FBCWest 367 | Who Do You Say Jesus Is
Recorded On: 12/29/2019
Bulletin
FBCWest
December 29, 2019
“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him
must worship Him in Spirit and truth.”
“Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow”
Praise and Worship
SCRIPTURE READING – Psalm 98:4 - 6
“God of Wonders”
“God of this City”
“God Is Able”
“God, I Love You”
Giving of Selves and Our Offerings
OFFERTORY PRAYER
SPECIAL MUSIC – By Pru Hungate
Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“The Life and Ministry of Jesus The Messiah”
“Who Do You Say Jesus Is?”
PRAYER TIME / Time of Reflection
“Build My Life”
Acknowledgements and Announcements
Benediction “Only Jesus”
Sermon Notes
Matthew 16:13 Jesus asks His disciples who the people think He is
Matthew 16:14 Their response concerning the people
Matthew 16:15 Jesus asks who do the disciples what they think
Matthew 16:16 Peter’s response
Matthew 16:17 The correct response is not because of them
Matthew 16:18 – 20 Building of the church and the keys to the kingdom of heaven
Scritpures
Transcript of Service
My emphasis is always been.
On the internal.
Now, as a result, sometimes I get some criticism for that.
Because as I say that there are a lot of people who want to know about how to have a better Monday or a better week.
And that's why they like various pastors that they do so. Today, if you're one of those people who want to have a better Monday or week or month.
Pay special attention to my introductory opening to this message.
Throughout our lives in each day.
We are presented with and give.
And ask questions.
Some questions are kind of for a temporary situation. Other questions are longer term, and some questions have to do with eternal consequences. So just to kind of go through it, so for instance, 1 question that we get very frequently. That's kind of a part of our culture is how are you doing?
Now the typical incorrect response because.
The first asking it really doesn't want to know how you're doing is just kind of how we start our conversations and how and so the the accepted an expected answer is fine, or OK.
Every once awhile you'll get great.
Well, that makes a person feel a little comfortable because since that's kind of above and beyond what people are expecting their almost having to feel like well, then they gotta say, well, what makes the day great or if you say terrable or I'm not doing well that makes a person uncomfortable 'cause. They don't really want to know they just starting to meet you and that's all and so uh.
This is kind of where we are the next question you get alot, if you're particularly if you're a parent.
Are we there yet?
And you'll hear that you know are we there yet are we there yet are we there yet.
Or other questions, especially if you're a sports fanatic who do you think will win?
Or when you go to the store. How much does it cost the typical answer is if you have to ask you can't afford it.
But here's some advice.
Don't ask negative questions.
Or what do you mean by negative question well let me give you an example? Let's say a husband and wife before they leave to go to work say one of the two will decide I'll go to the store and buy coffee.
And so you go to after work and you come back.
And then negative question is, you didn't buy the coffee did you.
See that's a bad question because First off if the person actually bought the coffee. They feel agitated because you assumed they weren't going to do it.
Or if they didn't do it, they are going to be aggravated because now their defensive.
So don't ask negative questions just ask did you buy the coffee?
Another one, you get especially if you're younger? What do you want to be when you grow up now we ask that question wrongly?
Because the correct answer in my opinion would be if someone were to say What do you want to be when you grow up? You would say I want to be a wise kind gentle disciple of Jesus.
But that's not really what the question is the question is what do you want to do when you grow up? And so people say doctor lawyer Baker welder engineer scientists whatever it is that they want to be.
The next thing, especially if you have teenagers are you going to have teenagers.
Too often we ask close ended questions.
For instance,
How was school today and the typical response is fine?
And they go after their room.
When it comes to teenagers are people that you want to develop a relationship with you need to learn to ask open ended questions that takes a little more time that takes a little more thought takes a little more deliberation, but by doing that it requires them to say more than fine.
Then there are life.
Impacting questions.
A question like.
Will you marry Maine?
The answer to that.
Or the asking that question will impact your life as if you say yes and you ask the person that person is now going to be your spouse and they're going to impact full of your life.
Jesus is gonna ask his disciples 2 questions.
I'm going to add.
In this message ask you 2 questions one of the questions. I'm going to ask is the same question that Jesus asked and this is a question that has eternal significance is more than how are you doing? Is more than are we there yet it's more than a negative question is more than a life impacting question it is a eternal life impacting question.
And so.
In Matthew Chapter 16.
Sorry with verse 13 it says this.
Now, when Jesus came into the district of sensory aphylla pie. He was asking his disciples who do the people say that the son of Man is.
And they said some say John the Baptist and others, Elijah, but still others. Jeremiah or one of the prophets. So he asked. The question now. The reason that these people have these answers is that one. John the Baptist was beheaded. John the Baptist died so there, thinking that John the Baptist through Jesus was resurrected other people are saying well. You're Elijah because the idea was to come before the Messiah.
And then say, well, others, perhaps say your Jeremiah because he was a Prophet, or other profits and they were sure, but there was lots of opinions.
As a who Jesus is.
And was
And he said to them.
But who do you say that I am?
Simon Peter answered you are the Christ the son of the Living God.
Peter immediately responds to the question they asked all the disciples.
With if you will, the correct answer that Jesus is the Christ.
The son of the Living God.
He gets the answer correct if you will.
So my first question to you is.
Who do you say?
That Jesus is.
Now, some in our culture.
Saying well I'm not even sure that Jesus was a real person that basically when I hear his name.
Is a response in either shock or anger as an expletive?
A curse word.
And that's the only reference that we ever hear of Jesus the Christ.
Others will say as kinda here, he was a Prophet.
The problem with answering he was a Prophet.
What was it that he said God said.
He said.
I am the son of God.
He said.
That, he would be returning as the king of Kings and Lord of Lords.
So if he's a profit.
He's more than that.
Others say he's a good teacher.
Problem with that is, he taught were supposed to love our neighbor as ourselves into love our enemy.
If he's a good teacher. Nobody seems to take up his good teaching.
His even believers don't want to love people that don't like them.
We find it hard to follow his teachings.
And if he is a good teacher. Some of the things that he taught was I am the way I am the truth.
I am the resurrection.
The only way to get to God is through him.
If he's a good teacher his teaching is he is the only way to the God.
There are those who say you know.
I don't know.
I don't care.
But I suspect most of us here today.
Would answer the question.
He is.
The Christ.
The son of the Living God.
So my next question is.
So Watt,
All too often.
His disciples or those who claim to be his disciples will quickly cry out that Jesus is the Christ the son of the Living God.
But in their lives have no impact on that statement.
Their life is this the same as the people who look at Jesus's just another expletive.
You couldn't tell one person from another by their actions.
People will say what they say is important to them.
But in reality was important to you is what you do.
You can say that you love your spouse.
But if you don't show it.
Did you really love your spouse?
And if you say that Jesus is the Christ the son of the living. God then do you live your life as if he actually is?
Or she will, I have my fire insurance so I can do whatever I want to do.
So again I ask So what?
Jesus answers.
Peter's statement by saying this.
And Jesus said to him bless it are you Simon Bar Jonah because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my father, who is in heaven.
This is an amazing statement and one that is true.
Well, one that we don't pay much attention to.
Because let's take a real quick look at Peter.
Jesus call Peter as a disciple who would later become an Apostle.
Peter was there when Jesus turned water into wine. Peter was there when he healed. Many people of various diseases diseases. Peter was there when he raised several people from the dead Jesus Peter was there when he saw Jesus.
Heal people with issues of blood he saw people healed who had disabilities, he saw people healed who had demon possession.
All these things he saw Jesus walk on water, he saw Jesus rebuke. The wind and the sea and they became immediately steel in all those instances. Jesus could have said. You finally figured out by all that I have done and said that I am. the Christ the son of the living God, but he doesn't say that.
He says lesser you because it was revealed to you, but my father.
Who is in heaven?
Oftentimes, we just don't understand why people just don't get it.
We hear people say, Well, Jesus is just a myth, even though the fact is history reveals him and plenty an in Josephus and other writings that Jesus was a person who walked on this Earth.
And they go to church, they hear messages and and there are times when we hear a message and we could all fired up within our spirit. We just don't understand why people don't accept him.
Not because it wasn't laid out clearly it wasn't because there wasn't good preaching. It wasn't because there wasn't good Bible study. It was because the father and not revealed it to them.
As I tell you over and over, it is our obligation to communicate. The good news. It is God. The father through God. the Holy Spirit to draw people to him.
Not our job to win them. It is our job to communicate the gospel.
So flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my father, who is in heaven.
I also say to you, that you are Peter Anop on this rock. I will build my church, and the gates of Haiti's will not overpower it. I want to stop there are Catholic friends and misinterpreted this passage.
You see Peter means little stone.
Jesus saying.
You are Peter Little Stone, but upon this rock and I don't think he was pointing at Peter the Little Stone. He was pointing at himself and the statement that he is Jesus, the son of God.
Appan that faith statement, he will build his church.
And nothing will overcome it.
It may not be as large as we'd like there might might not be as many people in Italy, like but the fact is even hell cannot overcome it.
It is a pon this, I will build my church, this rock of faith.
And then our Catholic friends misinterpret this verse verse 19, says, and I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.
And whatever you bind on the earth shall have been bound in Heaven and whatever you lose under she'll have been loosed in heaven.
Now.
People misread this not only who are are Catholic friends, but others because they think well well. We speak and say in whatever will tie things up or loose it.
First of off notices said whatever you loose on Earth will have been loosed in heaven.
We are to do on earth? What has been done on have in heaven.
As in the Lord's prayer.
May your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven.
It isn't we bind something here and therefore it's bound in heaven. No, it is loosed in Heaven and therefore it is loosed here.
Now I believe in in there could be some argument that those keys have already been used.
They were used to unlock the door to faith to the Jew there were used to unlock the door of faith to the Samaritans and they were used to unlock the door of faith to the Gentiles.
In each of those Peter was there to have a part of it.
But it wasn't that we do something here that therefore is required to be done in heaven. It's just the opposite.
Then he warned the disciples that they should tell no one that he was the Christ.
Everytime Jesus tells people not to do something.
They do it.
Now here we're not told that the disciples run around and start telling people he's the Christ.
But there's going to come a time when he's gonna tell them to tell people that he is the son of God. The Messiah, the one who was foretold up.
And that's what we need to do.
We are to follow him to be his disciples. We are to learn of him. We are to be like him, and we are to communicate to this world who he is.
One of the most sad things I can think of.
Is for someone to answer this question correctly who?
Do you say that I am?
And yet
Does not build their life?
On the correct answer.
It is so.
Depressing.
To see people.
Who claimed they had the right answer?
And yet live their lives.
Is that they had no idea who Jesus was?
So as we
Come to this.
Time.
I think we need to ask ourselves that question.
Who do I say that Jesus is?
Notice I say I don't say who he was.
Because Jesus is.
And then the next question, we should ask ourselves.
What difference does it make in my life?
Am I just a better version of Maine.
Or am I like him.
Am I getting closer to me like him.
In my following his good teachings.
Do I trust what he says.
The world tells us that there are many roads to heaven.
Just like they were many roads leading to Rome.
That's not Jesus is teaching.
Jesus is teaching his exclusive he is the way.
He is the truth.
And he is the resurrection.
And if we build our lives on that.
It will have an impact.
Today.
Tomorrow, the rest of our lives and the answer to this question has.
An impact on our eternity.
So if you got the answer correct.
We can take any pride in that is not that we were smart enough to figure it out is not that we were experienced off the figured out is not that we were born in the right place to figure it out, said God the father revealed it to us.
Which is one more reason we need to praise him?
Because he is extended his Grace Appan, our lives.
And in response to that grace we should build our lives.
On the rock.
And not on the sand.
We should build our lives on that statement of faith.
No matter how the wind may blow no matter how this season may crash against it up on that rock.
We can stand and even hell itself cannot over Wellness.
And all gods people said.