Matt 16: 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 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. 19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Jesus revealed He came to build more than a personal relationship with individuals when He said, “…I will build my church…,” Matthew 16:18. Immediately after Peter had the personal revelation of Jesus as the Christ, Jesus started talking about another relationship He came to build. Jesus mission was not just to establish individuals in a personal relationship to Him but also build them together into a relationship with each other as the Church. Once Peter confessed who Jesus was, immediately the Church was brought into his view. The meaning of the word church shows more than an individual with a relationship to Jesus. The Greek word is “ekklesia” (“ek”- out from and “klesia”- from “kaleo” to call and the assembly); so the called out assembly or the ones called out to assemble. Originally the ones called out had reference to the legislative body of citizens of the Greek republic called out from their homes to convene, discuss matters of authority, and serve their community. Jesus chose this word to describe what He came to build.
The Church is also called the Body of Christ. Paul calls the church His Body (Ephesians 1:22, 23). The Body is not one member but many (1 Corinthians 12:12, 14, 20, 27; Romans 12:4, 5). How can a person say I have a relationship to Jesus (the Head of a Body called the Church) but do not need the Church? To refuse to want to be a part of the Body is to say we do not want to follow God’s plan and that we have our own plan.
In our American culture we stress the individual and our individuality. This can keep us from grasping What Jesus came to build which is the Church, which is not one individual member but many. We are born again to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. All of the metaphors (figures of speech, symbols) used to describe different aspects of the church imply something beyond an individual relationship with Jesus and being a part of something bigger than oneself: Body of Christ; Family; Temple; Tabernacle; House of God; Flock of God; Spiritual stones; Spiritual House; Holy nation; Citizens of a kingdom; Bride of Christ; Royal Priesthood; Mt. Zion (city of the Living God); The New Jerusalem. In these perilous times full of lovers of their own selves (2 Tim. 3:2) it may be surprising for some to know that all Biblical truth is not all about the individual, or all about “Me, Myself, and I.”
Pastor John Rasicci is the founder and Pastor of Word of His Grace Church in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, where we are building people who are building the Church. Pastor's ministry mission is to help people discover God's dream for their Life, the Local Church, and the Last Days' Harvest. With a strong emphasis on the grace of God and with a prophetic voice, Pastor John preaches and teaches in churches, conferences, and crusades both locally and throughout the world. He has produced books, tapes, and other teaching materials to empower, enable, and equip Believers with the Word of God. Pastor John is married to his wife Candy who with their three children, Krista, Joanna, John Anthony, and two son-in-laws, Matt and Doug, serve together in the ministry. After graduating from Kent State University, Pastor John pursued a career in professional baseball before accepting the call to the ministry. He and his wife, Candy, received their ministry training from Rhema Bible Training Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
John Rasicci 
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