OUR GREATEST CONFESSION
In order to prepare you for this message, I want to first remind you that last Sunday we found that by comparing God’s word with this generation we could easily see that spiritual deception and spiritual blindness is rampant in America and the world. In addition, we also found that God’s word tells us that as we move closer to the coming of Christ, spiritual deception and spiritual blindness will continue to increase and will be one of the leading factors that will allow the antichrist to seize power and control over the whole world.
In order for deception to happen, there has to be a divine truth that is denied and rejected. Where there is no truth, there can be no deception. And so for deception to happen there has to be a conscience effort to turn away from the truth. When you compare God’s word with this generation, it does not take a rocket scientist to realize that our world has turned away from the truth and is living in deep spiritual deception. And again, I believe spiritual deception is the primary factor that will ultimately propel us into the final end times. And the truth that the world has chosen to stand against and reject, and turn away from is the eternal truth that has to do with the person of Jesus Christ.
Every person that has ever lived since the days of Christ will be held accountable for what they believe about Christ, and the decisions they make regarding Christ.
So, today, in light of the spiritual deception that is pressing all around us, I want us to see that the answer to spiritual deception is our great confession in the truth of what we believe about Jesus the Christ. What you confess regarding Jesus the Christ will impact your life now and for eternity.
Matthew 16:13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" 14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 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. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
In reading this passage I realize there are several important points here that hold important eternal truths for us, but sadly we don’t have time for all of them this morning. However, I want to focus on two life changing questions that Jesus asked His disciples, and specifically the question, “Who do you say that I am?” That is the ultimate question that must be answered by every individual. It is an eternal question that holds huge eternal implications.
FIRST, WHAT DOES THE WORLD SAY ABOUT JESUS
First, I want you to picture Jesus and His disciples on the slopes of Mount Hermon overlooking the magnificent city of Caesarea Philippi. Caesarea Philippi was a large Roman city on the coast in the northern part of Israel and was built to honor Caesar. In the center of the city was a beautiful temple of sparkling white marble built by Herod the Great. Caesarea Philippi was a city of magnificent villas and palaces but it was also a city fully dedicated to the worship of many idols and false gods. It was here overlooking this pagan city that Jesus asked His disciples;
Matthew 16:13 "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"
What a powerful question. Jesus has been ministering for 2.5 years. He has performed miraculous
miracles and signs. He has healed the blind; raised the dead; cast out demons; calmed the storms; and He has preached the good news of the kingdom. With this in mind and looking at the pagan city of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked His disciples the first of two questions; “Who do the people of the world believe that I am?”
After 2.5 years of ministry, what is the world’s perception of Jesus?
Jesus already knew what the world thought of Him. He said many times the world hated Him because He is the light and the world loves the darkness and hates the light.
In asking this question, He was not fishing for compliments. Jesus is teaching His disciples and us a powerful and life changing lesson.
Listen to the answers the disciples gave to Jesus.
The disciples told Jesus of the rumors that Herod and others believed Jesus was John the Baptist and had come back from the dead. They told him there were also many who believed Him to be Elijah, who was to appear before the great and terrible day of the Lord and fulfill the prophecy of Malachi by preparing the way for the real Messiah. Others believed He was another great prophet like the prophets of old.
Here’s the point. At no time did they (The multitude, the Pharisees, the world) recognize Him as God’s promised Messiah.
After all the miracles and signs that He had performed, and hearing the great truths that He taught, they still failed to see and accept Him as Messiah and Savior.
That is exactly what is happening in the world today. The world does not see, nor does it accept the truth that Jesus is the Messiah and the Savior of the world.
John 7:40 On hearing his words, some of the people said, "Surely this man is the Prophet." 41 Others said, "He is the Christ." Still others asked, "How can the Christ come from Galilee? 42 Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David's family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?" 43 Thus the people were divided because of Jesus.
The world is divided regarding the truth of who is Jesus the Christ.
Jesus wanted His disciples and us to realize that the world is spiritually blind to the truth that He is the Son of God and the Savior of the world. He wants us to understand that we must not base our lives on what the world sees and believes.
The world is filled with darkness and deception is incapable of knowing and receiving the truth.
This is exactly what is happening in our generation. Many know about Christ and have heard of Christ, but they have no idea who Christ is, because they see Christ through the eyes of the world, instead of the truth found in the word of God.
We live in a time when just about everything and anything of moral value has been brought into question. People are questioning everything, but what is so amazing to me is that so few are asking the most important question of all; who is Jesus Christ?
Instead of seeking the truth for themselves most people are satisfied with accepting the world’s standard opinion regarding the identity of Jesus Christ.
What is the world’s opinion of Christ?
The world views Jesus Christ as a great teacher, a great philosopher, a great man, or even perhaps as a great prophet who spoke with words of power and conviction. But the world adamantly rejects
the idea of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Savior of the world.
For example, people don’t mind it too much if you perhaps mention something about God. But people become very hostile and offended the moment you speak the name of Jesus Christ. Why?
They are offended because we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
They are offended because we proclaim that Jesus Christ is the only way of Salvation. The world says how dare we say that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven.
They are offended because we believe He is coming again with power and great glory to forever rule as the eternal King of kings and Lord of lords.
The world has many opinions about the identity of Jesus Christ, but there is only one truth.
Jesus Christ is either the Son of God or He’s not. He cannot be both. He is either telling the truth or He is a liar. He cannot be both. If Jesus Christ is not the Son of God, then He is not the Savior of the world and He is greatest deceiver who has ever lived.
WORLDLY DECEPTION
At this point, I want to take a moment and give you an example of how this is being played out right now in our generation.
Islam is one of the fastest growing and I believe one of, if not the most dangerous religion in the world. Islam is a religion of deception and hate, and has over 1 billion followers.
Jesus asked who do men say that I am; so let’s consider what Islam believes about Jesus Christ.
Islam vehemently denies that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. However the Bible says that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. So that means somebody is wrong and it is not the word of God.
Islam denies that Christ died on the cross and therefore did not rise from the dead.
The teachings of Islam state that Jesus will return with the Prophet Mohamed and that upon His return, Jesus will be submitted to Mohamed and that He will tell the world that He did not die on the cross and that Christianity is a false religion. He will also force all who claim to be Christians to worship Allah as God and to worship his prophet Mohamed, and He will personally kill all those who refuse.
This is spiritual deception. This is exactly why Jesus warns us not to follow the world. This is why He asked the question, “Who does the world say that I am?” He wants you and I to realize that the world does not know the truth and that we must seek the truth, hold onto the truth and know that Jesus Christ is the truth. Following the world and looking through the eyes of the world will only lead to spiritual deception.
That brings us to this very important point. How do we overcome spiritual deception so that we do not follow the world and end up deceived? The answer is found a question that Jesus asked His disciples.
WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?
After listening to what the disciples describe as the world’s viewpoint, Jesus asked them;
Matthew 16:15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
The key to not being deceived is to know who Jesus Christ really is. He is the way, the truth and the life. Only by knowing Him can you know real truth, and have eternal life.
I can imagine that when Jesus asked this question, the angels of heaven were silent, waiting to hear the reply of His disciples. What would they say? How would they answer this eternal question of the ages?
I can see Jesus as He looked into the eyes and hearts of each of His disciples. How did they see Him? What did they see in Him?
Finally, Peter spoke up and confessed [16] "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Wow! This was not Andrew, the one who always seemed to know what to do and say. It was not James or John who spoke up. This was Peter and He made one of the greatest confessions in the word of God. He confessed that He believed Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, and the Son of the living God.
Consider this; had Andrew not brought Peter to Jesus, Peter would never have had the opportunity to make this powerful confession.
CONFESSING AND BELIEVEING
The key to overcome the spiritual deception of the world is found in what you confess to believe about Jesus Christ.
The Bible says you confess what you believe. Jesus said what comes out of your mouth reveals what you truly believe in your heart.
What you confess from your heart is so important that Jesus said
Matthew 10:32 "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
To acknowledge Jesus is to confess Him with your mouth and with your lifestyle.
Paul wrote
Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
BLESSING AND REVELATION FROM GOD
How was Peter able to make this great confession when the crowds and the Pharisees all missed it? We all know that Peter is not the sharpest pencil in the box, so how did Peter come to this realization about Jesus? Jesus said
Matthew 16:17 …"Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.
There are two very important truths here.
First there is revelation.
Jesus said, Peter, you did not come to this understanding on your own. A true understanding of Christ does not come from our own intellect but from only from divine revelation. By the grace of God, Peter received a direct revelation from God. Only God can reveal the beauty and glory of Christ.
Jesus said, John 6:44 "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.
Paul wrote;
1 Corinthians 2:14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. NIV
The point is, we do not have the spiritual ability to grasp the deep things of God. His truths are revealed only by His grace for those who seek Him and seek His truth.
Second, there is the blessing.
Jesus said, blessed are you…
How would you like for the eternal blessings of God to be on your life?
God’s blessings are reserved for those who choose Christ, who love Christ, who confess Christ and
who follow Christ. Being blessed by God does not mean the world will like you and accept you. When you choose Christ, the world will hate you, persecute you and despise you because the world hates Christ and His truth. However, when you choose Christ, God’s hand of blessing will be on your life as you seek His will and follow Him.
IN CLOSING, WHAT IS YOUR CONFESSION REGARDING JESUS CHRIST?
What is your confession regarding Jesus Christ? What do you believe about Jesus Christ?
As believers in Christ we confess that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God.
We confess that He alone is the Savior of the word and that He alone has the words of eternal life.
We confess that Jesus Christ is the sacrificial Lamb of God who died on the cross for the sins of the world.
We confess that Jesus Christ arose from the grave and that He has forever conquered death and hell.
We confess that He is an eternal King of an eternal kingdom.
The question for you today is, do you believe all of this regarding Jesus Christ?
Do you confess Him and believe in Him as your Savior?
You are only one heartbeat from eternity. If you were to die today, do you have the assurance of knowing where you will spend eternity?
If you are not sure, then today is the day to make sure.
Today, God in His mercy and grace has brought you to this place so that you could hear His word and hear His call upon your life.
May God open your eyes for you to see Him and to see His great love for you. May you open your heart to receive Him and to confess that you believe in Him as the Savior and Lord of your life.
Today, through Jesus Christ you can experience the full assurance of eternal life. He is the only way and the only answer. Today is the day to confess Jesus is the Christ.
