PAST THE GATES OF HELL AND BUILT ON THE ROCK

Mike Blume
Oct 10, 2004 pm



  Scripture Text:

 
Genesis 3:19 KJV  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Genesis 3:24 KJV  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Matthew 16:18 KJV  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.


  Message:



In Jesus Christ's words to Peter, we read that there are GATES OF HELL attempting to prevail, and a ROCK upon which Jesus would build the church.
  • The way Jesus said it reveals a great truth that we will start to see all throughout the bible after we see His point.
  • He would build his church on a rock and the gates of hell would not prevail against it.
  • This is saying that THE GATES OF HELL would TRY to prevail against this idea of His church being built on that certain rock.
It's like saying, "I am going to build on that hill, and nobody is going to hinder me."

So picture a Mountain -- rock -- where God wants to build His church.
  • And picture gates of hell SET BEFORE THIS MOUNTAIN TO HINDER THAT CHURCH FROM BEING BUILT THERE.

We know the church is not a building, as so many mistakenly think it is.
  • They talk about "going to church", when they ARE supposed to BE the church.
  • Church is a PEOPLE.
  • Not a building.
  • So the GATES are there to HINDER the PEOPLE from passing the place where they are situated, and then being built up BEYOND those gates into a Church.

Now, Peter said this very thing!

1 Peter 2:3-10 KJV  If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.  (4)  To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,  (5)  Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.  (6)  Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.  (7)  Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,  (8)  And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.  (9)  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:  (10)  Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Peter should know what the rock is upon which the church is to be built if anyone would know!
  • Many have said IT IS Peter, but Peter only spoke of Christ as a chief cornerstone to whom we come and are built up.

And Paul said this about it:

1 Corinthians 3:11 KJV  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.


And the thought of "HELL" here is very important.
  • "Hell" in the KJV is actually depicting two VERY different greeks words.
  • FIERY TORMENT (Gehenna) and the GRAVE or DEATH (Hades).
  • HADES is the greek term used here in Matthew 16.
  • So this is speaking about THE GATES OF DEATH, or the GRAVE.

So picture DEATH as a HINDRANCE to keep people away from this ROCK and THIS PLACE where Jesus wants to build the church.

This is exactly what we read in Genesis 3!
  • A barrier or GATE.
  • Gates are barriers.
  • And this barrier is comprised of cherubim and a flaming sword.
  • Try to pass it and guess what happens?
  • DEATH.

The devil was wise.
  • He did not create death.
  • Death was the PENALTY for sin.
  • God demanded it!
  • God put the GATES there!
  • But the devil knew man's sin would cause God to put it there.

Genesis 3:24 KJV  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

He placed this GATE there in the way.

But Satan knew he would, so he had man play into his hands so as to get GOD to put this GATE of death there.
  • Now, Satan wanted it there.
  • He knew God would institute the penalty, and counted on it.
  • He knew what God did to him!

So the GATES OF HELL would NOT prevail against the church being built on the rock.
  • This was Christ's promise!
  • In other words, the CHURCH would PREVAIL against the gates of hell!
  • They would stand there in resistance to people and to mankind.
  • But THESE PEOPLE WOULD PREVAIL.

Now, note as well that it is a ROCK upon which the church is built.
  • And using the symbolism of the church being a building ( and here is where folks get  mixed up about the church actually being a building.  It is LIKENED to a building.  A building represents it)....
  • The ROCK is a MOUNTAIN.

Did you know that the GARDEN was on a mountain?

Ezekiel 28:13-14 KJV  Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.  (14)  Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

Eden was a district.

Genesis 2:8 KJV  And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

"IN EDEN" means EDEN was a larger region.

And then there was the MOUNTAIN in the GARDEN.

Like a temple -- outer court was Eden, holy place was the garden and the most holy was the MOUNTAIN.

And picture a RIVER flowing down in four parts from this mountain to all the world!

The bible speaks of the MOUNTAIN OF GOD.

Psalms 48:1-2 KJV  Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.  (2)  Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

Notice that A CITY is associated with this MOUNTAIN, and the MOUNTAIN IS ZION. (More on that later).

Notice that Adam was created from DUST OUTSIDE THE GARDEN.

Genesis 2:7-8 KJV  And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.  (8)  And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

And when Adam would DIE, God put him OUT of the Garden to return to the DUST OUTSIDE where he came from.

Genesis 3:19 KJV  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Genesis 3:23 KJV  Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

So OUTSIDE the Garden is DEATH.
  • INSIDE IS ETERNAL LIFE.
  • OUTSIDE IS DUST AND SAND.
  • INSIDE IS A ROCK!
  • A MOUNTAIN!
In Matthew 7, Jesus spoke of the FOOL WHO BUILT HIS HOUSE ON SAND, and the WISE MAN WHO BUILT HIS HOUSE ON THE ROCK.
  • Jesus builds His Church on the rock!
  • But there are churches on SAND!
  • Outside the Garden.
  • Churches with a spirit that will not pass the gates of death.
  • They cannot believe in resurrection.
  • Preachers who preach for money.
  • Not for truth.
  • And since they are on SAND outside the GARDEN ROCK, where the graves and death all are, THEY ARE DEAD CHURCHES.
  • Have you ever seen a dead church?

In the story of Abraham and Isaac, God told Abraham that ISAAC must die.
  • And he showed Abraham the place.

Genesis 22:1-2 KJV  And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.  (2)  And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

God would show him a place.

Genesis 22:4 KJV  Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

After the ordeal we read:

Genesis 22:14 KJV  And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

We know it WAS A MOUNTAIN, due to the information in that verse.

MARGIN REFERENCE SAYS:  "it shall be seen:  “In the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”  The meaning is, that God, in the greatest difficulties, when all human assistance is vain, will make a suitable provision for the deliverance of those who trust in Him."

Moriah means "SEEN OF GOD."

We know that Abram was threatened by facing the death of his only son!
  • And suddenly DEATH became a GATE that would have stopped Abraham from walking to that mountain.
  • Like it tries to prevail against the church being built on that mountain rock.
  • But what gave Abram the overcoming faith?

Hebrews 11:17-19 KJV  By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,  (18)  Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:  (19)  Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

Abraham did not know how, but he knew Isaac would come back from the dead.

FAITH IN RESURRECTION!!!

Genesis 22:5 KJV  And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

RESURRECTION POWER defeats the very hindering powers of the GATE!!!

Genesis 22:10-13 KJV  And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.  (11)  And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.  (12)  And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.  (13)  And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

And this episode of the ram being substituted as Isaac was described by Paul as Abraham receiving Isaac from the dead IN A FIGURE.
  • It was just as good as Isaac actually being resurrected!

On THAT MOUNTAIN is where the HOUSE OF GOD WOULD BE BUILT!
  • The temple.

Recall 1 Chron 21 when David was about to see Jerusalem die because of f his sin.
  • He looked up to the same mountain Moriah, and saw an angel ready to slay the entire city.
1 Chronicles 21:17 KJV  And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.

He cried to be taken instead.
  • Death was a gate there for him at the foot of this mountain.
  • The devil hoped it would keep David back.
  • BUT DAVID DID NOT FEAR DEATH!
  • He forgot about his own life and offered himself!
  • And God told him to go up!

1 Chronicles 21:18 KJV  Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

GO ON UP, DAVID!

You passed the GATE!

You passed the TEST!

And God allowed another life to be taken instead of David's!

In BOTH CASES, DEATH, LIKE GATES, could not prevail against one.
  • And God stepped in and allowed another's death to count as the person's.
  • AND IN ALL CASES, THE PERSON LOVED GOD MORE THAN LIFE!

Abraham loved God!

David Loved God!

Romans 8:28 KJV  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

And recall Jesus said he would build his church on this rock.
  • Mount "Moriah" means "IT SHALL BE SEEN."
  • "The meaning is, that God, in the greatest difficulties, when all human assistance is vain, will make a suitable provision for the deliverance of those who trust in Him."
  • What can be a greater difficulty than getting back to God and prevailing against death?
  • EVEN IN THIS, WOULD PROVISION BE SEEN!!!
  • And if THIS DEATH is greatest of all, then ANYTHING ELSE IS NOTHING TO GOD!!!

In Exodus 24, God told Moses to COME UP and receive tablets of stone written on both sides (Ex 32:15).
  • That was mount Sinai.
  • In Revelation 4, John is told to COME UP and see one take a book written on both sides.
  • This was a MOUNTAIN in glory!

Exodus 24:1 KJV  And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.

Exodus 24:12 KJV  And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.

Revelation 4:1 KJV  After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

But John was stopped at the door.
  • At the gate!

He saw all sorts of sights at the doorway.

Revelation 5:1-3 KJV  And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.  (2)  And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?  (3)  And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

But he could not get in!

Revelation 5:5 KJV  And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

BUT ONE PREVAILED!

JESUS!!!!

And this mountain was where the THRONE WAS.

John saw the CITY coming down...

Revelation 21:2 KJV  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Revelation 21:9-10 KJV  And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.  (10)  And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

And the angel took John to a HIGH MOUNTAIN to show him this city.
  • The city came DOWN from heaven.
  • And after it came down we read:

Revelation 22:1 KJV  And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

THE THRONE OF GOD IS IN IT!

Now this was the THRONE in Revelation 4!
  • Here is the throne now surrounded by a CITY that came down onto a mountain.

In Moses' day MOUNT SINAI also showed the same picture.

Hebrews 12:18 KJV  For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,

Only MOSES could go up

Hebrews 12:20 KJV  (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:

But we read that THE MOUNT ZION, HEAVENLY JERUSALEM and CHURCH are all interchangeable titles for a PLACE WE HAVE COME TO!

Hebrews 12:22-23 KJV  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,  (23)  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

John was caught up to MOUNT ZION in heaven in John 4.
  • But  a gate of death stood in his way.
  • However, JESUS PREVAILED against it, and that place where the throne of God was would then become the place where the CITY OF GOD WOULD SIT UPON!

How could it be a mountain where we "are come" if it is in heaven?
  • This is all a spiritual picture!
  • It's not physical!
MOUNT ZION is the MOUNTAIN, as the Psalm said!
  • The CITY OF GOD!
  • Christ built His church there
  • ON THE ROCK!
  • IT SHALL BE SEEN!
AND BETWEEN THE FOURTH CHAPTER OF REV. WHERE THE THRONE IS NOT INSIDE A CITY, CHURCH, AND THE PEOPLE OF GOD BUILT UPON THAT MOUNTAIN BY JESUS IN REV 21, IS THE PREVAILING WORK OF JESUS.

Revelation 5:5-6 KJV  And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.  (6)  And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

HE PREVAILED AGAINST DEATH BECAUSE HE STOOD AS HE HAD BEEN SLAIN!

And just as in Isaac and David's day on Mount Moriah, THE TRUTH OF ANOTHER'S DEATH COUNTING AS OUR OWN DEATHS CAUSES US TO SAY WE PREVAILED AGAINST DEATH!

We went beyond this hindering gate of death WITH A FAITH THAT BELIEVES IN RESURRECTION WITH JESUS.
  • A love for God took us past this fear.

Hebrews 2:14-15 KJV  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;  (15)  And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Abraham had a faith in resurrection, though he did not understand just how it would occur.
  • It occurred, but in the form of the ram dying as Isaac, leaving it so that IN A FIGURE, Isaac resurrected from the dead.
  • We KNOW the details since the death and resurrection of Jesus!
  • And Jesus took EVERYONE WHO HAD THIS FAITH past the gates of hell.
  • They would not prevail against us, and we are built up a church -- spiritual house!

And anything else that might HOLD YOU BACK is simply lesser than death.
  • And if the gates of DEATH cannot hold you back, then nothing else can either.
  • You need to claim Christ's prevailing victory over it all, and pass those gates of death!
  • Get on the rock<>!
RESURRECTION is also NEWNESS OF LIFE.
  • You get baptized into his death, and come to a newness of life of resurrection.
  • WHy do some KNOW they are lost but refuse to come to Christ and serve Him?
  • They do not have FAITH IN RESURRECTION.
  • They are so mindful of the old way of pleasures of sin, that they do not consider the resurrection LIFE to be much greater!
Hebrews 11:15 KJV  And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

You need to know about RESURRECTION.
  • Everything you let go of in this world for God, will be replaced by something many times greater!
  • Resurrection life is always greater than previous life!
  • You have to have faith in resurrection life.
  • And then walk up to that gate of death.
  • And allow your OLD LIFE TO DIE!
  • Be buried in the baptism in Jesus' name!
  • Die Christ's death, because Christ's death led to HIS RESURRECTION!
  • Pass the gates of hell and be built on the rock!