Foundation

Saintsgiving adopts one of the oldest church planting strategies in the history of Christianity. The church started on the day of Pentecost in the Book of Acts. Though it sounds primitive the first church was not primitive. The visionary of the church was either a Church Father or a King. It is Jesus. He is the author and creator of the church. He is referred to as the Ancient of Days in the book of Daniel. That does not make Him an ancient person that no longer exists. The Bible states that He is without beginning or end. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). People tend to be progressive but He is not. Any organization is likely to be closer to the founder’s vision when it is first introduced. So was the first church. The words of Jesus and His strategies are still relevant today as it was in the early church.
Church was not an idea that came to existence because the disciples of Jesus decided to keep the teachings of Jesus going. It was neither the idea of St. Peter as some church denominations teach. Jesus said to Peter in Matthew 16:18, I tell you that you are Peter (or Petros in Greek), and it is on this rock (or Petra in Greek)) that I will build my congregation. Note the two different words used. Jesus did not say that He is building the church on Petros or Peter. He said was building His church on Petra which is Christ. Petros means a piece of rock. Petra means big rock like the Rock of Gibraltar. 1 Cor 10:4 says that the rock (Petra) was Christ.

Rock of Gibraltar

Rock of Gibraltar is a 2.6-square-mile rocky outcrop on Spain’s southern tip. The Strait of Gibraltar is most famous for The Rock of Gibraltar. It is a 426 meter high limestone rock rising out of the sea. It occupies a strategic position at the eastern entrance from the Atlantic Ocean. The narrow strait guards the only exit from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic Ocean. This colossal rock mesmerized the Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Romans and the Arabs throughout the past centuries. The Rock of Gibraltar is known for its symbol of strength and resilience as it stands on one of the most strategic locations in the globe.
In the context of the church, the word Petra can be compared to the Rock of Gibraltar. Bible makes several references to rock. God is our rock of refuge and strength. The Biblical landscape had huge rocks that provided safety from adverse weather conditions for travelers. It also provided protection for soldiers from the enemy armies.

If the Rock of Gibraltar symbolizes such enduring strength how much more powerful is Christ, the creator of the whole universe?

Jesus said, upon this rock of Christ I will construct my Eklessia

Jesus is the first one to introduce the word church. The Greek word for church is Eklessia which means a body of called out ones or merely an assembly of people. The true body of Christ or Eklessia is built on this rock. Our life need to be built on the solid rock which is Christ. Bible says that we become part of the big rock as we build our lives as living stones. Peter, to whom Jesus spoke about the church, explains firsthand in his epistle 1 Peter 2:6 “Look! I am laying a chosen, precious cornerstone in Zion. The one who believes in him will never be ashamed.” The rock is Christ who is also the cornerstone. In masonry the foundation and cornerstone is crucial to build any structure up. Peter also clarifies that that we are the living stones, in the same passage. We who have tasted the goodness of the Lord are the living stones. The structure that is built with the living stones on the Rock is the church. It is a lively structure. It is an assembly built with living stones. It is not to be mistaken with a religious or institutional structure. If our life is built on religious structures or human ideologies it may not stand. The cathedrals in the past were built like monumental structures to look like the Rock of Gibraltar. But it remained ineffective since it was not an assembly built with an assembly of living stones. It was an imitation of the true church but was built on the foundation of human institution.

No gates of the hades or any form of satanic authority can overpower the assembly that is built on the true rock

Gibraltar has always been important as a military base because of two things, its strategic location and its advantage to build fortresses and keep the strait from enemy troops and intruders. The Mediterranean Sea narrows to only 14 kilometers or 9 miles at the Strait of Gibraltar. It is a natural gateway between Europe and Africa. The forts on Gibraltar are one of the most heavily fortified places in the world. It has repeatedly been contested between European and North African powers and has endured fourteen sieges since it was first settled in the 11th century. If you build your fortification on this Rock your chances to overpower enemies are high. If the Eklessia is built with living stones it is like one of the fortress on the Rock of Gibraltar. No intruder can pass the Strait of Gibraltar without being confronted. Like Jesus said, even hell cannot pass through those narrow gates or the highly fortified Strait of Gibraltar.

The different perspectives of the rock

No two persons see the Rock of Gibraltar the same way. It looks like an encroachment rising out of the sea to some. It may be amazement to some tourists. To a soldier it is a gem because of the vantage point it provides for fortification and protection from enemies. On the other hand, to the enemy and intruder it is an absolute horror. They only wished it did not exist because it is impossible to pass the narrow strait without being confronted by the heavy artillery from the fortifications situated on the Rock of Gibraltar. The rock of Gibraltar looks like a rock of offence and a stumbling stone to naked eyes. Similarly, The Bible states that, to many still today the Rock which is Christ is a rock of offence and a stumbling stone. To the one who does not believe on Him, the same rock shall become offensive and a stumbling block.

Visualize this rock with your spiritual eyes and receive a fresh revelation of who you are in Christ today.

Peter exhorts us to make sure we do not stumble at the word by being disobedient to His commands. Then the chances are instead of the real purpose the Rock becomes a stumbling block and nightmare (1 Peter 2:8). On the other hand, when you lay your life’s foundation on this invincible Rock you will stand the test of time just like the Rock of Gibraltar. Just like the forts that are built on the Rock of Gibraltar, your life and the company of the true assembly of the living stones that is built on it also shall be unconquerable. That is what Jesus was referring to when He mentioned that the gates of any invisible forces of darkness shall not penetrate your life. In another instance, Jesus used a parable where he used the word Petra, referring to a wise man who built his house on a rock. The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock. So it is important where you build your life upon. In the case of the Rock of Gibraltar no flood or tsunami can shake it or any structure that is built upon it. If your house or life is founded upon the rock (Luke 6:48) make sure you build on the right rock and be connected with Him before moving further.