The Path of Simon Peter, Part 7 - Jan. 5th, 2025

I hope in your heart. Rings, a Melody of Love. Take her hymn book. You're reading handbook, please, and same page 431. We're going to sing, just the first versus are opening. Congregational, ask you to stand along with brother Allen. He's already.

Or 31, first verse. I love to listen to spice my longing by like 12.

Good morning. Welcome to First Baptist Church of Westminster 2025 happy New Year and I hope that you had a good break and enjoy the time with family and it's so good to be able to serve the Lord. I appreciate our verse, it's in our bulletin. It's it's the verse that Moses gave us in the Psalms when he wrote that song. So I'm 90. And he says, kind of in the middle of that song, which I think is significant. He says, teach us to number our days. 2025 365 of them. If God gives them all to us and a quarter, whatever it is, that is, you know, we figure out how many days there are 35 days into that. So, Lord, teach us to number our days. Now, the other thing about that Psalm is, he says a thousand years in thy sight is as but are. But as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night, God operates on a different timetable than we do. And I think we ought to see Kim to number our days. So we're going to do that as we worship Him. And we'll pray a little bit later in the service but welcome and those are watching on Zoom, Happy New Year to you as well and we're glad to see here. Let's keep worshiping the Lord together. At First, Baptist Church Westminster lily of the valley. He's the one that keeps us and goes before, I know what song it is in the blue him know. But 4:47 in the red Hymnal you may be seated. Thank you for hundred and 47th. Lily of the valley. Sing all three verses.

I have found a friend in Jesus, he's everything to me. He suffer something in him alone. I see, I need to cleanse and make me fall in love and sorrow, and mourning bar stuff in towels into my soul. Oh, my Grace has tank on and all my saw. Those born in Temptation. He's my strong and Manny and all my Idols gone from my haunted chase me by his paw.

Through Jesus, I shall see. He will never leave me nor forsake me here while I live by her about me. I'm nothing now to stay here with his mad at me. My hungry so shopping.

We're home now. We'll sing just a couple pages off. 450 isn't the love of Jesus. Something wonderful sing, all three verses for 50.

Show me a Swedish.

I brought him from the Realms of Glory just to say my sister phone.

Isn't Jesus. Something wonderful me reaching to heaven.

Nerf all the Jesus something, wonderful and comprehend the love of God in Christ Jesus. Something about Jesus, something wonderful.

Where would we be without the love of Christ that constrains us?

So something I want to put before the church today for prayer and mention to our staff. We we have something. At the end of this month, we are looking forward to it. Maybe you're here this morning, you're like passion is the first time I've heard about that. I've gotten those comments recently. So I want to make sure everybody is aware that at the end of this month we have a combined event. What this means is that if you are involved in trail life ahg or church staff in any capacity, volunteer, let's say that you just volunteer around the church and helped lead a Ministry or serving a mystery. If you volunteered any way to church, we want to, we want you to know that this is open to you as well. So we have reserved, Silver State, Baptist youth camp for a weekend and overnight really for the staff. And I were planning on being there, Friday night, and Saturday, and then we'll stay over Sunday night up there. And then, come back here with everybody for church. Free 26th. So that's really what I want to promote to you this morning, come and join us for this Retreat. If you serve in the church in anyway and then if you're involved in Our Truth Ministries, you're making plans already. And we're looking forward to a good time together to just kind of get away for the winter time and silver States been kind enough to open up the facilities for us and dewinterize one of their dorms so it so it'll be cabin camping. Okay it's camping. Really good about going camping in the woods with snow is Kavanaugh going to be spoiled up there? Trust me they got a nice big fireplace with a hard that you're going to be. We're going to keep everybody warm. We're going to have great food while we're. There are troops are going to help us with this and still have meal ships in those kind of things. And so let me make some plans to be there with us. If you have questions about that, please see either myself or mrs. Willie, she can get you connected on those details. That is the weekend of January 26th, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. So you going to be there? Maps. Talk to your neighbor and say you know, maybe I need to rearrange my plans that weekend and think about being at the church. Okay, we'll see you there. I'm playing, I'll be in there. It'll be great time. And then we'll be back here at, like I said, Sunday, morning for church, time all day and we'll have breakfast and lunch together. So she can be a great weekend really looking forward to that. Some other things you don't want, you won't want to miss around here. Tomorrow is our start of the semester with Biblical School of world evangelism. And I'm looking forward to teaching these classes on slotted at each Pastoral Epistles at 9:30 in the morning and then at 10:30 will start the book of Acts life of Paul will go through the semester and you can audit these classes. The doors are open. So even if you're like, oh, Post Road, want to be back in college, you can come and audit the class. If you want to do it for personal development, let's say you can't make all the classes. The doors will be open and will be here teaching. And so If you want to come and sit in on any of those classes as you can, please do so but if you would like to take it for credit you will need to enroll with medical school of wrote evangelism, go through those those that they have for you and you can get an accredited Bible degree when you're done because they're that close to being accredited fully. They're already pretty much accredited degrees, I think her, they're offering now they've named say that there are accredited. So it's it's just a tremendous opportunity and I have other to other classes as well. So I'll be proctoring those but be a video and that's connected to the bits. We students as well. So Pastoral Epistles tomorrow a.m. 9:30. And then the life of Paul the book of Acts at 10:30. And if you can come to that, that would be a blessing. Let's see, we have a team game night, brother, Randy, and sister Vicky your back, is there any details about the steam game game? Not coming up on the 10th? And he's got Flyers. So grab a flyer from him if you'd like more information and then that's close to our pinewood derby. So the game night is Friday and then the pinewood derby is on the 11th at 5 p.m. And is this an open invitation

Okay, so no Pollo in the time will change from 5 to 6 in your bulletin. So make that note the Derby will start at 6 p.m. and is that open to pretty much anybody that wants to come the doors will be open if you want to see some Pinewood racing, come on out and I we got break in our new track. Oh, come on, we got a new track. Amen. Praise the Lord, the Lord provided that for us it's going to be a great race. Looking forward to that. And I bring a car you know we can always run some things after the formal stuff is done, there's always opportunities to to run other cars and things. We have a lot of fun with that man, January, 18th Church cleanup day. Come on out, and help us do some some winter things around here as we get in the 2025, on January 18th. So that's what I wanted to bring our attention and is there anything that I've missed that? I should cover. I'll check with my brains. She's the brains of this outfit. If you haven't figured that out by, now she's definitely my better half and I got the better end of this deal. So I'll write praise the Lord. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. And then we'll turn our eyes to the scriptures and will engage in our congregational scripture reading. Would you pray with me? Grace's, Heavenly Father, we come before you. So thankful for the guy that you are the guy that we can serve the god. That's giving us such opportunities here. Lord, what you were doing and in through this church just amazes me as we were challenged and encouraged this morning and Sunday school. You're using this church to get the gospel to the ends of the Earth and you're doing that in the same way that you did it through the New Testament that we read about in those early disciples or not only are we touching the ends of the Earth by helping missionaries, get your word to the Lost. We have we have our our deacons in our service here in the church, they're going out much like Philip did and other evangelist in the New Testament and going out and reaching others for Jesus Christ through this local Ministry. And so from here at home to a broad, we want to be careful to give you praise for providing for this church, for banding us together, for giving us a place that we can come in a symbol. And to know that our assembly Is not just what we do on Sunday, mornings and Sunday, nights and Wednesday nights. It's so much more through the week every time that we can get together. Lord, we doing what your disciples did when they followed you and and what a privilege to be a part of your making his tree around us or we pray that you'll keep our church strong this year and we thank you for 2024 and all that we were able to experience in the wonderful things that you did. But Lord that's yesterday's blessings as we coming to 2025, Lord, we seek your face of fresh, and a new and we humble ourselves before you, and we just plead with you and beg. You God help us to stay strong for you through this next year and help us to be a burning and Shining Light for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our Savior, we worship you today, Lord, we adore you and we love you. And father, we thank you for wanting a relationship with us, even after we fell away from you and to send that you loved us so much. You sent Jesus Christ to make way for us, to be right with you and father, that warms our heart today, and that draws Us near to you, and holy spirit. I pray that as we worship you and read, read the word of God Together As we sing the songs of the faith. And as we remind ourselves that that what we're doing is eternal and Timeless. We pray that you would be honored and glorified and everything that is said and done. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Take your Bible and join in 1st Corinthians. Chapter 3 for a scripture reading. We have been in the book of Acts and we've taken a little bit of a aside from that to come over to the books of Corinthians and read Paul's letter to Corinth. I'm so we are in chapter number three. When you found your place in 1st Corinthians 3, I'll invite you to stand if you're physically able, as we read the word of God together publicly as a congregation 1st Corinthians chapter number 3. Call rights. And I Brethren could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ, I have fed you with milk and not with me for his or two. You were not able to Bear it, neither yet. Now, are you able for year yet carnal for? Whereas, whereas, there is among you in and strife and divisions, are you not carnal and walk as men? Bro, I won't say is I am appalled? And another I'm of a Polish. Are you not carnal who then is Paul and who is Apollos but ministers by who we believed even as the lord gave to, every man, I have planted Apollos watered but God gave the increase. So then neither, is he that plan to say anything, neither he that water is. But God that give us the increase. Now he's at plantus and he that water with her one, and every man shall receive his own reward. According to his own labor for, we are Labor's together with God, or Gods husbandry, ye are God's Building. According to the grace of God, which is given unto me. As a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation in another build is there on, but let every man take heed how he build it. They're on their Pawn for other Foundation can no, man. Lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now, if any man build upon this Foundation, gold silver precious stones would Hae and stubble. Every Man's work shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide, which he has built their upon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved yet. So, as, by fire, know, you not, that she are the temple of God and that, the spirit of God will offend you, if any man defile, the temple of God, hymn show God destroy for the temple of God is Holy which Temple ye are let no man deceive himself. If any man among you see Miss to be wise in this world, let him become a fool that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written. He take as the Why is in their own craftiness? And again the Lord knows the thoughts of the wise that they are vain. Therefore let no man. Glory in men for all things are yours, whether Paul or a Polish or sea fish or the world or life, or death, or things present or things to come all or yours and your Christ. And Christ is God's a lord at his Blessing to the reading of his word. Thank you. You may be seated. I left brother. Tim already can hear the church to come and lead us in our next song as we worship. The king hit number one in your red songbook.

Sing all four verses M. Number 10, worship the king.

Ashanti and Grandpa are sealed on defense.

Romans 9 is Jerry on some rap.

Arkansas, Hot Springs in.

The last verse please children in mankind.

Take your Bible and join me in the Gospel of Luke chapter. Number 9 Gospel of Luke chapter. Number 9. I'd like to continue our thoughts on this man. Peter I'll read together as we continue. The message that I've been titled from calling to commission from commissioned to confession in versus 18227. But I'll be up front with you. I don't intend to unpack these verses in there. A ways to go before we get to Luke chapter number 9 from chapter, number 6, where we began. And then we started looking at Peter. But I do want you to see this with me and look at these versus in versus 18227 one person treated these versus this way. Who is Jesus? Part number one, that's what they called it and they mentioned the suffering Messiah here in this segment of verses 18, to 27, don't want you to look for the suffering messiah in verses 18, to 22 will notice the suffering and rising of the Messiah and inverses. 23 to 27 will see his followers likewise Suffer for game, 4 game to gain life. They suffer in versus 2327 now. Under verses 18 to 22, notice of the inadequate opinions of others and verses 18 and 19, The partially understood correct. Understanding of Peter in verse 22. True interpretation from Jesus in verse 21 and 22. Then and verses 23 to 27, notice following the cross centered path of Jesus, and verse 23, and the Assurance of life, when the son of man comes in glory and verses 24 to 27, I'm giving you that up front before I read because I want you to look for those items. As we read verse 18 of Luke 9 and it came to pass as he Jesus was alone. Praying. Compare Luke 6:12 and 13 where he spent all night in prayer before electing his apostles. You the one praying his disciples were with him. They're with him, but he's alone. And he asked them saying he asked them, they didn't ask him, he asked them, Come say the people that I am. they answering said, John the Baptist But some say, Elias and other say that one of the old prophets has risen again. So is that the partially understood part of what? They're, they're observing of others, the opinions of others. Now, here's the partial understanding, the correct understanding of Peter inverse number. Continuing on. What are the old prophets has risen? Again verse 20 and he said unto them, but whom say ye that. I am a follow-up question. Peter answering said the Christ of God, the anointed one of God and he Jesus straitly charge them. and commanded them to tell no man that sang Wait, what? They figured it out. He doesn't want to meet anybody.

Saying verse 22. Here's why the son of man must suffer, many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes Liberty seen that Brewing, haven't we? That's why he spent all night in prayer back in chapter 6 us why? He he went a different direction based off their decision to reject him and he raised up these Twelve Apostles the first being a the son of man must suffer many things. The son of man being a term that is a Messianic. Go to Daniel chapter 7 verse 13 and 14. The son of man has those connotations to it and this is the term that Jesus used for himself. These have a red letter Edition. This is Jesus Calling himself the son of man.

Right after Peter says, you are the Messiah. He says the son of man, meaning himself. I don't know how you can miss that connection but some people do And be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be slain and be raised the third day. As a prophecy.

The prophecy in the sense that Jesus said this before, it came to pass.

There are those that might come to this and and try to twist the scriptures and say that, you know, these men wrote this afterwards. And so they just made this up and they put this in before. No, this is Holy Scripture. This is given by divine inspiration of God. So will you believe the words of men or will you believe the words of God? And if this man is eyewitnesses are telling us the truth, then Jesus prophesied these things before they occur. And we also know that the Holy Spirit brought these things their memory after they had happened and put all things together to give us this written record.

Be slain and be raised the third day. So that's the part they missed. That's the part they couldn't grass because that was so foreign to their concept of Messiah. You're the Messiah and Jesus telling them, you need to be prepared in your heart and mind things are not going to go the way that you're anticipating them to go. Because they had some misunderstandings, they were partially accurate, but they still had some some things to work through.

Jesus had to be slang. That word. Slain is interesting to me slang because well, you slave Lambs for sacrifice.

Slang and be raised the third day, Hallelujah, for that. He's not going to stay in the grave and that gives us hope. But he said this, you know, all in this verse right here, he gives so much that we should unpack verse 23. He said unto them, all, if any man will come after me, Wasn't Peter might be sitting there thinking yeah count me in that number. You said follow me way back there and I followed you you called me and then you chose and you chose me to be an apostle. I'm here Lord and so I wonder if Peter and the others might be thinking of any man will come after me, let him deny himself. And take up his cross daily and follow me. He used the term cross, right after, he says, he's to be slain. He tells them you're going to have a cross to bear. Let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me for whosoever will save his life shall lose it but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. So how do you say you find this life that Jesus offers? If the lose your own life and you have to, you have to take his life.

Lose your life for his sake and you will save your life verse 25. For what is a man? Advantaged, if he gain the whole world and lose himself or be Cast Away, In their mindset of Messiah, that would be like game in the world to them. Hey, we got roaming off her back where a nation again is Israel. We got God's blessings like later on. If he told us about you got all these things and more stable. Again in the land, we got peace around us and we got all these temporal things. Temporal things, temporal things and they missed the bigger picture.

For whosoever shall be ashamed of me. And my words, what words? The words he just said about being slain and Rising again, the third day, the words that center around the gospel The death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, right? Brother. Tim The Book of Romans To be slain and be raised the Third Day words that center around this gospel. Paul said, I'm not ashamed of that. It's the power of God unto salvation but he says, whosoever shall be ashamed of me. And my words of him shall the son of man be ashamed. When he shall come in his own glory, and in his father's, and of the Holy Angels, But I tell you of a truth. There be some standing here which shall not taste of death till they see the kingdom of God. Or I pray that you help us to understand your word with Clarity this morning give the option of the Holy Spirit and father I pray that I would be a vessel worthy to be used of you. The father you would take your word and speak to your people today and if there happens to be one lost listening to this message, I pray that they would come to know you as Savior before she turned Lee too late, before the Believers that are here. Lord, I pray that you would give those the meat of your word that are mature enough to receive that. For those that as we read in Corinthians, or, or need in need of the milk of the word. I pray that you would meet them where they are and help me Lord to be Discerning of your purposes. In this message to help us recognize you and also see the challenges that that brings for us today just like it brought to them. There were challenges about recognizing who you are and father help us as a church to to help others know who you are in a deeper and more profound way. I pray in Jesus Christ name. Amen. Has Peter made this confession that we're looking at is proclamation of Christ in verse 20, the Christ of God. Last time I tried to set the tone for you by considering the location where this was given. And that was all done on purpose, that Jesus went to caesarea Philippi at the intersection of idolatry to make this profession known by Peter and asked these questions to bring this about at the intersection of all of the world's idolatrous practices. Israel included with rest of the Pagan world. So Jesus is different. The world could not recognize him, they could recognize Caesar and Caesar's Temple that they would worship up there at the, the base of Mount Hermon that they could recognize the idols like Zeus and pan and and, and what was that? Other one we talked about life starts with the word in it. And you told me last week, and I've already forgotten it again. How's that work? Nemesis, that was his name. Nemesis lowercase G. God. They have all these gods for all their whims and all of these things and they still can't find a way to please them all all the time. Just so whimsical. And Jesus Christ stands as the creator of the universe and says I have come as a son of man to do something, you're not expecting me to do. See, they were expecting him to come and take the Throne of David, right? Then to send it to Jerusalem, like the prophets, tell us he's going to do and he will do that. That, that is to come. And we have that great, I hope before I see you today. But there was an, it was an interim that needed to occur because Jesus Christ as God's anointed, one must have been slain for the sins of the world. For without the shedding of blood, there can be no remission and I see hints of this. Maybe even all the way back in the Book of Genesis. Is that what I called? The Divine a live. When Adam and Eve were thrust from the garden, they went out Eastward from the Garden of Eden, remember that, and God placed a chair beans there to keep the way of the tree of life. And the Divine Ellipsis is that verse says, it's kind of ends openly and it's almost as if God is having a conversation with himself and says, well as they continue living and there's Perpetual state of sin, And unless you know they said they'd be able to come back in this Perpetual state of sin and eat of the tree of life and live forever in this Perpetual state of Senate. I can't wrap my mind around all that's going on and ever. So I think there's a reason why it's a Divine ellipses and we don't have all the information. Maybe we if we need to know we can ask when we get up there but I haven't figured all that out yet. See the way back to God. Is through the right way. That's why that you're being replaced there because you can't just come to God. Anyway, you, please and Israel would not have been allowed to come to God, still in their sin. The world, the pagans would not have been allowed to come into God's presence in their state of since and friend. If you're here today and you're in sin, you will not be allowed into the presence of God that it does. That make sense? He's a holy God, he's Thrice! Holy! Holy holy! Holy is the Lord God Almighty In order to be in his presence, we must have his righteousness, not our righteousness. We must have his righteousness in order to obtain his righteousness. We must come by face. Not just standing in anything or anyone. Our faith must be in the object, the person and work of his anointed savior. Who shed his blood for the remission of sins? To make a way for us to be right, with God.

So he must have been slain and even points this out to his disciples who still miss Teresa. Not Christ to have suffered These things, as he walked on the road to Emmaus with them. We put it out last time and what Peter comes to the conclusion of here, he speaks for all of the group as kind of Representative the first being Peter. So he's he's there to speak for them and he speaks for all when he says, you are the Christ of God. And this Revelation could have only come from God on high in Jesus. Remind some of that back in Matthew 16 at, you would have known this except my Father in Heaven had revealed it to you. So, this is scripture, when you read all of this, what Luke says it's scripture. But this is revelation of God. It was revealed from Heaven. That Jesus Christ is the messiah. So this point we need to reflect briefly on the implications of Jesus's questions and Peter's reply in the immediate spatial context and the cultural context. And here we are with the disciples and this thriving Hellenistic City caesarea Philippi, why? It's in Compass by Stone images. I've been over there, I've seen some of the carvings that remain in and they're all kind of scattered and you can see some of the remnants, but I can't even imagine what it would have looked like look like in the day when they were there to have, you know, all the Syrian gods in the Greek gods, that this imposing Temple. That was directed by Herod in honor of Caesar for Caesar worship, and it's the empirical worship that was happening in, that Caesar is Lord in that day. The Imperial cult cult the disciples are asked to identify Jesus.

Who say men that I am. And he's compelling them. I think in a sense to Buck the consensus, you know, the consensus is, here's the opinions of everybody else. Summer saying, you're this person summer saying. You're that person. Some say that you're this person come back from the dead, John the Baptist some say you're one of the old prophets. It's risen again. That's who everybody saying there is. There's a consensus around you, not just of the four culture into which they had come for a reprieve. I mean, that's, that's difficult enough to think about the challenges that the world is facing in trying to identify this, man, Jesus of Nazareth. He's asking them to declare his uniqueness. From everything from everyone else that had gone before him. Jesus is different. Jesus is not like Caesar Jesus is not like Zeus. Jesus is not like paying or Nemesis or you fill in the blank. He's not like Bale. Jesus is different.

In the traditions of the Pharisees, the traditions of the Israelites that the things that they were cleaning so hard to in the religious leadership. So Peter has a response that that addresses, both of these, contextual problems. If you can see it that way, you have these stone, images of missed all these dead Ambridge. Go back to some of what the prophet said about idolatry and especially Isaiah, you know, in Jeremiah, you got to this guy and then describe that he goes out. He cuts down a tree and was part of that tree. He built a fire and it Cooks his food in the, with the other part of that tree. He carves them a little zeidel, and him. And he worships that Idol. And it's a, it's a dead thing that he's worshiping, there's no life in that. That idle can't do anything for him.

so, Peter's response, addresses these things, ya be Stone, Dead, images, surrounding them there, and caesarea Philippi Peter declares Jesus to be the son of the Living. God,

All the dead gods don't matter. Peter's conviction is that Lord to whom shall we turn now has two words of Eternal death eternal life. These are dead things. So here in the midst of. Just idolatry. But in the midst of the intersection of death itself, he stands at the gates of hell and Hades the opening, to the way to death itself and he says, I'm the one who has been anointed to bring life. Out of death, the Gates of Hell shall not Prevail. He's going to build his church and the Gates of Hell shall not Prevail against it.

Cuz if these these dead idles really existed, all of this stuff was ramped up in the imaginations of men. Whose hearts are only evil continually go back to Genesis 6? Where did all these Idols come from? They didn't come from revelation of God that came from revelation of, man. Out of the depths of hell and I wonder if you know how many of the devil's Tools in his toolbox, he still employees today. To dupe and pull the wool over our eyes about things in which we think we've arrived and become so smart as mankind. But we have all kinds of imagination still today that our ungodly as we try to do life without God. Jesus is different.

Instead of Simply identifying Jesus as a prophet, you need to understand. Peter went beyond that. He wasn't just saying Jesus. You're a great prophet from God, whose come. And I'm speaking as kind as I can in light of our Muslim friends and others who believe that Jesus was a prophet. He's more than a prophet more than Peter. Didn't just identify him as a prophet. That would be a comfortable assertion, right? We can be comfortable with saying, well, he's just another man, like the rest of us. He's, he's not any different from the rest of us, but he has a gift from God, and he's been sent by God and he has his message from you at the end of the day,

He's a sinner like the rest of us. Is that who Jesus is? Cuz you know, they probably it's hard for us to think about this is hard for me to say this, that the prophets were sinners.

It's not hard to think about it when you read some of the accounts was Moses a sinner. Did he murder and Egyptian and bury his body in the sand and try to get away with it? David was a prophet was not David a sinner. Yes, he was. It's up to say that Jesus is a prophet and he's like the rest of us, it doesn't go far enough. Because Jesus isn't like the rest of us. He who knew no sin. Okay, that that rules out. Everyone of us and Moses, David, you name it. There's no one that can fit that bill. He who knew no sin became sin for us. Don't ask me to explain that to you see logically I don't know how I don't know how but God did it. That's my face and I believe that God did that you knew? No sin became sin.

We're not sticking with just a comfortable assertion about him being a prophet, like one of the old prophets has arisen Peter's confession, is that Jesus is indeed the anointed one. He is the Son of God, so that means Jesus would be the Fulfillment of all their hopes. Even the ones they don't understand yet. As it was shaped read Acts chapter 1. And where does it say that tomorrow or the next week or whatever? I get around to, getting to that part in the book of Acts. But read Acts chapter number one, where Jesus talks about the kingdom to his disciples at before his Ascension as ill shaped as their hopes might have been at the time, They still had this hope. Of who Jesus is. How's your hope M today, I've asked you that before, but how's your hope? Have you allowed the world to rob you of your hope in Christ? Don't let the world do that. The words of work works of Jesus Christ. I appreciate the adductor pentecostes position on that. The late dr. Dwight Pentecost, but he pointed out in that that Jesus was doing more than than giving Simon a new name. When he named him Peter, you are Simon Peter and Upon This Rock. I will build my church. We talk about this in the past. He was revealing a role that Peter would have as Jesus build his church and the Gates of Hell will not Prevail against Authority mission.

When God irre name someone it's significant. When he gave Abraham a new name that was significant. When I hear a name Jacob, Israel, that was significant because their role was going to change. Abraham was change from Abram, because he was to be the father of many nations. Jacob was change from Jacob to Israel, because he was to be a prince with God. And to be, to be the founding of the 12 tribes through whom Messiah would come the tribe of Judah. So a role. So Peter receives a new name and he says you're going to have a new role as my church moves forward. Not the role that sadly some have ascribed to him through history. Those that would hold two things like Apostolic succession, I think they missed, they missed the mark on that.

Peter was going to be in trouble though, so we shouldn't downplay this because Jesus didn't make a big deal of it. So, the church isn't built on Peter and Apostolic Authority in in those kind of keys and knows things that that's kind of the Catholic mindset. All right. It was built on the confession of who Jesus is with her stand that. But Peter never the last, you know, we don't want to swing so far the other pendulum side and have a knee-jerk reaction that we, we don't recognize the huge part that Peter is going to play in The Establishment. The empowerment, the enablement and the moving forward of the church, don't miss that. It's Peter who stands up at Pentecost. Filled with the Holy Spirit preaches, a message that three thousand Jews realized that they had crucified Messiah and got saved in one day 3000 and later 5000. It is Peter mind, you is really the first Messenger to the Gentiles and accept number. 10 before Paul is even raised up to be the Apostle to the Gentiles. Peter goes to a man named Cordon Cornelius, when Peter has to be, you know, God has to deal with Peter. I'm just going to leave that right there for now cuz I don't want to pack all that. God really has to deal with Peter on some issues before. He's ready to go. Talk to this man. Cornelius, who is the Centurion? A gentile mind and takes the gospel to the Gentiles. Peter's, the one that's going to get that privilege. It's a privilege to serve God, Peter, who at one point, probably thought he threw it all the way. And lost every opportunity he had to serve Jesus. And Jesus comes to him and restores him. And then I think of those words after your converted, when the hour converted strengthen thy Brethren, that's exactly what he did. All the way up through his life and the letters he gave us, he gave us first and second, Peter were given to us to strengthen us this rock of who Jesus is, Peter is just one component of this. And you and I today get a privilege of taking the gospel to the ends of the Earth and having those keys. If you have the keys to the kingdom of heaven, we can we can borrow that from people. If we don't tell them about Jesus, and who he is and help him understand who he is, we can can bar that or we can open that way for them to understand who Jesus is when we help them understand the scriptures. How are you doing today? You ready to serve the Lord in 2025?

I'm ready. I think I mean I think I am but the disciples thought they were ready to. So when we think we're ready let's not forget what he said. If you're going to follow me, you made this confession about who I am Peter. If you're going to follow me, there's a cross to bear. If you going to follow me, the world's not going to receive you.

And yet. It's still worth it. It's worth every bit. To claim the name of Christ and not be ashamed of him or his words. What a joy? And yet there's a world out there that is so confused about who Jesus is and they just can't seem to make heads or tails of it. Not us when you're here today because you believe the Bible and you're in church on a Sunday. A man, y'all to be in church every time the doors are open. That's that's how I grew the fastest. As a young, Christian, every time the doors were open. I was at church and I was excited to be there. And if I had to drive to get there, I'd drive it didn't matter. I was just there cuz I love God's people. I love the Lord, Jesus Christ. And and I wanted to grow and I wanted to send her to the teaching of the word of God. And I love my pastor and he fed me from the word of God every week and I got the growing and the Lord took me and used me in other ways. And now I get the privilege to stand up and open the word of God in and say the saith, the Lord not the same as Beltre Walker. What does that make the saith the Lord? Thus saith the Lord Peter. Are you going to follow me? You're going to move from being a learner to being one who is converted and strengthening others. That was the past for Peter. So there was a someone that made this comment. I'll give it to you. I'm not usually not typically one that would point out, you know, ways that we should look at their King James differently at 10 to look at with the translators did and say, why would they selected that way? Why would they translated that way? So let's go back to Matthew 16. from Luke 9 and just turn back to Matthew 16 and I want you to see the words that Jesus said, To Peter about building his church and the Gates of Hell will not Prevail and want to give you what they said. Because I think there is some insight to it. And again, I'm not advocating that we should translated this way, okay? But but I think it would help us get a sense of the flavor and in here's here's what they're pointing out when they give an alternate translation or interpretation. So, chapter 16 of Matthew. I'll begin reading inverse number 13. When Jesus came into the coast of caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples saying, who do men say that? I the son of man am their Matthew tells us, he uses the term son of man at that verse in that phrase first 14. And they said some say that thou art, John the Baptist some Elias others jeremias or one of the prophets. So we've established, she's not just the properties more than that. He said that to them but whom say he and that's plural. It's a why. So all the disciples he's asking together who say ye that, I am in Simon, Peter being a spokesman for the group says answered and said that art the Christ, the son of the Living. God. So and Luke Emily tells us that were to Christ. But again, remember Matthews audience, he says, you're the son of the Living God. That's what the Christ means. The anointed one, the son of the Living, God and Jesus answered and said unto him. Blessed art, thou Simon, bar-jonah Simon son of Jonah. For flesh, and blood has not revealed it unto the, but my Father, which is in heaven, that's that divine revelation. And I say also unto the singular Peter that thou art Peter. Wait you called him Simon son, son of Jonah, his name was changed. Remember John chapter 1, his name was changed all the way back there. And now Jesus has reiterated your called petroff. Little Stone Peter and Upon This Rock Petra. That's the Quarry. And think about sitting at the base of Mount Hermon looking at this huge rock face. You can just imagine Peter. You're just a little Pebble and here's the rock face at caesarea Philippi he says Upon This Rock. The confession of who Jesus is, I will build my church 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 that will Thou shalt bind on Earth shall be bound in heaven whatsoever. Thou shalt loose on Earth shall be loosed in heaven similar language that you read about the disciples having this kind of power and authority. In Matthew 18, where we read about prayer and how to get right with each other in church discipline, these words, are you there about binding and loosing we must be in agreement in soon phonia with the Holy Spirit as followers of Christ. Now go back to verse number 18 and I'll give you what the this. Terry said and I thought it was interesting again, I'm not not saying that we should change the translation here. So please understand me, I think this is a fine translation. I think there was a good reason why they said Upon This Rock Upon This Rock it. So it's really the word upon it cuz her a preposition that you can render different ways. And upon is a good way to put it here in contacts. I'll stay with the King James translators and say they did it, right? He'll build his church Upon This Rock Upon This Rock. The preposition Epi can also be translated against so I don't think there's really too much of a disparity between a pond and against I think upon sounds better. I think they did it, right. But if you think of the idea against this Against this rock up against do you know, went when I when I'm up against the piano or I'm against the piano, am I upon the piano? Okay? If I get up on the piano, then I'm like really upon the piano, okay? But, but you can say, I'm I'm leaning upon the piano, right? Can you also say I'm leaning against the piano? Yeah. So they both work but I think upon does kind of flow a little better against this rock. That is he is the foundation. Is the one that is too supportive Foundation. He is the Chief Cornerstone. He says, I will build my church and the gates of Hades. Remember, was Zeus and Hades. That were brothers. The gates of Hades shall not Prevail against it, that bottomless pit, that was there that opened up that they couldn't Plumb the depths of, he stood, right in front of that. And said, those gates are not going to Prevail against what I'm going to do through my ekklesia my called out once. He's talking to his disciples and he's going to empower them to take the gospel to the ends of the Earth. By the time, you read the book of Acts and come to the end. Paul is made it all the way from Jerusalem to Rome has eyes on Spain, you read, Romans 15, you find out, he had plans to go to Spain, something that he actually made it. There. Some have speculated that you made it as far as Great Britain, who knows if he didn't, you know, if he was beheaded in Rome, I tend to think that he was beheaded in Rome, but but if you did, make it past her regardless, if it wasn't Paul that went, it was definitely. Somebody else that went and took the gospel to the ends of the Earth, to the end of the Known World in that day, and it all started right here with xyl art Christ. Hey God wants to take you to the ends of the Earth with a good news of Jesus Christ. But it all starts when we fully recognize him and submit to his authority to get, I think that's helpful. You know, this would be the group that's going to turn the world upside down for Jesus Christ. He's going to use them in powerful ways and they have no idea what God's going to do to him yet. They don't even know what's coming to Marco and yet God's going to raise them up.