It's My Turn

Convinced

Earlier this year I preached to the teens a series of being convinced in believing in Jesus Christ.

Do I really believe in the bible wholly?

The bible that we hold is the word of God himself, which the devil has tried to stop from being written and distributed throughout the earth with opposition.

It is because it is this book that we posses that has the power to change the reader and the world into the kingdom of God.

Humanity studies creation in all of its efforts to find something or someone that will solve all of its problem. No matter how great of discoveries or how Elon Musk lands on Mars the answer is found only in the Holy Bible.

His name is Jesus Christ who already came and established his church through Peter at the day of Pentecost.

That is why the devil will put any distractions or give the glory to anything else besides Jesus.

The question we should are these.

“Do I really believe in who Jesus says he is?”

“Do I believe the words, the prophecies, the miracles, and that he resurrected from the dead?”

“Am I convinced?”

Jesus

Jesus did many miracles, healings, teachings, sermons, and resurrections while here in his earthly ministry.

He chose twelve disciples to train and to disciple while here on earth in which they witnessed all the things Jesus did.

Three and half years Jesus completed his ministry and during those years the first was his year of inauguration, followed by a year of popularity, finally it was the year of opposition.

Jesus had a purpose to complete and nothing was going to stop him from reaching his goal. He knew that the Father had sent him on divine assignment to complete a task only He could do.

The Pharisees, Sadduccees, people, and King Herod tried to stop him, but nothing would stop Jesus from reaching his goal.

Luke 13:32 NIV

32 He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’

In the last year of his ministry of opposition. Jesus began to get much opposition because the Pharisees, Sadduccees, and others thought he was a false prophet, demon-possessed, a drunk, a glutton, and a friend of sinners instead.

The Pharisees and Sadduccees demanded for a sign who trying to test Jesus.

Because they thought he would be one to overthrow the Roman’s who ruled over them. They weren’t convinced of his Jesus’s identity because the devil will always oppose the one who does God’s will.

The devil tried to tempt Jesus in the wilderness but failed and left him until an opportune time the bible says. Now he has found his opportunity through religious people to knock Jesus off track.

If the devil can’t get you to sin, then he’ll oppose you with whatever he can and whomever.

The forces of darkness hate to see the kingdom of God move forward, which Jesus was establishing through his identity as the Son of God.

Jesus told the disciples to be careful and be on guard against the yeast of them.

Yet, in Matthew 16 it is where Peter made the famous statement of Jesus’ identity.

Matthew 16:13–16 NIV

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Peter

The disciples were challenged by Jesus to see whether they were convinced or knew his identity, but only God the Father could reveal Jesus’ identity to them.

Matthew 16:17 NIV

17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.

Peter was a particular disciple whom Jesus found fishing by sea of Galilea.

As Jesus was reaching his final moments here on earth as this would be the year he would be crucified and Peter would be the one through whom the church would be birthed by the power of the Holy Ghost in the day of Pentecost.

Matthew 16:18 NIV

18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

Jesus was prophesying and at his authority it would be done so.

This changed everything because the Pharisees, Sadduccees, and the devil thought they could stop Jesus purpose after they crucified him, but it only gave way to the biggest revival.

Peter, before was a man who did not understand the Lord’s will neither the prophecy Jesus gave him for in the next verses he is rebuking Jesus.

Matthew 16:21–23 NIV

21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. 22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” 23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

Peter did not know his purpose with Jesus and was even acting as an agent for the enemy. Because that is what happens when we try to get Jesus to do think our ideology or do our agenda of the church instead of his.

Jesus could’ve done everything by himself as far when he resurrecting and showing himself to the whole world and proving he is the Messiah, but he chose Peter and the disciples to do so.

Jesus says in the next verses who can be his disciple?

Matthew 16:24–27 NIV

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.

Jesus was showing the disciples that they have a purpose with him and whoever does so must deny themselves to do the will of God.

That is their entire life because Jesus would reward his people for doing so.

Peter seemed to be the wrong candidate for this mission as he would come to denies not himself but Jesus three times with cussing and swearing.

Months ago I came with some troublesome thoughts that the enemy was telling me about the teens. It seemed to make a lot of sense because it seemed logical and with truth.

He kept telling me, “of the teens will believe anything you tell them, they are young, they are gullible, and they don’t know any better.”

I began to believe it and part of me wanted to stop doing this ministry with everything I had, then the Lord spoke to me and said, “I chose them, I called them, I elected them, not you but I did.”

Jesus was the one who called Peter and chose him to build his church through which the gates of Hades will not prevail!

Peter, later understood the message and mission of Jesus and partnered up with him to complete his purpose because he was convinced!

God’s Will

Jesus gives his people the opportunity to do the Father’s will with him that his kingdom may be established here on earth as it is in heaven.

As Peter had to grow in the knowledge and grace of Jesus Christ and there is mistakes made along the way, but one cannot stay there because staying defeated is a choice!

Peter remembered the words of Jesus through the Holy Spirit who made him bold, strong, and courageous to do God’s will and overcome the tactics of the enemy.

That is why our church is heading is being empowered by the Holy Ghost so that the Son of God may be glorified and the gates of Hades won’t prevail against it!

Today, we must be strong and courageous and if we truly want to grow then we must tell Satan get behind me. Because we want to concerned to do God’s will and not human concerns.

Doing God’s will may be challenging and tough at times but they are the growing pains through which God uses to ignite the believer to grow and do his will.

We must first be convinced of Jesus and everything that is written in the bible and ask ourselves some questions.

Am I convinced?

Do I know my purpose with Jesus?

As I close the verse to remember is this one.

1 John 2:17 NIV

17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

Jesus has brought me a long way from where I was and I am only here by the grace of God. I was saved at fourteen years old as my pastor Javier mentored me and told me at the church in Cerritos that this was my church one day at his office.

I left that church and went to another church, but God knew one day he would bring me back home with him. God saw and backed up Pastor’s word to me that day it may not have been evident for over ten years but it would eventually come to pass.

I am certain that it is why I am here doing God’s will and this is where I am to remain until the Lord leads me to my next mission.

It was a long journey to get here and many tears I’ve shed to be hear preaching once again to a congregation that I don’t take for granted.

I am convinced because Jesus is my purpose and doing his just like Peter I was designed and were all of us to bring him his glory and he will not be denied of it. Even with the enemy opposing us and we will not accommodate to human agenda’s but be empowered by the Holy Spirit to Love God and others, which the gates of Hades will not prevail.