How many knows that in every day life, the moment you say this is personal, everything goes to a different level. You may be casually visiting and joking around, and sharing things with little thought. But when someone says this is personal, the time for casual joking is over. Now it's serious.
This is exactly what I hear the Holy Spirit saying today. The time for casual conversation, and joking, and silliness is over.
This is personal.
I think the Word of God will put all of this into perspective.
Matthew 16:13-19
When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? [14] And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. [15] He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? [16] And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. [17] And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. [18] And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. [19] And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
I know that what I am going to say will not be a surprise to you. "We are at war" there is a battle being fought for the soul of America, and the nations of the earth.
Right now hell has launched a full out attack to destroy our nation. And the devil is using right now, one of his greatest and most effective tools. It has long been one of the greatest strategies of war. It is distraction warfare. Distraction warfare works by the enemy zeroing on his target, but then throwing all kinds of activity and smoke screens in a different direction, to draw your attention and your energy away from his intended target.
We see this happening in the political arena with all this January 6th, and Mar a lago being raided, and certain conservative voices being attacked. And the FBI, and the DOJ, being weaponized, and the 87,000 new Irs agents.
But I submit to you that this is not really just about getting our attention off of the horrible, and destructive things the Biden administration are doing to our country. But the real objective of the devil is get our attention off of Jesus.
Satan knows that a distracted church is a fractured church, and a fractured church is a weakened church.
The devil knows that his greatest enemy, is a church that is unified in their focus on Jesus, and their committment to lift him up to the world.
Jesus didn't say if Trump be lifted up he would draw all men to him. He said... If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me.
The devil doesn't really care which direction you look, or which distraction tactic works on you, as long as he can get your focus and your attention off of Jesus.
I want to say this again, this is personal, this is nothing but a loser who got kicked out of heaven, trying to steal the glory that belongs to Jesus alone.
I believe the greatest strategy of the church right now, is to turn our eyes on Jesus, and look full in his wonderful face.
Tell your neighbor, this is personal.
In our text Jesus asks his close disciples a very important question. He said... Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
So the disciples begin to rehearse to Jesus what they had heard others say about him.
And they said... Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
I have a pretty good imagination, so I can imagine Jesus as he listens politely as the disciples share their second hand information with him. Possibly nodding his head, and maybe even sounding like he was impressed at what people were saying about him.
Now I'm not criticizing the disciples at all. The truth is, this is fair. That was exactly what Jesus asked them for, second hand information.
But after they had finished telling Jesus what they had heard about him, Jesus drills down with them, and puts it to them directly. But whom say ye that I am? Or, today he would probably say, but who do you say I am?
I want to bring your attention to this one word Jesus spoke. He said, "but."
That one word changes the complexion of the whole conversation. With that one word Jesus dismisses all their research, and all the second hand information they had gathered about him.
Why is Jesus so adamant about this? People were saying some amazing things about Jesus. Why was it so important that his disciple go beyond hearsay?
Why did Jesus press them? "But" who do you say I am?
This is the reason why... Jesus knew that second hand information is not relationship. All the information that they could gather would never produce relationship.
Jesus was not looking for a community poll. How is Jesus of Nazareth polling today? Well it looks like he's up five points with the adult males, but he's running about even with the young marrieds, but he's dropped a few points with the women.
Popular opinion didn't mean a thing to Jesus. But he had to start with them there, because that was where they were at.
But what Jesus had to make them understand is...
*He can't be a second hand Jesus.
*He can't be a second hand savior.
*He can't be a second hand healer.
*He can't be a second hand deliverer.
It really doesn't matter who he was to your grandma, or your grandpa. It doesn't matter that your Daddy or your momma walked with him intimately. It doesn't matter if you learned the bible by chapter and verse, and the old hymns of the church by heart, and can sing them all from memory. Who is Jesus to you?
So Jesus pressed his disciples just like he presses us today. He isn't impressed by how much we know about him, the question is, do you know him?
Mt 4:22 Jesus said... Many will say to me is that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
The whole mission and purpose of the church is summed up in this one sentence. To know him, and make him known.
I dare say, hell will be full of people who know a lot about Jesus, and a lot of people who went to church and raised their hands, and stomped their feet on the fast songs, and cried on the slow songs. But they do not know him. They have not entered into the intimacy of the relationship, where the two become one.
Millions of people are going to be speechless when they stand before Jesus, and he asks them.. Who do you say that I am?
Then there's something you have to understand about our text. Jesus knows that there is a principle in God that says...
*You have what you say.
*You can only have what you say.
Jesus knows that he can only be to his disciples, who they say he is to them.
That's why Jesus asked them ... But who do you say that I am?
There are a lot of people in the church that make fun of what has been commonly called, the word of faith movement. They criticize confession, and call those who believe in confession, the name it, claim it, blab it and grab it crowd.
But right here Jesus shows us that everything we receive from God, is qualified by our confession.
Faith without confession is like a car with no motor, it's not going anywhere.
Somehow David got ahold of this revelation, in Psalms 91:2 We hear him say this about God... I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in him will I trust.
Listen to what David says about God in Psalm 18:1-2 He says... I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. [2] The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
Listen to that... My strength, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my God, my strength, my buckler, the horn of my salvation, my high tower.
Somehow the Holy Spirit had revealed to David, that God had limited his presence and the manifestation of his power in his life, to the level of his confession. So David began to confess with his mouth, everything that he believed God, and needed God to be in his life.
Jesus pressed his disciples for their own confession, because he knew that it didn't matter what the populace opinion of him was... He could only be to them and in them, who they not only believed him to be, but who they confessed him to be.
We don't know how long Jesus waited for an answer, but it seems like the disciples were caught completely off guard.
Finally after an uncomfortable pause and a deafening silence, Peter blurts out... Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Listen to Jesus response Matthew 16:17... And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
In other-words Jesus is saying Peter, you have just moved into the blessing zone.
Tell your neighbor, I don't know about you, but I want to live in the blessing zone.
With this confession Peter separated himself from all the information gathering, gossip, and opinion polls. And he stood alone that day, separated from his friends and neighbors, not by a wall, and not even by a confession alone, but by his confession of a revelation.
In other words, at that very moment, it became personal for Peter. Tell your neighbor, this is personal.
At that moment Peter went from the sands of philosophy, and logic, and theories, and ideologies, to the rock of ages. He went from the shifting sands of mens reasonings, to the solid, unshakeable rock of revelation.
Jesus immediately recognizes the shift, and he says to Peter. I'm going to paraphrase here. "He says to peter," that's what I'm talking about, praise God, someone finally got it, Hallelujah!
Then Jesus says, this is what I've been telling you, this is personal, this is how you get the revelation. You have to have a personal relationship with God. Flesh and blood can't give you this. Not Baptist flesh, or Methodist flesh, or Catholic flesh, or even Pentecostal flesh. And you can't get this out of a text book. This comes through personal intimate, fellowship and relationship with God.
Then listen to what follows, Jesus says to Peter, blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jonah. Now I want to look at this for a minute. Simon means reed, or one easily shaken. Bar-Jona means son of Jonas, which can be translated wine bibber. Roughly translated, Simon Bar-Jonas means... Unstable son of an alcoholic.
Now listen to what Jesus says...Matthew 16:18-19... And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, "Peter translated means little rock, or little stone, or a piece of the rock. "Jesus is changing his name from Simon Bar-Jonas" to Peter. and Jesus said, upon this revelation you have received... upon this rock, I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. [19] And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
As I said, Jesus states to Peter that upon this personal revelation of who I am, I am going to build my church. And then he says, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
This word was not spoken just to Peter for Peter's sake. This word was spoken to Peter representively, of anyone who will not settle for the shifting sands of religion, and tradition, and philosophies of men, but will press in, and contend for that personal, intimate, fellowship and relationship with Jesus, that will give birth to your own personal revelation of who Jesus is.
If you wonder why so much of the church is wimpy and powerless today, the answer is right here. Sadly the majority of the church world has substituted the undependable, shifting, foundationless sands, of feel good religion, and compromised theology, and watered down doctrine, for the pure unadulterated gospel of Jesus Christ. And they have traded revelation that only comes through relationship, for second hand information, that requires nothing but a casual church affiliation.
No wonder the world, mocks the church, and makes her the butt of their sitcom jokes. Let's be honest about it, that kind of luke warm, self pleasing, comfort seeking, flesh pleasing church is a joke. And that church will never have any power with God.
But the church that walks with God, and lives by revelation through relationship, is going to be the devils worst nightmare, and we're going to be so in sync with heaven, that we will know what to bind, and when to bind, and what to loose, and when to loose, and heaven will back us up.
And once again, we will be the salt of the earth, and the light of the world, and the city that is set on a hill that cannot be hid. And there will be miracles and signs, and wonders, and Jesus will be glorified, and hell will be horrified.
This is what is happening in the church today. There is a sifting that is taking place, and the dividing line is, those who are satisfied with second hand information, and religious affiliation on one side, and on the other side are those who have gone beyond casual Sunday morning religion, and they have a personal relationship with Jesus, and they walk and talk with God every day, and they have a personal revelation of who he is.
Psalms 25:14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant.
This is personal. We can all put on a good show for those around us, and we can play the part better than Hollywood. And we can fool a lot of people.
But we can't fool the Holy Spirit. He knows everything about us. And when you boil it all down, this is the sum total of the matter... This is personal.
