Home Cell Guide (Sunday 9th February 2020)

1. Because there was little or no knowledge of who He was in His ministry. Jesus struggled with the Pharisees and Sadducees who were custodians of the law who asked for minor things forgetting the major things of the kingdom.
2. Secondly they were a political party ready to live with any government that never interfered with their affairs. For example, the’re people among us who don’t want to hear about Christianity they rather resort to witch craft or apply a lot of reasoning. The Pharisees also longed for the messiah unfortunately they didn’t know that Christ was the messiah thus the reason Christ is saying I will build a Church and I am the rock on which it will be built because am the foundation.
3. [Matthew 16:1,4] Sign and wonders alone cannot save this crooked generation. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign. When you know Jesus Christ as Lord, you don’t lookout for the miracle because the miracle worker is in you. Miracles cannot be real unless you look out for the miracle worker who is the author of miracles. This generation needs one miracle thus a sign of Jonah meaning the resurrection. It is only Jesus Christ that resurrected and lives forever.
4. There was a high level Hypocrisy of which they also knew. The Pharisees and Sadducees missed a lot of important things because of hypocrisy and for this reason Christ couldn’t build up a church on hypocrisy.
5. Matthew [16:5-12] Because of false teachings. Be aware of the leaven bread – [sin and corruption] the evil influence that corrupts life. There are many false teachers around us today therefore let us heed running from one place to the other.
6. Idolatry [vs 13] A devout Jew couldn’t go to Caesarea Philippi since it was a place of high class idolatry but Jesus chose to go there to show the disciples that He has power over idolatry. Immorality and pagan worship was also evident in this place. Jesus is talking about the gates of hell because He stood at that particular spot [the imaginary gate of hel] in His authority and declared to the disciples that I am the Christ signifying that when am here, the gates of hell cannot prevail against you. Hell is powerless in the presence of Jesus Christ because He holds the Keys. Therefore in Christ, we are over coming; whatever we
   bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Jesus Christ is our cornerstone and by believing in Him we shall never be put to shame. If you desire the Lord to build you into a lasting house, then pick up the cornerstone. Friends if our hope is built on Christ the solid rock then why build on sinking sand? Choose today to build your house [Life] on

the solid rock.

Guidelines and Questions

1. Briefly share, who does Jesus Christ as the solid rock mean to you?

2. Having known who the cornerstone is, what is expected of us? And where have you developed cracks?

3. Prayerfully surrender these issues to Jesus Christ the solid rock.

More study helps: Ephesians 2:19-21; Deut.32:3-4; 1 Peter 2:4-7, Luke 4:46-49

Rev. Canon Erisa Grace Sentongo

AG. PRIEST IN CHARGE HOME CELL & PASTORAL CARE