The Stumble
The Traveling Soldiers • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Have you ever felt like you do right by God, just to fail again and again?
Today we will look at Peter and how he went from highest of highs, to the lowest of lows.
A little background.
Insert map of Caesarea Philippi.
Now you will notice that this week we jump to Matthew 16 and next week we will fall back to Chapter 14.
Wait pastor, you said we are going through his life chronologically.
We are. Scholars actually believe that the events in Chapter 16 happened before the events in chapter 14.
The reason is because Matthew wrote it this way to show Peter’s faith before Peter’s authority. We will get more into that later.
Let me tell you a little about what is going on in Caesarea Philippi. What I am about to present to you is from a Rabbi Nate Lawrence.
This Roman city (also known as Caesarea Paneas) was located at the southwest base of Mount Hermon. After the death of Herod, and during the rule of the Roman procurators and up to the time of the Jewish revolt, Caesarea became the capital and residence of the rulers . It was here that the ancients built temples to various deities. The heathens typically built altars and temples on high places, which they considered to be gateways or portals to heaven, and Mount Hermon was the highest high place in the entire region with an elevation of 9,232 feet above sea level. At this place, the Greeks worshipped their god Pan. In the same area at the base of Hermon, the Canaanites worshipped Baalgad.
It is interesting to note that according to the modern Book of Enoch touting to be the one referred to in the Bible, purportedly 200 fallen angels descended upon Mount Hermon and there made a pact to seduce the beautiful daughters of men the result of which, allegedly, were the nephilim or giants (Enoch 7:1–11), thus corrupting the genetics of the human race. These hybrids were destroyed in the flood. These demons apparently taught their offspring sorcery and incantations (v. 10).
It is also interesting to note that at this spot known as the gates of Hell or the demon s hole is where Jesus proclaimed that the gates of hell would not prevail against his saints (v. 18). If Caesarea Philippi was or is a portal to the demonic underworld, as at least one noted Bible scholar claims, then this could be a portal through which the end time demons will emerge from the bottomless pit in the last days to torment men as part of YHVH’s end time judgments as John writes about in Rev 9:1–11. Whatever the case may be, it is encouraging to have Yeshua’s assurance that the end times saints will have nothing to fear from the hellish demonic spirits that will be roaming the earth seeking to kill, steel and destroy just before his second coming. Moreover, YHVH promises in Revelation 9:4 that his saints who have his seal on their foreheads will be protected from the unleased demonic hordes that will torment the earth in the end times.
This is a very interesting and amazing place for what we will be discussing today.
So let’s start with our first set of verses for today
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
“But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus responded, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven.
Let’s pray
I want to start off by asking everyone a question.
Who is Jesus?
Agnostics and Atheist like to argue that the bible never says the Jesus calls himself God. He may have been a great teacher, but that is it.
Which we know that is not true because the bible is clear in the NT
I and the Father are one.”
Some people believe that Jesus is just a myth. That he never really existed.
There has been dozens of sources outside of the bible that proved Christ lived.
Now this may seem a bit ridiculous to us, but let’s look at some of the answers the Apostles gave
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
These men have been walking with Him. Have seen the miracles. Yet, they still did not understand who Christ was.
Then here comes Peter.
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
When Simon made this extraordinary confession about the identity of Jesus, Christ confirms that it was the Holy Spirit that inspired that response.
Something miraculous happens to Simon. He becomes a new creature. He becomes the rock. He becomes Peter at that moment.
Why is this Important?
Wood for the Fire
We later learn that this is needed in our lives too
If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
When we confess the Lord Jesus Christ, when we name Him King of Kings and Lord of Lords, when we see Him as the only Son of God, the second person of the trinity, we are changed into a new creature. One that has a relationship with Christ, who gives us access to the loving Father and the Holy Spirit. We enter into the holy family.
We become children of the Almighty God.
Remember, earlier what I said about the Devil’s hole, that the other name for it was the gates of hell
And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
Christ is standing there giving Peter the authority to start the church in front of the very place the pagans believed was the gates to hell.
This is important because we are called to the same authority. We are called to be the church. We are called to stand against the very gates of hell.
Yet, we now live in a society where we are told “you can’t say that...it hurts my feelings. Or You need to keep that Jesus stuff to yourself.” and we stay silent.
There is power in the name of Jesus, and we keep his name shut up in our hearts.
The very gates of hell shake at his name. Speak his name and tell the world about Jesus.
Who is Jesus? Are you willing to give this world an answer?
Let’s continue with the rest of the verses
From then on Jesus began to point out to his disciples that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, “Oh no, Lord! This will never happen to you!”
Jesus turned and told Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me because you’re not thinking about God’s concerns but human concerns.”
Peter: The Stumbling Block
Christ is telling his disciples that the inevitable must happen. That he must be brought before the religious leaders and be killed.
He is expressing to them that yes I am the Son of God, the Messiah, but the Messiahship isn’t about earthly power, it is one of suffering and death.
This must have been shocking to them and the tension must have been great.
This is where Peter misunderstands his position. Yes, he is the rock, the foundation of the modern church, yet here he becomes the rock you fall over. The stumbling block.
Wood for the Fire
We have all heard the saying, The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
In Peter’s case, the road to hell was right there.
When reading this, I can see Peter with all the best intentions in the world...and that is where he went wrong...worldly intentions will never trump Godly plan.
Peter’s view was of the men, Jesus only view was God’s.
Peter did not lack faith, he lacked trust. Trust that what Christ was saying would come to pass.
We are in a season of prayer and fasting. I want you to know that I trust in this statement. God always answers pray.
We just do not want to hear the answer.
Let me explain it this way.
When God answers yes to a prayer, it is His provision in your life.
When God answer no to a prayer, it is his protection in your life.
When God answer a prayer with wait, it is his production in your life.
All those answers require trust.
That is not easy.
Let me end with this story.
There has been plenty of times that I have said God I trust you, and was devastated when the answer was no.
I was laid off from Schlumberger, and I felt I put my family back into another struggle that was my fault.
So as you do, I started putting in resumes all over.
And there was this one job I put in for that I thought would have been perfect.
It was an inventory specialist job that paid more than I was making at Schlumberger.
I made it through the second interview, and I was so sure I got that job.
Nope. God closed that door.
I cried out, God I do not know why but I trust you.
And I saw another job at that same company, and I was about to put in for it.
I can tell you I heard His voice tell me, If you trust me when I close doors, why are you still looking through the window.
Talk about conviction.
This job was at Knight oil company.
Not two months later, the company folded due to indiscretion and malfeasance.
God protected me, I just had my worldly eyes on the situation, He had his view in the Godly realm.
