Sermon Tone Analysis

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.

,

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.

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 -

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

#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.

#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: