A Igreja que Cristo Edifica Não Será Vencida | Pastor Paulo Seabra

Jesus called his disciples one by one with a word that summarizes discipleship: “Come after me, and I will make you.” He not only called them to accompany him, but to be molded and transformed, ceasing to live for the fish, for fishing, and for what they had done until then, to become fishers of men. Then, Jesus affirmed: “I will build my church.” He did not say that he would build the church of men, any institution or a simple gathering; he said: “my church.” And this church carries a spiritual characteristic that makes it victorious over the gates of hell. Therefore, in celebrating the 45th anniversary of the church, it is necessary to look at the beauty of Christ's church and ask ourselves if we are walking according to what he said he would build. This work began when Jesus promised that he would not leave his orphans. He would go to the Father, but would send the Holy Spirit to be with them every day until the end of the age. In Jerusalem, when the Holy Spirit descended, tongues of fire appeared to them, and people of various nationalities heard the great deeds of God in their own language. There it is revealed that the church is not born from human ability, but from the operation of the Holy Spirit. We have all been baptized in the Holy Spirit, forming the body of Christ, and Christ is the head of that body. If Jesus is not the head, if he does not govern and determine the direction, it is not the church that he said he would build. We are united because we are the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit of God, beloved children, reconciled in Christ and made a visible manifestation of the kingdom of God on earth. When Paul prays for the church in Ephesus, he presents a portrait of the church of Christ. He heard of the faith that existed among them in the Lord Jesus and of the love for all the saints. The church cannot be merely a legal entity, a social organization, or a charitable institution; it needs to live the experience of faith in its daily walk. It is through faith that it overcomes difficulties, maintains hope, and recognizes that the Lord is refuge, strength, direction, and healing. But this faith needs to go hand in hand with love, because it's not enough to gather people in the same place if their hearts haven't been worked on by God's love. This love was poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, and when the Spirit dwells in us, it bears fruit: love, peace, joy, self-control, and temperance. This is what characterizes the church of Jesus Christ: a work of the Holy Spirit in the life of each individual and in the communion of all. Therefore, Paul asks that God grant the church a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full knowledge of Him, illuminating the eyes of their hearts to know the hope of their calling, the riches of the inheritance of the saints, and the surpassing greatness of God's power toward those who believe. The church needs to discern divine things amidst human things and spiritual things amidst carnal things, because it does not live by its own strength, but by the effectiveness of God's power. This power was manifested in Christ, raising Him from the dead and seating Him at the right hand of the Father, far above all principality, power, might, and dominion. Therefore, the church is a people kept safe, called to mature, overcome spiritual immaturity, and manifest the glory of God. Paul also prays that we may be strengthened in our inner being, so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith, being rooted and grounded in love, until we are filled with all the fullness of God. May this church continue walking in this direction, growing, maturing, and manifesting, in this place, the glory of the Lord in the name of Jesus. Pastor Paulo Seabra is an experienced pastor both in church management and in preaching and teaching. He actively participated in the history of Baptists in Brazil and in Ceará. He pastored many churches throughout his life, always with a structural, conceptual, and multiplying vision.