The Beginning of the End — 3 Lessons from our Lord about this Life we Live
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
For two weeks now, we’ve been sitting and soaking here in Matthew Chapter 16. Not getting in a hurry, just trying to take it all in and make sure we don’t miss anything!
In message 1, we looked at “The Sign Seekers and Stubborn Students” and how that we need to make sure we don’t get so caught up with the physical things of life that we miss the spiritual.
We looked at how we also should be on the lookout at all times for false doctrine trying to lead us away from the truth of God’s word. We talked about how some people think their beliefs trump God’s word and that simply cannot be.
God’s word is inerrant and infallible. Man’s is not.
God’s word will stand when man’s will fall.
God is Holy and Righteous; man is not.
God’s Word is absolute truth; man’s is often times littered with falsehoods.
When it comes to how we should live our lives in this present world, we need not consult man, simply God’s word, for it will show us how to live, urge us to live right, and convict us of our wrongdoings.
Then, last week, we moved on to look at a message in the middle of Chapter 16 here, “Whom do Ye say that I am?”
We talked about how this question is the most important question that ever a man has had to answer and that every man, woman, boy and girl will at some point have to answer this for themselves.
We also seen Peter’s acknowledgement that Jesus was Lord, the Son of the Living God.
And then we finished it up by looking at Jesus’ revelation of the Church and a glimpse into the will and the work of the Church.
And now, we come to the message that’s before us today! The final 8 Verses here in Chapter 16 of Matthew.
Today, we’re going to be looking at a message I’ve entitled “The Beginning of the End — 3 Lessons from our Lord about this Life we Live.”
As we work our way through the message today, we’re going to see a lesson from our Lord about our position in Christ, our posture in Christ and finish it up with a lesson about possessions in this life.
I’m thankful that God worked this series here in Matthew 16 out because it’s going to flow beautifully into next week which is Palm Sunday.
With no further ado, Matthew 16 Verse 21 if you have it, would you say, Amen please.
A Lesson in Position — (Vs. 21-23)
A Lesson in Position — (Vs. 21-23)
The Bible tells us here that “from that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.”
For roughly 3 years now, Jesus has been teaching these men how to live: how to walk the Christian walk, how to talk the Christian talk, how to deal with those who do not and will not believe because of hardened hearts, how to trust God for everything, how to soak themselves in His word, and how that the greatest weapon they possessed was prayer!
But now, we come to a defining point in the ministry of Christ.
Last week, we seen how Jesus revealed His plans for the Church and a glimpse into His will for the Church.
And now, without a moments hesitation, He continues on by revealing the things which must soon come to pass.
His death, burial and resurrection.
Now, don’t miss this…someone tell me what Peter’s response was when Jesus asked him who the disciples thought He was?
Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God, right?
Peter believed that Jesus was the prophesied one to come. He believed He was the Son of God.
But even up to this point, there still wasn’t a clear understanding, by the disciples, of exactly what Christ came to do!
They still, even after all this time with Him, believed He was going to overthrow Rome and set the Children of Israel free from the oppression of Rome.
They were still looking for a worldly king!
What they didn’t understand though is the fact that if the Messiah were a worldly king then He would perish along with the world and His end would be death!
But that wasn’t the plan at all!
Christ came to die alright, but He came to die so that...
We might live.
So that He might defeat death itself along with hell and the grave and reign victorious forever, Amen!
Would you rather have a king with a limited reign or an eternal king who reigns supreme?!
The disciples were stuck in the here and now as many people are even today!
They were so caught up with what was happening right before their eyes that they were missing what was actually taking place before their very eyes!
They wanted an immediate release from oppression but Christ had come to set them free eternally!
They wanted an immediate king but Christ had come to reign supreme!
And so here He is, He’s trying to explain this to them...
“Look guys, there’s going to be a time in the very near future when I must go to Jerusalem. And there’s going to be some things take place there that you are probably not going to understand. I’m going to be taken before the members of the Sanhedrin Council and they are going to beat me, and flog me and mar me beyond compare and then, they are going to have me killed. But don’t worry, I’ll rise again 3 days later.”
Look what happens next!
No longer had these words left Christ’s lips, the Bible says that Peter “took him” and began to rebuke him.
When it says here that Peter took Him, it means he took Him aside.
It’s a good thing because Peter would have been real embarrassed if what’s about to happen had been heard by all the other disciples.
He takes Jesus aside here and then the Bible says he began to “rebuke” Him saying… “Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.”
When the Bible says here though that Peter began to “rebuke” the Lord, the word used here is the Greek word (epitimaō) and it means to verbally correct.
Life Application Study Bible — The word for “rebuke” is a strong term meaning that Peter was rejecting Jesus’ interpretation of the Messiah as a suffering figure.
And this goes back to what we were just talking about a few minutes ago.
In their minds, the prophesied Messiah would be the one doing the judging, correcting, and casting down.
So for Jesus to say that all these things are going to befall Him, this is just mind boggling to Peter.
Let it be not so!
What are you talking about!
Have you gone mad, Lord?
New Living Translation — “Heaven forbid, Lord, This will never happen to you!”
John G Butler — Christ was the Master, not Peter. Yet, Peter began to act as the superior one here by taking Christ aside to counsel Him. Peter’s conduct was filled with pride. He thought he knew better than Christ.
How many times do we end up finding ourselves in this same situation?
God places this idea on our hearts; He gives us this nudge to go somewhere or to do something and then we, like Peter, tend to take Jesus off to the side and treat Him like He don’t know what He’s talking about.
How many times do we end up finding ourselves in this same situation?
Jesus, you need to pull it together! There ain’t no way I’m going here or going there or doing this or that!”
Sounds about right doesn’t it?
Can I give you a little word of wisdom this morning…God always knows what’s best for our lives, Amen?
And Peter’s about to find that out the hard way!
Here comes The Lesson in Position.
Look down at Verse 23.
John Phillips — Behind Peter lurked Satan. The voice was the voice of Peter; the words were the words of Satan. A few moments before, Jesus in effect had said to Simon, “You are Peter; you are a stone.” Now He was saying, “You are a skandalon, a stone of stumbling.”
William Barclay writes — Satan literally means the Adversary. That is why Peter’s ideas were not God’s but all too human. Satan is any force which seeks to deflect us from the way of God; Satan is any influence which seeks to make us turn back from the hard way that God has set before us; Satan is any power which seeks to make human desires take the place of the divine imperative.
Just moments ago Peter was referred to as a rock to be used of Christ to build His Church and now, literally moments later, he has become a snare unto Christ.
That word “offence” means a snare or a stumbling block.
And listen, it’s all because Peter was acting in the fashion of a man.
Look what Christ says...
“For thou savourest not the things that be of God but those that be of men.”
And this is where I want to really drive home this lesson of our position in Christ.
If you go back to the beginning of Christ’s ministry, after fasting for 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness, He’s tempted of the devil.
And after the final temptation, He tells the devil, “get the hence Satan.”
Basically, that means get out of here, right?
But here, He tells Peter, “get the behind me Satan.”
Now, I think He was delivering a twofold message here.
For the real reason behind the rebuke, which was Satan, Christ was saying, “I know it’s you, you old devil! You’ve been after me from the beginning but I still see your schemes plain as day! You’ll never stop me from the ultimate goal! I’m going to that cross, I’m dying for these lost sheep, my perfect blood will sanctify and set them free and there’s not a thing you can do about it! Get out of my way and into my rear view mirror where you belong!” Amen!
Now, I also believe there was a very strong message here for Peter.
“Peter, you’ve gotten out of line! You’re trying to take the lead in a mission where you’re not the leader! Your spot in this plan is and always will be behind me. This is a mission that only I can accomplish. I know you don’t like the thought of what I’ve just said must come to pass but if you don’t want to die in your sins, you’ve got to allow me to accomplish what I came to do! It’s the only way!”
Peter needed to be reminded of his position in Christ. There would be a time that Christ would need him to lead but even then it was under the banner of the cross and the perfect lamb of God who died upon it for the sins of the whole world!
Now, I want you to ask yourself a very simple question…where am I this morning in my walk with Christ?
Am I trying to tell Him what to do?
Lord this is my life and I’m gonna live it how I want and you’re more than welcome to tag along.
Or are you following His lead?
God my life is yours. Totally yours. I am submitted to your will whatever that may be!
I can let you know from experience that I lived many years that first way. Doing what I wanted to do. Living how I wanted to live.
I was living out of step with God and my life was a reflection of it for sure.
But when I finally submitted to God’s call upon my life, when I finally got in the right position where I was supposed to be and put Him first and let Him lead, I quickly found there was no better place to be!
Make sure this morning that you are putting Christ in the position He deserves this morning.
Now, that we’ve looked at A Lesson in Position, now, let’s look on down at A Lesson in Posture.
A Lesson in Posture — (Vs. 24)
A Lesson in Posture — (Vs. 24)
After having to deal privately with the rebuke of Peter, He turns His attention to the whole group and addresses them as a whole to deliver His lesson in Posture.
Can’t you just imagine…Peter and Jesus walking back from their little side bar and Peter’s head is bowed low as Christ begins to address the group?
The rest are probably thinking, “oh me, what has Peter said now!”
“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
Jesus begins this lesson by addressing the position that every person must take if they are to be saved.
After, behind.
If any man will follow me, let him deny himself.
One of the hardest things for mankind to do is to set himself/herself aside for the sake of someone or something else.
To put others needs before their own.
Christ said when it comes to posture, first off you have to get rid of the pride in your life. You have to learn to be humble. You have to learn that what you want isn’t as important as what I want for your life. You have to learn to regard the things of God above your own.
Life Application Study Bible — This attitude turns self-centeredness to God-centeredness. “Self” is no longer in charge; God is.
And then, Jesus goes on to say, “if any man follow me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.”
I want you to think about this for a second.
The cross was a symbol.
Does anyone know what it’s a symbol of?
It’s a symbol of death.
First off, we must die to self before we can ever truly begin living for God.
Not only is it a symbol of death, but it’s also a symbol of sacrifice.
Christ gave His life on the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world!
And in return, He asks us to also live a life of sacrifice in complete submission and dedication to Him and His will for our lives.
Paul told the Church in Rome...
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
If ever there was a man who lived his life in submission to God it was Paul.
7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
To the Church of Galatia he wrote:
20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Is the life you are living this morning crucified with Christ?
Ask yourself that question.
Does my life tell the world that I’m a child of God. Does my life resemble a life that belongs to Christ?
If that answer to those questions isn’t yes, then friend you’ve got some things to work out with Jesus for it was He who said...
“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
Life Application Study Bible — Jesus invites every person to follow, but those who desire to follow him must have three attitudes: (1) a willingness to deny themselves, (2) a willingness to take up the cross, and (3) a willingness to follow.
Jim Elliot, one of the five young men martyred by the Indians in Ecuador, wrote in his diary, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
And then, the great British missionary C. T. Studd, who gave up fame and fortune to take the gospel to pagan tribes, wrote: Some wish to live within the sound of Church or chapel bell, I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell. — John Phillips Commentary
Two great examples of men who made this verse their life’s motto and this morning I simply ask…will you do the same?
If you have trusted Christ, will you deny yourself, your ambitions, your wants, your desires, to follow Christ?
Will you take up your cross, not everyone’s is the same, but will you take up your cross and live a life in sacrifice to the Lord Jesus Christ?
We’ve seen Christ’s Lesson in Position and His Lesson in Posture. Now, let’s finish it out by looking at His final Lesson in Possessions.
A Lesson in Possessions — (Vs. 25-28)
A Lesson in Possessions — (Vs. 25-28)
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.