church are probably at other bible believing churches today, and the church is living on nothing will ever stop the church. The church is right in its membership. And secondly, the church is right in its management.”

39s

#SavedAsATeen

“And as long as she lived at home, she'd read from the bible pray. Sometimes she'd make me pray. At the age of 13, I got under conviction. Now, I didn't know what that meant then. I just knew I was in a mess. I'd heard about hell. I didn't wanna go there. Uh-uh. I'd heard about heaven. I knew that's where I wanted to go. That's about all I knew, but it's not what you know, it's who you know, and his name is Jesus. And I asked him not to let me go to hell to take me to heaven and he saved me that night. I didn't know all this other good stuff was involved, but he saved me that night.”

42s

#BlessingOfMembership

“And I'm not just talking about we got a few from other churches. You know, when the fires burning, people who are cold will show up to get warmed by the flames. We got a few. But mostly, it was people who were out of church. Some might say, you're still doing that. Right? Shake in this way. Right? The church is right in its membership, and next to knowing Jesus and they tie together, next to knowing Jesus, the greatest privilege you have is to be a member of a Bible believing gospel preaching New Testament church. And if you belong to this one, you have that privilege and that blessing.”

Ask a question about this sermon

Southside Baptist Princeton, KY This sermon · AI assistant

What is the biblical basis for church membership?

On what foundation is the church built?

How should a church prioritize its evangelistic message?