23/08/2026
*LIGHT 4 LIFE SERMON*
(BASED ON THE PRESBYTERIAN ALMANAC)
(SUNDAY 23RD AUGUST 2026)
From the:
PRESBYTERIAN WORSHIP CENTRE, PWC
@ PRESEC, LEGON
Theme:
*“THE CHURCH BUILT ON A LIVING CONFESSION.”*
BIBLE READINGS:
1ST: PSALM 124: 1 – 8
2ND: ROM. 12: 1 – 8
3RD: MATT. 16: 13 – 20
INTRODUCTION
What is the Church? Is it a building with a cross on top? Is it an organisation with committees and constitutions? Is it a social club for respectable people? Many people have different ideas about what the Church is. But Jesus Himself gave us the clearest definition. In our gospel reading, He said, "On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
The Church is not built on bricks and mortar. It is not built on tradition, culture, or human charisma. The Church is built on a living confession — a personal, life-transforming declaration that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God. Today, we are called to examine our own confession. Is it living? Is it real? Is it the foundation upon which the Church will stand against the forces of darkness?
LET US PRAY!
#1. If the LORD Had Not Been on Our Side
In our first reading (Psalm 124: 1 – 8), David reflects on the deliverance of Israel. He says: "If it had not been the LORD who was on our side — let Israel now say — if it had not been the LORD who was on our side when people rose against us, then they would have swallowed us up alive."
David acknowledges that the survival of God's people was not by their own strength, strategy, or military might. It was purely because the LORD was on their side. How often do we take the protection and preservation of the Church for granted? Look at the history of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana. Our forefathers faced persecution, hardship, and spiritual warfare. Yet the Church survived. It grew. It thrived. Why? Not because of our brilliance, but because the LORD was on our side.
A living confession begins with acknowledging that without God, we are nothing. The Church does not exist because we are organised. It exists because God has been faithful. If the LORD had not been on our side, we would have been swallowed up by sin, by the world, and by the enemy. Let us never forget that. Let our confession be: "Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth."
#2. Our Confession Must Result in Living Sacrifice
In the second reading (Rom. 12: 1 – 8), Paul moves from doctrine to duty. He writes: "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." A living confession is not just what you say with your lips; it is what you live with your life. If you confess that Jesus is Lord, then your body — your time, your talents, your money, your relationships, your career — must be presented to God as a living sacrifice.
Paul goes on to say that we are not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought, but to think with sober judgment. We are members of one body in Christ, and we have different gifts. We are to use our gifts diligently, whether it is prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation,
giving, leading, or mercy.
Many of us have a confession that is dead. We say Jesus is Lord, but we live as if we are Lord. We confess with our mouths on Sunday morning, but Monday to Saturday, we live for ourselves. We hoard our money, we neglect our gifts, we avoid service, and we seek our own glory.
A living confession is proven by a life of sacrifice and service; what are you doing in the Church? Are you a spectator or a participant? Are you using your gifts to build the body, or are you just warming a pew? The Church built on a living confession is a Church where every member is a minister. Everyone has a gift. No one is useless. Use your gift for God's glory.
#3. Who Do You Say That I Am?
In the gospel reading (Matt. 16: 13 – 20), Jesus takes His disciples to Caesarea Philippi — a region filled with pagan temples and idols. In that context of false worship, He asks them a crucial question: "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" They give various answers: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. These were respectable answers, but they were wrong.
Then Jesus makes it personal: "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answers: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus responds: "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 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."
The crucial question for today: Who do you say Jesus is? Not what your parents told you. Not what your pastor says. Not what your church tradition teaches. What is YOUR personal, living confession? Is He just a good teacher? Then He cannot save you. Is He just a prophet? Then He is not God. Is He just a historical figure? Then He is dead and cannot help you.
But if He is the Christ, the Son of the living God — then He is Lord of all. He is the Saviour. He is the King. He is the One who conquered death and hell. And that confession — revealed by the Father, not by human wisdom — is the rock upon which the Church stands.
The gates of hell — representing the power of sin, death, and Satan — will not prevail against a Church built on this confession. But here is the challenge: If your confession is weak, if you are not sure, if you are living in doubt and sin, then you are vulnerable. The gates of hell can overpower a lukewarm Christian.
Challenge & Application: Three Tests of a Living Confession
The Test of Acknowledgement: Do you publicly confess Jesus as Lord, or are you ashamed of Him before others? Jesus said, "Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven." (Matt. 10: 32-33). Do not be ashamed of the gospel. Confess Him boldly at work, in the market, in your family.
The Test of Sacrifice: Does your confession cost you anything? Or is it cheap and convenient? A living confession may cost you popularity, comfort, or even relationships. But it is worth it. Are you willing to be a living sacrifice?
The Test of Service: Are you using your gifts to build the Church? If you are not serving, your confession is questionable. The Church is built on living stones — people who are alive in Christ and actively building God's kingdom. Find your place of service. Use your gifts. Stop being a spectator.
Conclusion: A Church That Cannot Be Defeated
The Church or Christian built on a living confession cannot be defeated. Not by persecution. Not by false teaching. Not by the lust of the flesh. Not by the devil himself. Jesus said, "The gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Gates are defensive structures. The picture here is not the Church defending itself — it is the Church advancing against the gates of hell and prevailing! Are you part of this advancing Church? Then make your confession personal. Make it living. Make it real.
Acknowledge Jesus as the Son of the living God.
Present your body as a living sacrifice.
Use your gift for the building of the body.
Trust in God who is on your side.
The LORD is on our side. Our help is in the name of the LORD. Let us rise up and confess Him with boldness, and build His Church together!
Shalom
LET US PRAY!
© Rev. Sir Anthony Ani
Resident Minister – PWC Presec, Legon.
NB: For Counselling and Prayer Support, WhatsApp 0548333398.
