The Authority of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Heaven

Introduction:

*QUICK REVIEW OF EMBASSY ANALOGY

“Authority” is a concept that means different things to different people today.

- For example, if you speak of civic authority to some people, they have the utmost respect.

- If you speak of civic authority to other people, they may hate and disdain that authority.

Illustration: a female police officer making a vehicle stop for someone she believed to be intoxicated was approaching the subject from behind (at the trunk) when he turned around and punched her knocking her unconscious.

There are other ideas people have about authority, especially when religion is mixed in....CONSIDER THESE RECENT HEADLINES:

Pope Francis accepted the resignation of a senior Roman Catholic bishop in Honduras on Friday, following allegations of financial and sexual impropriety against the cleric.

Bishop Juan Jose Pineda Fasquelle announced the pontiff had accepted his resignation in an open letter, saying his departure would allow him more time for prayer and personal development.

"If I have failed you, I ask for forgiveness," Pineda said in the letter, which was sent to reporters in Honduras.

Italian magazine L'Espresso first reported in December allegations that Pineda had misused tens of thousands of dollars from a Catholic university, as well as accusations of sexual abuse lodged against the bishop by seminarians.

People have been given sufficient cause by MEN to be skeptical of authority; but this passage does not call you to have faith in men. This passage calls you to have faith in Jesus Christ and his teaching on authority. ,

Matthew 16:8 KJV 1900

Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?

Matthew 17:17 KJV 1900

Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

From this passage we can clearly see that Jesus Christ is the one who gives the keys. This means that he has the authority. Note in how he has the keys to hell and death.

Revelation 1:18 KJV 1900

I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

From this passage we can clearly see that Jesus Christ is the one who gives the keys. This means that he has the authority. Note in how he has the keys to hell and death.

Jesus Christ gives this authority to Peter, the apostles and the church.

Jesus Christ gives this authority to Peter, the apostles and the church.

(1) We know that the apostles has a special place in church history because of how the New Testament continues discussion about them:

- , the apostles’ doctrine

- , the signs of an apostle

(1) What does the authority of this embassy (local church) look like?

- , apostles as foundation for the church

- equally authoritative to Old Testament prophets

(2) We know that the church received this kind of authority because of how the New Testament continues discussion about the church:

- the church is able to discipline from church unrepentant individuals

- the church is to discipline the individual

This leads us to clearly conclude that the church has been given the authority from Jesus Christ to declare whose gospel confession is real and whose gospel confession is false.

Leeman - “Though Jesus was on earth, he spoke on behalf of heaven. Then, in the very next breath, he authorized Peter to do the same thing—to represent what’s bound and loosed in heaven by binding and loosing on earth...In other words, the apostles had heaven’s authority for declaring who on earth is a kingdom citizen and therefore represents heaven.” Two chapters later, he gives this very authority to the church herself. She can receive and dismiss members.

So, what we want to do this morning is recognize, without question, the authority of Jesus Christ and how this authority has been given to his church.

Proposition: It is imperative that we identify this authority and yield to this authority.

(1) What does the authority of this embassy (local church) look like?

Overview of context

#1 - (v. 1 - 4) The wicked & adulterous religious leaders ()

There is eschatological significance to the coming of Christ -

1 John 2:18 KJV 1900

Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

1 Timothy 3:1 KJV 1900

This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

The sign they missed was that of the Resurrection of the Messiah

Acts 2:30–31 KJV 1900

Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

#2 - (v. 5 - 12) The warning about the religious leaders

The key element that makes their doctrine dangerous is that they have missed the actual Messiah.

This leads them into outright hypocrisy because while they believe they are living in preparation for the Old Testament Messiah, they are actually rejecting Him.

Acts 2:36 KJV 1900

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

#3 - (v. 13 - 20) The wonderful exchange about the real leader

(v. 16) This is the doctrine that the religious leaders had missed

(v. 18) A place would be established that would hold up this truth

(v. 19) This local church would be authoritative

Review:

(1) The authoritative teaching of this passage is the Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God.

(2) This authoritative teaching is visibly established through a local assembly, called the church.

(3) The church is connected to the Kingdom of Heaven like an embassy is connected to a particular nation.

(4) This place of authority (the church) is not just taught in , but we also see this in .

#4 (v. 21 - 28) The wisdom for those who would follow this Leader

(v. 24) The wisdom is that those who would follow Christ are to be self-denying, cross-bearing followers of Jesus.

For the Jews in general, and presumably for the Twelve up to this point, being Messiah meant unadulterated glory. The Messiah might encounter opposition and even hardship, but this kind of thing was no more than an unpleasantness that must be passed through on the way to majesty and splendor. For Jesus suffering was the essence of messiahship, and from this point on he brings it out again and again (cf. 17:9, 12, 22–23; 20:18–19, 28; 21:38–39; 26:2). Learning this was a lesson the disciples found very hard indeed

Morris, L. (1992). The Gospel according to Matthew (pp. 427–428). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.

#5 (17:1 - 9) The wonderful illustration by this True Leader

Emphasis of the Context:

All of this context serves to give a specific emphasis about the text: Self-denying, cross-bearing submission is required of King Jesus and by King Jesus. This is true authority in His kingdom.

Illustration:

Self Denial

Jesus Christ demands self-denial, that is, self-negation (; ; ), as a necessary condition of discipleship,. Self-denial is a summons to submit to the authority of God as Father and of Jesus as Lord and to declare lifelong war on one’s instinctive egoism. What is to be negated is not personal self or one’s existence as a rational and responsible human being. Jesus does not plan to turn us into zombies, nor does he ask us to volunteer for a robot role. The required denial is of carnal self, the egocentric, self-deifying urge with which we were born and which dominates us so ruinously in our natural state.

Jesus links self-denial with cross-bearing. Cross-bearing is far more than enduring this or that hardship. Carrying one’s cross in Jesus’ day, as we learn from the story of Jesus’ own crucifixion, was required of those whom society had condemned, whose rights were forfeit, and who were now being led out to their execution. The cross they carried was the instrument of death. Jesus represents discipleship as a matter of following him, and following him as based on taking up one’s cross in self-negation. Carnal self would never consent to cast us in such a role. “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die,” wrote Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer was right: Accepting death to everything that carnal self wants to possess is what Christ’s summons to self-denial was all about.

J. I. Packer, Hot Tub Religion, Galaxie Software. (2002). 10,000 Sermon Illustrations. Biblical Studies Press.

Galaxie Software. (2002). 10,000 Sermon Illustrations. Biblical Studies Press.

Brief application:

Authority within the followers of Christ is not given based on superficial criteria of our day.

Authority is not given because someone is bright or the best.

Authority is acquired through submission. This was the path of Christ.

(2) What are the ambassadors inside of this embassy to look like?

Illustration:

4224 Bones In The Church

A southern preacher divided his church members into five types of bones.

1. Wishbones—Folks always wishing for better things, but never willing to work and pray for them.

2. Jawbones—The gossiping kind that keep the church in turmoil.

3. Funnybones—like the bone in the elbow that throws a person into a tizzy when it is hurt. They are touchy, wear their feelings on their sleeves, and are always talking about leaving the church.

4. Drybones—Orthodox but dead as fossils.

5. Backbones—The spiritual support of the church that keeps the body standing.

Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (p. 973). Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

(3) What is the primary enemy of the ambassadors in this embassy?

(1) the local church is to be a place where we are under authority -

Hebrews 13:17 KJV 1900

Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

(v. 16) We submit to the authority of Christ

(v. 19) We submit to the authority of each other -

pastoral servant leadership

pastoral servant leadership

patron servant leadership

patron servant leadership

- This presumes that we submit to accountability.

- This directly confronts that bent that we have towards independence.

The narrative of our time is that the Christian life is to be lived independently. Our independence is what matters most. This lie must be confronted. We were converted to community.

It is not independence that is the most important thing in life, it is the right kind of dependence that matters most.

(3) What is the primary enemy of the ambassadors in this embassy?

(2) the local church is to be a place where we commit to transparency (v. 21 - 23)

Confrontation should be welcomed

- This presumes that we will not be insecure little babies who cannot handle someone confronting us about the fact that we are not showing forth Christ.

- This presumes that we will be a place that encourages self-denying, cross-bearing servitude to Christ.

Theme/Proposition Restated:

Thus, we understand that the church is to be a place where self-denying, cross-bearing Christ-followers congregate. This is how we declare and show that Jesus is the Christ (v. 21).

Brief Application:

The ambassadors inside of the embassy are to look like people who live in genuine submission to each other. They are organically and intentionally dependent upon each other.

(3) What is the primary enemy of the (authority) ambassadors in this embassy? (v. 21 - 23)

(3) What is the primary enemy of the ambassadors in this embassy?

It is here that Peter reveals to us the tremendous problem of mankind.

(i) The Pride of Peter - Peter assumes that he must need to rebuke King Jesus as some ignorant One who needs counselor - “get thee behind me”

(ii) The Perspective of Peter - Peter overlooks the current condescension of the King, and that what Christ is speaking of is consistent with what has already taken place.

Peter reveals how we sinfully define authority.

Peter reveals how we sinfully overlook our pride.

Peter reveals the intensely selfish nature of mankind.

Oh! how we know that God hates pride.

- Pride elevates the self and devalues the supremacy of God.

- Pride overlooks how high the Lord is

- Pride is what the LORD truly hates, and yet we are prone to this

- Pride is not to be that which dominates those who are in the church body

Illustration:

Qualifying for First Class

Topics: Arrogance; Church; Community; Factions; Grace; Pride; Unity; Weakness

References: ; ; ; ;

After worrying for half an hour that we wouldn’t get on an overbooked flight, my wife and I were summoned to the check-in desk. A smiling agent whispered that this was our lucky day. He was bumping us up to first class. This was the first and only time we have been pampered on an airplane with good food, hot coffee, and plenty of elbow room.

We played a little game, trying to guess who else didn’t belong in first class. One man padded around the cabin in his socks, restlessly sampling magazines, playing with but never actually using the in-flight phones. Twice he sneezed so loudly we thought the oxygen masks would drop down. When the attendant brought linen tablecloths for our breakfast trays, he tucked his into his collar as a bib.

We see misfits at church too—people who obviously don’t belong, people who embarrass us and cause us to feel superior. The truth is that we don’t belong there any more than they do.

—Ken Langley, Zion, Illinois

Larson, C. B., & Ten Elshof, P. (2008). 1001 illustrations that connect (p. 37). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

Brief Application:

1 Peter 5:5 KJV 1900

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

RECAP: Now we have answered:

(1) what does the authority of the embassy look like?

(2) What are the ambassadors inside of this embassy to look like?

(3) What is the primary enemy of this authority inside of the embassy?

(4) How is this enemy of the ambassadors overcome?

We have so many reasons why we should not commit to a local assembly and submit to authority:

men abuse authority - the Catholic church has their crusades

men are selfish

the pastor is younger than me

the people are sinful

All of these reveal how woefully proud we really are.

(iii) The Perspective of Peter Clarified (17:1)

this confirms how high Jesus was (v. 1)

this confirms how glorious Jesus was (v. 2)

this confirms how unique Jesus is (v. 3 - 5)

this confirms how low Jesus had gone already (v. 6 - 9)

this confirms how much lower Jesus had to go (v. 12)

Thus, what we desperately need in our churches is a continual, scriptural perspective of Jesus Christ. He is the One in Whom the Father is pleased.

Oh! we cannot be faithfully exalting the Lord as we should, but there is One who has done this.

ONLY those who are IN Christ can even hope to be a part of the body of believers.

ONLY those who are IN Christ can have the power to live self-denying, cross-bearing lives.

This is the cry of all true believers. “I can’t! He did! In Him, I have! Thus, I do!”

Romans 7:18–25 KJV 1900

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Illustration 618

Illustration 618

A Pilot’s Sacrifice

Topics: Cross; Jesus Christ; Sacrifice; Salvation

References: ;

I was leading a beach mission with children on the sands of Scarborough, North Yorkshire, when a Royal Air Force Lightning jet flew by, skimming the surface of the sea before it turned and flew inland. A minute or two later it returned and went into a steep incline over Scarborough Castle. I thought the pilot was doing a stunt. Then, to our horror, the plane flipped and dropped to the sea. It crashed less than two hundred yards away from the beach. The pilot was killed.

The next day the newspaper headline on the crash was “Pilot Gives Life to Save Crowds.” The story reported how, when his plane began to fail, the pilot chose not to eject himself and risk having the plane crash onto the crowded beach but instead steered it away from the crowds.

When the pilot climbed into the plane that day, he had no idea that he would sacrifice his life to save us. By contrast, the Lord Jesus deliberately left heaven and came to earth with the express intention of going to a death to “save the crowds.”

—Roger Carswell, How Small a Whisper (Kregel, 2000)

Larson, C. B., & Ten Elshof, P. (2008). 1001 illustrations that connect (p. 344). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

(5) What is the expectation of all men in relation to the authority of the embassy of the Kingdom of Heaven?

Having understood this all about the context, what can we practically understand and apply about the local church?

(1) All believers should formally covenant together with a body of believers where:

self-denying, cross-bearing service is accomplished

accountability & discipline is possible

if you think that you are part of a body of believers but you cannot be formally held accountable then you are not part

Illustration:

Devotion to Church

Several preachers have told of a deaf member of a church and a rather typical-minded American churchman who asked, “Why do you come to church each Sunday when you cannot hear the service?” The humble man replied, “I come each week to let people know which side I am on.”

Jones, G. C. (1986). 1000 illustrations for preaching and teaching (p. 67). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

For the unbeliever:

The church is the place where you should find people who are:

- constantly repenting of pride

- constantly admitting that they are sinful

- constantly glorying in the humiliation of Jesus Christ

- constantly depending upon the power of His Resurrection

So to the unbeliever, I urge you to formally join the church by repenting of your sin, claiming Jesus Christ as our Savior. Come and identify through baptism with this body of believers.

For the believer:

The church is the place where you have covenanted together with other sinners saved by grace. So,

- stop trying to be at church what you are really not - live transparently with each other

- be willing to have conversations that welcome accountability (illustration: deer cleaning deer in TN)

When’s the last time someone in your church family prayed with you, not about a health issue but about a sin with which you are struggling? When the last time someone corrected your perspective with the gospel?

- be willing to wield the authority of Christ humbly as a unit

Illustration:

Illustration 125

Our Point of No Return

Topics: Christians; Commitment; Dedication; Faith; Faithfulness; Loyalty; Self-denial; Submission; Surrender; Tenacity

References: ; ; ;

If you were inside the cockpit of an airplane just before liftoff, you would hear the copilot or captain call out, “V1,” which means the “point of no return.”

As the airplane accelerates toward the end of the runway, the pilot must decide if the plane is moving fast enough for a safe takeoff. This speed must be determined preflight based on several factors, including the air pressure, temperature, speed of the wind, and weight of the aircraft.

The pilot holds the throttle as the plane approaches the V1 speed so that the takeoff can be aborted if something goes wrong. However, after V1 the plane must take off.

As Christians, we also have a V1 commitment. Once we have placed our faith in Christ alone, we have reached the point of no return. We need to adjust our sights, apply full throttle, and take off.

—Mike Silva, Would You Like Fries with That? (Word, 2005)

Larson, C. B., & Ten Elshof, P. (2008). 1001 illustrations that connect (pp. 79–80). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

The authority of the embassy of the kingdom is exercised in self-denying, cross-bearing, following of Jesus Christ TOGETHER IN COVENANT.