The Keys Of The Kingdom Of Heaven!

THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN!

- Matt. 16:13 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 Barjona: 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.

In this sermon outline we look at some of the Keys of Power that the Lord has given to the Church. The sad thing is that many times the Church does not use that which God has given us, so that we may successfully do the commission of the Church, which is the evangelism of the world. Nor to we use that which God has provided the Church that we might be a people of victory and not one of defeat.

I. Jesus asked the question, "Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?" (Mt 16:13)

A. He is more than any prophet.

B. Then He asked, "He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?"

1. The world can curse Him and speak and make movies that make Him the low of the lowest.

C. The question that really matters is who do we say He is?

D. Peter answers the question with, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."

E. He is more than a man or prophet.

1. He is the Christ!

2. He is the Son of God

3. He is the Word made Flesh!

- John 1:14 (KJV) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

II. The message of Jesus being the Christ is a work of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said, it was not a work of the flesh or of head knowledge. "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven."

A. We must not only hear the Word of God we must believe that Jesus is Lord

1. This is the Work of the Holy Spirit making Jesus know to us.

2. This is how we are saved and become a "new creature"

- 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

- Romans 10:9-10 (KJV) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

III. Upon this confession God builds His Church.

"That thou art Peter, (stone or pebble) and upon this rock (a rock like the Rock of Gibraltar) I will build my church."

A. It is upon this Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ and confession that He is the Christ that God has built and continues to build His Church.

B. Jesus is greater than all the powers of Hell. "and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

- Romans 8:31 (KJV) What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

C. I love the words to the old hymn The Rock of Ages.

IV. The Keys.

They evidently are source of power and blessing.

- Matthew 16:19 (YLT) and I will give to thee the keys of the reign of the heavens, and whatever thou mayest bind upon the earth shall be having been bound in the heavens, and whatever thou mayest loose upon the earth shall be having been loosed in the heavens.

A. With the Keys we will be able to bind and loose on earth what has been performed in heaven.

1. The devil was bound and kicked out.

a. We can do the same in our lives.