You Got The Power

Text Matthew 16: 19

Subject: The Power of the Church

Title: You got the power

Introduction: Our text for this afternoon speaks of the true power of the church. The church has a high calling and the calling of the church is so great that it is humanly impossible for us to fulfill on our own. Nevertheless with the Grace given by Christ Himself, we can be the Church HE has called us to be, a church that the very Gates of Hades shall not over come, and a church that goes about making disciples baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe everything that HE has command. Our text tells us that we have the keys to do the work that we as a body of Christ has been called to do.

For in our text Jesus tells Peter ”I give to you the keys to the kingdom of heaven”; however we need to understand this afternoon Mount Zion, that this power is promised to all who believes that Jesus is the Son of the Living God. Moreover, this is promised to all who confesses Jesus as the Christ, For Peter did not reach this point in his life until he came to realize who Jesus really was.

Church some of us this afternoon are basing our faith on what someone else said or what someone else believes. Some people are members of the church just because their parents or grandparents where members. However church, if how you feel about Jesus is based on what others say, then you have a problem. For look at how Jesus started this conversation with His closest followers, for He asked the question “Who do men say, that I am” and we know what their response was, they said, “well some say you are John the Baptist; some Elijah and others say you are Jeremiah or one of the prophet. but then came the most important question for all, “But, whom say ye that I am?” in other words, church Jesus said, However, Nevertheless, On the other hand, Yet and Still, who do you say that I am. Moreover, Peter gave the most profound answer when he correctly stated, “Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God” it was then that Peter was blessed and the origin of the church was revealed. You see the church was a mystery that is to say it was hidden, not revealed in the Old Testament. It was first prophesied however here in the words of our Lord when He spoke to Peter and said “on this rock I will build my church,” Even though Peter’s name meant ‘rock” Jesus was saying the church would be built on the faith statement Peter made which was “Jesus is the Christ” and on the Solid Rock, that Rock of Ages, would the church be built upon, and if built on that Rock then the Gates of Hell could not and would not prevail against it.

Church, once we get to the point in our life when we can honestly believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God; that He is the Messiah, the Savior, our Redeemer, One who died on the cross for our sins, then we will receive the keys to the kingdom which opens and closes doors, which binds and looses.

That is to say church, once we confess with our mouth and believe in our heart that Jesus is the Son of God and that God raised Him from the dead, then we have come to the point where we too, have obtained the keys to the kingdom of heaven and whatever we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven and whatever we bind on earth will be bound in heaven.

And I do believe this afternoon Mount Zion that you confessed a long time ago that Jesus is the Son of God and that you truly believe he is the Christ the Anointed One, or else you could not have made it this 128 years. Therefore, I stopped by this afternoon on my way to heaven to tell some and remind others “You Got the Power”

Now to have the power means that you have the authority, to have power means that you have the control of; to say you have the power means that you have influence over, the ability to, or the strength to do.

Keep my mind clear this afternoon Holy Ghost, for I need your power.

Mount Zion as a body of believers, with Jesus Christ as your head, then you need to know that you hold the keys to the kingdom of heaven. You see church, keys are a symbol of authority, in Isaiah 22:22 we find where the Lord says He will give His faithful Servant the keys of the house of David and He shall open and no one shall shut and His servant shall likewise shut, and no one shall open, because he has the keys, church when you have the keys no one can shut you out; and if the door is closed you have the keys then you can open. My brothers and my sisters, Jesus is that faithful Servant who holds the key to the house of David; however on the establishment of the church He gives us the keys, for He said I give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven of heaven and whatever you bind I bind, whatever you loose I loose. In other words, He is telling us, you got the power, what ever you declare locked on earth is locked in heaven and whatever you declare is unlocked on earth is unlocked in heaven.