Pastor's Sermon - October 4th, 2026 - A Sunday of Celebration
Matthew 16:13-28
Forty Years in this building. On this property. That’s a long time. A really long time. Longer than I’ve been alive. When Saint Peter’s was founded the Space Shuttle Challenger was yet to happen. The Berlin Wall was still standing. The Soviet Union still existed. Cell phones were just beginning. The iPhone was still 20 years away from invention. Children born then are adults with children that can be adults now, too.
Forty years of God’s faithfulness. There’s much we could compare this to. Moses was in Midian for 40 years before God called him to lead Israel. Israel wandered the wilderness for 40 years. Israel was oppressed by the Philistines for 40 years before Samson’s judgeship. Eli judged for 40 years. David reigned for 40 years. Solomon reigned for 40 years. Joash reigned for 40 years.
40 years is kind of a big number for the Lord to sustain His people in one place. And let’s not forget the three years before 1614 Blanding blvd.
There is undeniably the work of faithful men and women throughout the history of God’s people. There’s the work of faithful men and women in the history of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church! King Solomon built and dedicated the temple to the Lord. Paul planted. Apollos watered. Peter confessed. The apostles preached and taught. Even in our own history, in 1983, a group of faithful men and women from the Orange Park area were moved to begin the creation of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church—a noble and daunting undertaking.
No doubt, they worked immensely hard. Even now, through the established years of this church, there are many people through the years who labor, contribute, serve, and sacrifice for the Church—both pastors and laymen. If you take the time to follow the congregation’s documents and minutes back, you’ll see the names of countless individuals serving as elders, church council members, organists, secretaries, pastors, choir members, volunteers, acolytes, altar guild members, and every other sort of service giver.
Looking through history, we see endless worship services hosted here, endless fellowship events, endless Bible studies and Sunday School classes, VBS, soup kitchen service, first responder care provided, GriefShare, funerals, weddings, and so much more.
And are we thankful for every hand and every contribution made toward these blessed and faithful ministries and services? Absolutely! The St. Peter’s Lutheran Church hands and voices have never been idle things. There’s always praise to give and there’s always service to provide.
In this, the Church follows the example of faithful men and women throughout the Bible, such as Solomon who built the temple, Lydia who provided for the Church by her means, Paul and Apollos who preached and taught, and all the great men and women of the Bible who lived the ministry of the Gospel.
So, is St. Peter’s a living testament of the faithfulness and effectual dedication of mankind? While we certainly are thankful for the faithful endeavors of God’s people through the years, we all know the answer to this. Solomon’s temple wasn’t to Solomon’s glory, David’s reign wasn’t to his credit, Lydia’s wealth wasn’t a testament to her greatness, and Paul’s inspired writing wasn’t his words.
St. Peter’s decades of Gospel ministry and loving fellowship are not credited to any man nor is it to mankind’s praise. We all know this. There’s only One who can receive the credit and the praise of St. Peter’s sustained Gospel ministry and there’s only One who has the power to bring any success to the faithful endeavors of this congregation—the weddings, the sermons, the baptisms, the confessions, the forgiveness—and this is true for the whole Church across the globe, and that credit must go to God.
God certainly uses people as His chosen instruments, but looking at our Gospel text, we see that Peter makes a faithful and timeless confession of who Jesus is, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This is no small thing, for as Christ Himself says, this is the confession upon which the Church throughout time will be built upon. So, is the Church, St. Peter’s included, to Peter’s credit? Well, no.
Jesus said, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” The famous confession of Peter isn’t to Peter’s credit. Flesh could not come to this confession. The very foundation of the Church is something that mankind could not create of itself. Christ spells out plainly that such a faithful confession—such a solid foundation—was a gift from God in Heaven. It was God that provided this foundation. The Church is not built upon the tireless work of men and women. The Church is not sustained by the labor and contributions of mankind. While these things are certainly faithful and used by God to accomplish His Will, the underlying truth is that God provides the foundation of the Church of Himself.
To go even more to the point, Jesus keeps speaking, “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.” Peter was certainly the mouth that made the confession and we are so thankful for the confession. But, according to Jesus Himself, who is it that builds His glorious and enduring Church? Is it Peter? Paul? The members of St. Peter’s? The pastors? The synod?
No. The builder of the Church is none other than Jesus Christ Himself. The Word of God incarnate builds His Church, and by His Word and Spirit, He sustains the Church, so much so that not even the Gates of Hell can stand against her. This absolutely isn’t the work of man. By our own sin, we’re not even able to build our own faith within ourselves. How could we possibly construct and sustain the Church?
Can the men and women of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church lay the brick and mortar? Of course. Can we erect the walls lay the carpets, fill the space with furniture. Sure. But can we build The Church?
Absolutely not. The Church, as we know, isn’t the bricks, it’s not the property. The Church is the union of the people around the confession of our Triune God—that Christ is the Son of God, our crucified and living Savior. This is a confession—a foundation—that was gifted to us. We are drawn into the Church by God’s Word and by the waters of Holy Baptism. These are gifts of God that we can play no part in. These are things that act upon us from outside of ourselves. And they are what make us the Church. Yes, St. Peter’s members, but even more, the Church Universal.
The Church is here today. The Church still stands. Because Christ built it. Because Christ sustains it. He grants His Word here. He answers prayer here. He provides forgiveness here. He baptizes here. He offers His body and blood here. He grants His abundant blessings here. We, the faithful people called by the Spirit and the Gospel, come not to offer to God what is needed to keep a church going, but rather, like beggars with our hands out with nothing to offer only to receive from God all that is needed.
And Christ will always be here to dish out these blessings. Not necessarily here, 1614 Blanding Blvd. Solomon knew difficult times, David too. The people of Israel certainly knew struggles. Paul, also. The Church throughout history has seen struggles and adversities. Christ’s promises aren’t that the Church shall never have to endure trials and tribulations. His promises are that wherever two or three gather, whether it’s here or there, Christ is present. That’s His Church.
And should the entire ranks of Hell seek to overthrow the Church, they shall find their doom has already been spelled out. We’re built on the Rock. We have a mighty fortress. Christ is our cornerstone. The Church has One foundation. We don’t just sing these hymns because they sound pretty. We sing them because this is the confession of the Church. This is the promise of Christ. He builds His Church. HE DOES. And upon Him, the eternal cornerstone, He sustains her. HE DOES.
Come trials. Come tribulations. Come all the struggles that churches face. That people face. Has Christ failed to keep the promise?
No. Through all time and across all space, THE CHURCH, shall remain unshaken and unmoved until the day she is brought to be with the Lord in Paradise as the Church Victorious. If it was up to humans to keep the Church standing, then we’re doomed from the start. But that Christ builds the Church, that Christ is her cornerstone—her rock—then the victory is already ours. The Church will stand—an enduring beacon of the Gospel—to deliver forgiveness and life in Christ. The Lord is faithful. He was faithful to Solomon. To David. To Israel. To Paul. And He’s faithful to us. Here. Today. And always. Here, even today, we have received His Word, His forgiveness, His love, and His gifts, as we have so many times before…
40 Years is certainly a long time and we’re so blessed by it. 43, if we’re doing the math to the details. But the Lord has done much more than 40 years of faithfulness. And He will certainly do more than 40 more. Calculate into that formula all of eternity in Christ.
God is good. God is faithful.
And for it, St. Peter’s, we praise God.
In Christ’s Name,
Amen.