“KEYS PLEASE!”
Mt. 16:19
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. At the hospital, the relatives of a gravely ill person met with the doctor.
2. “I’m afraid I’m the bearer of bad news. The only hope left for your loved one at this time is a brain transplant. Insurance will cover the cost of the procedure, but you will have to pay for the brain yourselves.”
3. Finally, a family member asked, “Well how much does a brain cost?” The doctor quickly responded, “$5,000 for a male brain and $200 for a female brain.”
4. The men in the room tried not to smile, avoiding eye contact with the women, but some actually smirked. A man blurted out, “Why is the male brain so much more?”
5. The doctor smiled at the childish ignorance and explained to the entire group, “It’s just standard pricing procedure. We have to mark down the price of female brains. After all, they’ve actually been used!”
B. TEXT
16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Mt. 16:16-19
“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.” Lk. 11:52.
18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. 19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. Rev. 1:18-19. NKJV
C. THESIS
1. This morning I want to give you a powerful weapon against the enemy. I want to remind you that Satan has been defeated!
2. That all his power has been taken by our Resurrected Lord when He overcame death, hell, and the grave.
3. And because Jesus overcame, we also are made “More than Conquerors” in Him! TITLE: “KEYS PLEASE!”
I. THE POWER OF KEYS
A. MEANING
1. “Key or Keys” are mentioned 8X in the Bible (KJV). Greek word is klice (key) from klio “to close a lock.”
2. KEY (defined) – “a device to lock or unlock something.”
3. A key implies a lock and a shut door; a door which CAN be opened and the interior revealed, if one has the Key.
4. To have possession of a key is to have great power. One who finds the key to a problem can change the course of history. Ex.: Vaccines, metals, machines, computers, etc.
5. ILLUSTRATION
a. 2 people showed up to claim an abandoned auto on the side of the road.
b. A policeman stopped to check on what was going on. Both claimed ownership.
c. Finally one man said, “Officer, do you think it logical, that if a man owns a vehicle, he will have a set of keys to it?
d. “Here are the Keys!” Jesus has the keys to the realm of Death.
B. EXAMPLES
1. JOSEPH’S KEY TO EGYPTIAN GRAIN.
a. Joseph became the Ruler over Egypt. The whole world was without food. Joseph opened the storehouses (41:56) to feed them.
b. Joseph had the key to the granaries. His power to open and shut them was great because millions would starve or live. See the power keys have.
2. ELIJAH HAD THE KEY TO RAIN
a. Lk. 4:25. Elijah had the power to open or shut heaven (Rain). 1 Kgs. 17:1, “… there shall not be dew or rain…but according to my word.”
b. Only after 3 ½ years and the nation repenting did Elijah pray and it rained again.
c. Same with the 2 witnesses in Rev. 11:6, they have the “power to shut heaven.”
3. RELIGIOUS LEADERS’ KEY OF KNOWLEDGE
a. Lk. 11:52, Lord Jesus tells us that religious leaders have the ability to correctly interpret the Word to people.
b. BUT THEY DIDN’T. Parallel in Mt. 23:13 says, “You shut up the Kingdom of heaven against men.”
c. They kept people from entering heaven because of their false interpretations. Cults do this today.
II. JESUS HAS DELEGATED THE KEYS
A. KEYS OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
1. In Christ we are given liberty and every spiritual blessing in Christ. 2 Pet. 1:3, God “has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness…”
2. BUT NOT EVERYONE HAS THIS LIBERTY. Our loved ones or our friends may still be lost or in bondage, or in a godless lifestyle.
3. But Jesus has the keys to their deliverance. That’s why the Gospel is good news!
4. HUMOR: GOOD OR BAD NEWS?
a. A teenager came home after driving his dad’s new car for the first time.
b. “I’ve got some good news and some bad news” he announced to his father. “Which one do you want to hear first?”
c. “Let’s start with the good news” his father said.
d. “The good news is, the air bag works!”
B. REQUIREMENT FOR DELEGATION
1. In Mt. 16:16-19, we see the Lord gave Peter the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven; the power to unlock or open the doors of God’s blessings. Lk. 4:18, Jesus quoted Isaiah that he’d come to preach, heal, deliver, recovery of sight, set at liberty them that are bound, etc.
2. What qualified Peter to get these keys? Peter’s acknowledgement, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”
3. In John 3, the Lord says, “If you’re born again,” you can enter the Kingdom of God.”
4. We also, as believers, have access to those keys. We can be a conduit of blessing, to open & shut the Kingdom and blessings to those around us.
C. THAT IS OUR COMMISSION!
1. “To open the prison doors to them that are bound!”
2. We have people here this morning who are bound in prison cells.
3. You say, “I’ve never been in prison!” No, not physically, but how many know there’s more than one way to be imprisoned:
a. Your Mind;
b. Your Emotions;
c. Your Situation, etc.
4. Jesus wants to set you free this morning.
5. Q – WHAT PRISON CELLS ARE SOME PEOPLE IN?
III. PRISON CELLS SOME ARE IN:
A. THE PRISON CELL OF SIN
1. There should be no way out for us. We’re guilty. Our sins convict and sentence us. If we’re judged, we’re only getting what we deserve!
2. But Jesus came and took our place, our punishment, so we might be set free. “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”
3. PROMISE: Rom. 6:14, “For sin shall not have dominion over you…” Even your habitual sins can’t stand bf Jesus!
B. THE PRISON CELL OF FINANCIAL LACK
1. Living expenses keep going up. Rent, car payments, insurance, gas, food, clothes, doctors & medicine, etc.
2. It’s very easy to get over your head in debt.
3. JESUS PROMISES HE’LL MEET OUR NEEDS. “My God shall supply all your needs by His riches in Christ Jesus!”
C. PRISON CELL OF TROUBLED MARRIAGE
1. 50% of marriages end in divorce. Many marriages struggle continually.
2. There’s arguments, bickering, misunderstanding, discouragement, discontent, financial pressures, no love just hurt.
3. You’re in prison. For some of you, marriage is like death row!
4. BUT JESUS IS THE KEY TO YOUR MARRIAGE! Just as God can heal our broken relationship btw He & us, so He can heal bitterness between married people!
5. GET YOUR MARRIAGE OUT OF ITS PRISON CELL!
D. THE PRISON CELL OF SICKNESS
1. The doctors may have given you an evil report, but who wants to hear “the report of the Lord?”
2. God says, “I am the Lord your Physician!” Ex. 15:26.
3. HEALING SCRIPTURES:
a. Exodus 23:25, "…serve the Lord your God, and He shall bless your bread and your water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of you."
Deuteronomy 7:15, "And the Lord will take away from you all sickness…"
b. Psalm 41:3, "The Lord will sustain him on his sick bed and restore him from his bed of illness."
Psalm 103:3, "Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases."
Psalm 107: 20, "He sent His Word and healed them, and delivered them from all their destructions."
Proverbs 4:20, 22, "My son, attend to my words; incline your ear to my sayings... For they are life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh."
c. Matt. 8:17, “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.”
Mark 16:17-18, "And these signs shall follow them that believe... they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
Luke 5:17, "... and the power of the Lord was present to healed the sick."
d. Acts 10:38, "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him."
1 Peter 2:24, "... by whose stripes ye were healed."
3 John 2, "Beloved I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers."
E. OTHERS LIVE IN PRISON CELLS OF OTHER SORTS – the key is, DO YOU WANT OUT?
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: ‘CAN’T DIE BUT ONCE’
1. Born into slavery and badly treated as a young girl,
Harriet Tubman (1822-1913) found a shining ray of hope in the Bible stories her mother told her.
2. The account of Israel’s escape from slavery under Pharaoh showed her a God who desired freedom for His people.
3. Harriet found freedom when she slipped over the Maryland state line and out of slavery. She couldn’t remain content however, knowing so many were still trapped in captivity.
4. So she led more than a dozen rescue missions to free those still in slavery, dismissing the personal danger. “I can’t die but once,” she said.
5. Harriet knew the truth of the statement, “Do not fear them who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul” Mt. 10:28.
6. It took incredible courage! When Harriet Tubman couldn’t forget those still trapped in slavery, she showed us a picture of Christ, who did not forget us when we were trapped in our sins.
7. All around us are lost and bound people. Will we ignore their plight? Will we have courage? (Our Daily Bread 5/29/16)
B. THE CALL
1. How many of you have a difficult problem you’re facing right now? God has the key to your problem.
2. The Bible says, “Cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” Bring all your needs to God.
3. All of you who have special needs, stand up right where you are. Now step out and come join me at the front. We’re going to pray together.
4. Prayer, then salvation call.
5. Now let’s all pray that God will make us agents of deliverance to everyone around us. We have the keys, now let’s use them to release the captives!
