Matthew 16:16-20
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“Our Response”
“Our Response to the confession is movement toward Christ.”
Sunday Morning Sermon
9.28.08
Intro: (Start with title and text)
Suppose for just a second that you are driving by your neighbor’s house and you see flames – but you don’t see your neighbors – What would you do? The situation requires a response! We’re having a baby – That situation requires a response from us.
Biblically – We are supposed to rejoice with those who rejoice – and mourn with those who mourn. Our response to those around us – is based on their situation – joining with them – helping them through their pain or joining with them in their excitement. We respond to things all the time – ALL of us – responded to an alarm clock, or some sort of wake-up call this morning.
Discussion:
Jesus was with his disciples – and he asked them to respond. Because true doesn’t change if it is embraced or rejected – he wanted to know where they were according to truth – according to his life. We are going to dive right in this morning –
Turn with me if you have your Bibles to Matthew 16:16-20 (Advance) (Read)
Our response to the confession is movement toward Christ – This is on an individual level and a corporate level – church – it demands a response. I see three movements this morning –
(Advance)
I. Heart Movement (16)
a. More than just head knowledge
i. This involves –
1. Motives
2. Lifestyle
3. Attitudes
4. Emotions
When Peter answered that Jesus was the Christ the Son of the Living God – It was more than just repeating a Sunday school answer. He was signing up for a lifestyle and a life time of work. (Advance)
Psalm 40:10 (NIV) — I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly.
b. Understood in the heart – spoken from the mouth (Advance)
1 Peter 3:15 (NIV) – But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect
Did you catch that last sentence?
i. Gentleness –
ii. Respect –
Why not just tell people they will end up in the pits of hell? Why not just demand that people in your life change? Why does Peter say – “Gentleness and Respect”?
If Hailey was running in the yard playing with a ball – and the ball started to roll towards the busy street, and of course she starts after it -- that is NOT a time for Gentleness – She doesn’t see the danger that I know exists. When your co-worker/spouse/parent/friends/classmates – whoever it is asks you about your Christian beliefs – Gentleness and respect are called for because – hope is involved. If your intention is just to prove someone wrong – you might always be right, but you will never win anyone over to Jesus. I know that the church will be accountable for the people who have heard about Jesus.
iii. We should live it
Biblically, there is no dividing wall between the heart and the mouth. Out of the mouth the heart speaks. For the Christian there should be no division between the heart knowledge of Jesus – and a response. It is no longer good enough – just to be Christian. Our knowledge of who Jesus is and what he has done – should make it’s way to our mouth – and we should tell people, who he is and what he has done for them. How will they know – unless you and I get off our blessed assurance and tell them, and live it, and teach it? This heart knowledge of Jesus – this confession of Jesus:
c. It demands a response
You will respond – church – doing nothing is a response. Getting involved and learning more is a response. Getting involved with different service projects is a response. Peter’s response – follow Jesus to the cross. His denials show a very human side of the apostle – But his life and the words he writes – the journeys in Acts with Paul – we know his dedication. He was busy feeding sheep.
This second movement is something our society and college campuses and the media tells you doesn’t work with Christianity – I’m telling you they are wrong. (Advance)
II. Head Movement (17-18)
You can be Christian – and use your brain! This is not a check your brain at the door type of belief. God gave you a brain, hopefully it’s not on drugs, – and I’m encouraging you to use it.
a. Know what you believe –
We don’t use or have creeds in our church – but the second century church created creeds as a way to determine if you were Christian. The creeds labeled what the church believed.
i. Responsibility
1. Church’s responsibility to present the gospel
2. It’s yours to grow and learn – it assumes attendance
Free commercial – Belief in the creation story as it’s told in Genesis does not make a person dumb, disconnected or disagree with science. Science is a great thing – it’s always good that we can discover a truth God has already put into process. If you know the Genesis story – God created Adam and Eve with age – they weren’t babies. You also have to understand that the trees and the garden were also created with age.
That’s another sermon – some other time.
b. Peter’s Response
i. Brought blessing – from Jesus
ii. It’s was not revealed by man – but by God.
Now, this is where we get into a tricky text. It really comes down to one word – Authority. (Advance)
Matthew 16:18 (NIV) – And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
c. Authority
i. Does it lie with Peter?
ii. Or is it in his confession?
iii. Does it lie with the church/church leaders?
iv. Or is it the word of God?
Are you still with me? I believe (Advance) the word of God is the absolute authority in the life of the Christian – and the confession of who Jesus is.
d. Wrong authority –
i. I can’t forgive your sins – I love you – but I can’t forgive sins.
ii. I can’t act as a go between with you and God – that’s above my pay grade.
iii. I can’t save you – it’s beyond my ability
Very important --
iv. I can’t change the word of God to fit you in.
Here’s the best part – I don’t need to do any of those things! Jesus is the forgiveness of your sin – The perfect Lamb of God who was sinless died on the cross for your sins and mine – why would you dare place a human between you and God…especially when you don’t need to! Hebrews says that we can approach the throne of grace with confidence.
e. Correct authority
i. The word of God – the foundation of the church
We live or die by the word of God – it is our authority – it is our wisdom – it is our guide. It does not change it is not moveable --- it is absolutely valuable for life and love and peace. In it we find the way to salvation – assurance of God’s love and the commission to move forward. Our church – this church will never change the word of God – we don’t have that authority. It doesn’t change the truth anyway.
f. Jesus loves the church – because she is the bride
It was his intention to set up a fellowship of believers – a community of believers who would fulfill his commission. It was not his intention for people to get more excited about the house of God than the God of the house.
Now – was a different church on every corner, his goal – no…he prayed we would be unified. People have tried to make – CHURCH – the authority, especially preachers (I hang out with preachers…authority is not a word I would use) – scripture is the authority.
Does that mean you need to stop coming to church – NO. Because we teach the word of God – and that was the intention of Christ – you should be here every time you can. There is no replacement for the fellowship of believers. The author of Hebrews says that you should NOT forsake the fellowship of believers – it’s part of your belief in God.
Notice the authority of the scripture – gives the church (the people) authority over the gates of Hell. The church should be busy growing the kingdom of heaven. When we grow the kingdom in heaven, we shrink the wide road that leads to destruction.
The other movement: (Advance)
III. Heavenly Movement (19-20)
a. The keys to the kingdom
i. Salvation for all – the message of God’s love for everyone
ii. Blessing – the assurance of God’s blessing as we obey his commands
iii. Denial of self – Taking up the cross daily and following
Then Jesus does something strange – On one hand he asks his disciples who they say he is – Peter answers – Jesus starts in about the church and building the church. But then he says – SHHHH….don’t tell anyone.
b. I just told you to tell people!
i. That you should speak this with your mouth
Jesus – SHHH…don’t tell anyone. Here’s the reason :
(Advance)
Matthew 27:28-31 (NIV) –28They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. 30They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
Jesus knew about the cross. Jesus knew he would be handed a staff that wasn’t his, given a robe that wasn’t his – so he could also take sin – that was not his. He knew about the crown of thorns. He knew he would be mocked and beaten. We see the cross as the greatest demonstration of love – Jesus knew it as punishment for the world. He wasn’t in a hurry to get there – he knew it would be his destination soon enough. This heavenly movement – is not something you do on your own – it was accomplished through Jesus as the way to God.
Conclusion:
Our response to the confession is movement toward Christ – we don’t have any other choice if we understand the confession. It is a movement away from the sin in our lives that the Bible says entangles. It is a movement away from death and hell. It is an absolute rejection of everything the world calls good and valuable and holds up as sacred – it is that way for a reason. We don’t see sin as sin – our country – our media holds up people – snaps their picture, on the front page of magazines – embracing their sin – it makes me SICK! We call it a “lifestyle choice.” --
You can’t move unless you trust. You won’t embrace what you have not engaged. This morning some of you – need to get engaged with the word of God and the person of Jesus. You know you do. You know you need to repent of your past, you know you need to get baptized, you know you need to worship different things. It is a whole lot easier to build a kingdom here – than it is to make an impact on the kingdom up there. We have no other choice. Jesus is the messiah – and if that’s true…and we live that truth – we change, we move, we have to respond.
Let’s pray.
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