Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

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Hymn - JESUS SHALL TAKE THE HIGHEST HONOUR (305) - CHRIS A BOWATER

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Reading

Matthew 16:13–20 ESV

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Sermon

Matthew 16:13 ESV

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

Son of Man in Daniel

coming before the Lord (Ancient of Days)

associated with God - coming with the clouds of heaven

ruler / intermediator for God’s People

associated with the people of God

being given authority/dominion, glory and an everlasting kingdom

Matthew 16:14 ESV

And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

They associate Jesus with the best of the Prophets, and one to usher in the golden age of the Messiah

John fulfilled the Elijah style role of the forerunner

Tragically they stumbled when it came to accepting Jesus as the Messiah

Endoctrinated: Messiah as a conquering political figure

A spiritual blindness which only God can remove from the eyes

1 Corinthians 1:22–24 “For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

2 Corinthians 3:14–16 “But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.”

Ephesians 4:17–18 “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.”

2 Corinthians 4:3–4 “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

Additionally, some did not consider Jesus to be either the Messsiah nor his forerunner, but simply a prophet

Matthew 16:15 ESV

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

The question is directed at the 12 disciples

Matthew 16:16 ESV

Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Simon Peter speaks as spokesman for the group

“You are the Christ”

“the Son of the living God”

Matthew 16:17 ESV

And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah”

“For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in Heaven”

1 Corinthians 12:3 “Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.”

Matthew 16:18 ESV

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

"You Are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church”

“and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”

False teaching

RC teach that Peter is the first Pope

Lucio Ferraris in his Ecclesiastical Dictionary wrote a reference for Roman Catholic Divinity that the pope is wroned with a tripple crown, as “King of Heaven, of Earth and of Hell”

The claim Linus (who Paul bearly mentions in 2 Tim 4:21) was pope after Peter

True Teaching

Peter [petros] on this rock [petra] will build my church

Jesus was speaking of the bold and strong declaration that Peter made is the basis upon which the church is built

Jesus did not place Peter in authority over the church (Luke 22:24–30)

It is entirely legitamate to speak of the Apostles as the church’s foundation

Peter character, with its rough edges, lived up to his name. He was unswervable from his empassioned belief. It was a name given to him not because of his past character but declaring his transformed future.

Jesus deals with the blind sinfulness within a persons life, and he utilises the characteristics and personality he has woven into the person

Jesus states “I will build my church”

Peter preached the semon on Pentecost - 3000 converted

Peter & John’s person testamony - 2000 converted

Peter is a significant in series of events in Acts 1-4

“gates of hell shall not prevail against it”

Satan and his legions

Missuse: Don’t be concerned about doctrinal purity of the denomination or congregation to which you belong

Truth: Jesus promised be would always cause his people to triumph over Satan and his army - not to lukewarm Laodiceans but to “Christian Soldiers”

Matthew 16:19 ESV

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

False teaching:

Peter standing at the pearly gates allowing people into heaven is folklaw, not biblical truth

Roman Catholicism teaches that a right standing before God does not fully occur in this life, but at the moment of entering the gates of heaven, where they spend a period of time in pergatory where they are purified through suffering in the fires of pergatory to achieve the holiness necessary to enter heaven. The sacraments during life including the last rites, as well as the sale of indulgences, and prayer for the deceased can obtain remission from temporal punishment for sin.

The Pope gains his authority through the passing down of this authroity which is then passed onto the Bishops and Priesthood

The vestments/robs worn are representative of this authority and explicitly indicate that the priest is clothes by the righteousness of Christ and enable him to mediate grace through the sacrements regardless of his spiritual state.

7 Sacrements: Baptism, confirmation, Eucharist [Lord’s Supper], ordination/holy orders, Penance (Reconciliation [pardon of sins]), anointing of the sick, matrimony

Last rite: Penance, Annointing of the Sick & Eucharist

True teaching:

Preaching of the Gospel

Discipline: Peter and the Apostles had authority to accept or reject people into the early church

Paul’s, Peters and John's letters firmly establish discernment over membership, sound doctrine and piety of the leadership and church discipline

The local church acts in its role of holding the “Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven”

Sadly despite this truth many in the professing church claim that churches cannot dely baptism or membership to those who clearly continue in lives as Paul descrived to Titus and Timothy as unbelievers not showing the fruits of the spirit. Matthew 7:1—“Do not judge or you too will be judged”; has been misused to encourage a failure to 'judge' in the right sense and exercise church discipline. Yes we should not be judgemental nor self righteous but we must use God given discernment in these matters

“whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”

to continue to believe what is forbidden and refusing to repent would be disciplined

if repentance, then forgiveness and the “ban” would be lifted

Matthew 16:20 ESV

Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

The announcement is for Jesus alone to be making to the Jewish religious authorities

Jesus postpones their full declaration until after his death and ressurrection

The very fact of His death, resurrection and ascension will shed ligght on the character of his messiahship

Hymn - CHRIST, THE LORD, IS RISEN TODAY! (458) - CHARLES WESLEY 1707-88

Closing Prayer

Doxology