June 5, 2022 Sunday Worship Service (Steve)

Thank you Kaden for that reading. Appreciate it.

Might not know that the canes only 13 years old, 14 years old, 14 years old. I'm sorry. 14 and a half. I know that's, that's a big deal to Well, I'm glad that you're here. Appreciate the presence of everyone here. This morning. We have been discussing the laugh of price for the past as well. Since January, January 9th, and we're still talking about the life of price, and we're just entering the third year of his ministry. So we enter into Matthew chapter 17, that the poor Matthew chapter 16, which we just read. We find here that just after The Jesus had entered into the area, the region of Cesery of Phillipi. He asked in important question of his disciples. He said who do men say that I am. Anda. They responded by saying what some say your John the Baptist, some people say you're Elijah. Some, say your Jeremiah some other say, You're just another prophet. So Jesus turned to his disciples again. He said. But who do you say that I am? Who do you say that? I am? and as usual, Peter stood up, and he spoke on behalf of the Apostles and he said, You are the Christ, the son of the Living God. And you remember what Jesus said, blessed? Are you Simon bar-jonah for flesh? And blood has not revealed this to you. But my Father in heaven and therefore, he didn't learn it from any human being. He didn't learn it from a book. He learned it from Jesus, and Jesus was speaking for the father and he was representing the father. And so Jesus says, you didn't learn it from any human being flesh and blood but you learned it from your father, through me. And I also say to you are Peter and Upon This Rock. I will build my church and the Gates of Hell shall not Prevail against it. And I will give to 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, and I don't know if you're aware, but that last expression, binding, and loosing. Is the idea that you simply speak where God speaks, you simply teach what God has taught, you don't go to the left. You don't go to the right. You don't go adding things. You don't take away things you speak, as Peter says, in 1st Peter, 4:11 speak as the Oracles of God. And the word there is cup of ice which simply means exactly is we are to speak. Exactly as the word of God, no more. No less. That last statement that we just saw from the reading and we're going to bypass some of that.

We find here that Jesus after he said that to Peter and the rest of the Apostles about binding and loosing that he told him, not to tell anybody who you was. It only coming 2 verse 21. And it begins a transition time and we'll talk about that in just a minute. But Jesus was telling the apostles that he had to go to Jerusalem that he had to suffer and that he had to die.

That didn't sit well with Peter Peter didn't like those words. And so he says, heaven forbid, the kind of fast for me or goes back to you. Romans chapter 6, shall we continue in sin that Grace May abound?

Well. Happy forbidden Lord, you go to Jerusalem to. There's a lot of other things that you can do. You don't have to go to Jerusalem. You don't have to do that. In fact, I've got a better plan. And Satan turn to Peter. And you can see the words and read Get Behind Me. Satan. You are a scandal on to me, your Scandal to me. This is a scandal for the Lord. You are an offense to me the Y. This is important. I believe this is extremely important for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men. Until we learn here, that there are things that belong to men, and there are things that belong to God. And the things that belong to God, we are to do. We're to follow. We are to be mindful of, but sometimes we forget the things of God and we begin to be mindful more terrible things men. And Jesus is pointing this out to Peter at this very time. God sees things, one way, man, sees things another way. Can we come to the Book of Proverbs 14:12? And the Bible tells us there's there is a way which seems right to men. But in the end of that way, is death. And so God has one way of looking at things mankind, has another way of looking at things and we like to presume to perceive things. But you've heard of the expression, perception vs reality. There is a reality. And then there is my perception of that reality and often. My perception of reality is skewed. It's off-centered. It's tilted, it's not right. Because often I make the judgments the wrong judgments about people, perhaps the wrong judgments about certain situations, and certainly, I am Guilty, as all of us are of making wrong, judgments. We perceive something, a perception, doesn't mean it's right. Just because you perceive something doesn't mean it's right to be wrong and often it is because our judgments are based upon our heart. The Bible tells us that the heart is deceitful Above All Things.

So tells us not to rely upon our own heart, our own understanding. In fact, the Bible tells us that we are to lean, not upon our own understanding trust in the Lord, with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He Shall direct your path. And the idea of the areas that we are to not lean upon what I think, The idea there is that I am not to lean upon my perceptions about my sink shows. But I am to lean upon him because he knows and because he knows that has all the answers to life. I follow his words and therefore I can't lean upon my own wisdom. I've got to lean upon his in Jeremiah 10:23. The Bible tells us that it's not in men to direct his own steps. We can't direct our own past. We like to think we can or not in control. God is, is that we are to lean upon Him. Lead upon his word when you leaned upon his word and you follow his word, you're leaning upon him and you're following. You. This is something that not only Peter had to know, but the rest of the Apostles had to know. The Bible tells us also in Isaiah chapter 55, and verse 6 and 7 seek the Lord, while he may be found call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and righteous man, his thoughts and let them return unto the Lord. He will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon. Now, watch it. He says, for because I just said, for my thoughts, are not your thoughts. My thoughts are above your thoughts, just as the heavens are above the Earth. So, are my thoughts and my ways above yours.

We couldn't save ourselves to save our lives. We could we just simply couldn't come up with a plan. First of all, we wouldn't know that we lost. Second of all, we couldn't devise a plan to complete it through, but God did, and I want you to turn on plan. I think some of that is bad here. In this particular passage. Peter is relying upon his own wisdom. He's not remembering what Jesus had previously taught him. He's not remembering what God's word has caught and therefore, he seems that it's necessary for him to enter in to intercede if you will for Jesus and to put him right to correction. And so the idea of understanding Things based upon our own wisdom, doesn't mean that when you read the Bible, you can understand it. We can understand God's word. That means we can understand his wisdom. But if I'm not reading God's word, I'm relying upon my own wisdom and there's a big difference enters. A lot of people in this world that rely upon their own wisdom as if they know more things than God. And that they can get to the father through their own way. But Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father, except by me. And what does he mean by that? Well, he means through him and through his teaching through the word that he provided. In John 12:48. Jesus says the word that I spoke in the same will judge you in the last day. Does word need to follow his word. Why call me? Lord Lord, and do not the things. I say his word. We follow his instructions. And so if he is Lord and we make him, Lord Of Our Lives, we make his word. Part of our lives and we follow his instruction. We follow his teaching. Notice what Paul says here and I'll see you then that you walk circumspectly. Upright. Not as fool's but as wise Redeeming the time because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is need to understand what the will of the Lord. Is. This is the Lord's will. This will involve a plan, the plan involves instruction. And all of this is the New Testament, the New Testament in his blood. And so Jesus, Donnelly died for our sins, but he died for the New Covenant, the New Testament in its blood. We call it the gospel. We call it. The word of God be called to teachers, that are called for the thing. He died for the faith. And there's but one thing, the Bible tells us in Ephesians 4:5 one, Lord, One Faith, one baptism. Was that mean? It means there's one body of Doctrine for us. This is it. And Peter didn't quite understand that but also we find here concerning the idea about God's word, the world. Looks like God's word In a Different Light than you. And I those who have not read God's word. They often hear bits and pieces of God's word when they're beyond the radio, the TV, or from their friends. And that's all I've ever heard. And really haven't investigated the Bible, God's word for themselves until they have a perception of what that book says. They have an idea about God, but is it the way the Bible describes it? It's always fine here. According to what Paul says in 1st Corinthians chapter 1. He says for the message. What's the message, the gospel? The FAE, the word, for the message of the Cross, is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us, Christians who are being saved it. The message. The gospel is the power of God sound familiar. I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to Salvation for all those who believe for the Jew first and also for the Greek, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message. Preached. I saw God developed his system. If a the system of Faith involves the first day of the week and involves an Assembly Church, ecosia the call that one's. Well, the word literally means assembly, the Greeks, use that word to call that one's whereby, they would call the people from their homes, to City Square, whereby they would deliver the news. And so they come to the city square. And they are assembled and Acts chapter 17. And so the church is in a silly. It's a coming together of all the constituent parts to come to one place and to worship God, and to study, and to praise God, and to pray and to give and to fellowship with one another, and to encourage one another and to build each other up in the Most. Holy Faith, lot of people don't forget, a lot of people forget that last part. Hebrews 10:25 at tells us do not forsake. The assembling of ourselves as as is the habit of some, but the idea there is that we are to come together to encourage one another to strengthen one another to build each other up. That's what we do. Yes, we come to worship God, but we also come for one another. Isn't it interesting that the first day of the week Sunday? Is the first day of the week and it isn't it interesting that God designed us to come together on the first day of the week to get our minds, right? For the coming week. It wasn't coming together on the last day of the week, the 7th it but the first day and so as we go through each succeeding day, we think about the first day, we think about what we went through, we think about what we learned, what we study, where our heart was, and we apply those truths to our hearts in mud, and we lived a lie. Now, from that point, forward. Until we meet again on the first day of the week where we come in at semble. We Ecclesia together, we come together as one body And We Worship the Lord Our God and build each other up. And so this was the message, preach to save those who believe to the Jews, a stumbling block, and to the Greeks or the Gentiles foolishness. The gospel. All of his teaching, including the cross was foolishness. It was a stumbling block for the Jews. We can read about that. It was a stumbling block for Peter. It was a stumbling block for the Jews of the first-century, Judaism under the authority of Jesus Christ. We talked about Bible class this morning. There was a group of Jews who were trying to bind circumcision upon the Gentiles. And of course, Jesus, never taught about circumcision, the apostles, never taught about circumcision. But some felt well because I didn't teach you that we can teach it. There was no Authority for it and stack in Acts chapter 15, verse 24, but they are the apostles say we gave no such commandment.

Just because something is not spoken of doesn't mean we can do it. There has to be a 34 it. And so that's why we have to speak exactly as God speaks in his word to do those things that he has told us to do it. So we understand the idea that Peter here is trying to stop Jesus from going to Jerusalem. In fact, it says that he grabbed him. And took him aside trying to channel. I can't put your arm around. Somebody say walk with me for just a little bit.

And then he looks at Jesus in the eye and he says, what are you talkin about? You can't go to church. Then you're not going to Jerusalem and heaven forbid. You're not going to die.

Jesus realize the source of all that. And said, get thee behind me. Satan.

I want us to look going back to the text and I need to go back. Notice what he says, he says, from that time from what time from the time that were there were just in cesarina Phillipi. Where Jesus said, I will build my church and the gates of death of the gates of Hades, Hades will not Prevail against it. It says, from that time Jesus began to go to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem suffer, many things from the elders, and chief priests and scribes and be killed and be raised. The third day. The idea there is must must. He must go to Jerusalem. He must suffer. He must die and he must be raised. That was the plan of God in eternity. The Bible tells us in Acts chapter 2, beginning about first 22, talks about the predetermined counsel, of God, the predetermined in Fort Greene, attorney Council in, for knowledge of God, God knew beforehand. That mankind was going to be created. He was going to make the man time and that creation of his creation whom he loved dearly was going to send. What do you love that creation? And so they devised a plan. Hands Council. The predetermined counsel of God. Evidently. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit held a council, and they devised the plan through there for knowledge by, which mankind would be safe. And evidently the second person of the godhead. We call him. Jesus. He stood up and said, I'll go, I'll be the one. And so, it was set in Motion in eternity, that Jesus would become flesh that he would become, one of us that he was born to go to Calvary, and had to be Resurrected. And it was by his resurrection according to the Apostle Paul that he was declared to be the Son of God. Romans chapter 1 verse 4, And so this was all a divine plan. And so Peter steps in a way and he says nah. Nah. Nah nah, I have a better plan in mind. We can all put our selves and pewter shoes. Probably all of us would have done something to persuade. Jesus, not to go to Jerusalem. But Jesus understood the source of that information that Peter was talking about and that's why he says Get Behind Me, Satan thesaurus. You see Satan was trying to interrupt the must. Jesus must go to Jerusalem head. He must suffer and he must die and he must be raised. And I want us to think about what we just went through a moment ago when the Lord's Supper. We always talk about the death, the burial in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But there's an awful lot of scripture that talks about the suffering of Jesus Christ. You think about the punishment that he took the pain, that was inflicted upon Him long before he had to carry that cross. And then think about the pain and the exhaustion in trying to carry that cross after being beaten to a pulp.

Someone interceded. Someone helped him with his cross. Keep that in mind. We'll talk about that in just a second. So, Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him saying, far be it from you, Lord. This shall not happen to you, but he turned and said to Peter, get behind me. Satan you are an offense, you are scandalous to me. This is a scandal that you are perpetuating. For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men, and Peter should have been aware by now. That this was already going to take place. Jesus had mentioned on several occasions already that he was going to die. But I also find it interesting. That it would go back here. He says, from that time, Jesus began to show his disciples this, that he was going to Jerusalem and dime be raised. No, he's talked about it a few times. He's talking about it a few times, but they still haven't really completely understood what that all men. But now there's a transition here from that time. That's the same exact expression in Matthew chapter 4. Where it says, from that time, Jesus began to preach about the gospel of the kingdom of heaven. And so for three years, he's been preaching about the gospel of the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven. And now, here's the transition. At the beginning of the third year. From that time his mission has changed. The mission is no longer the focus upon the the teaching of the Kingdom, but now the focus is upon teaching his disciples. They only got a year left and are actually six months left. They've got six months, left, three and a half years. And now he has to go to Jerusalem and all this time for the remainder of the year. He's going to teach him about his death that he has to do this. This is all part of God's Eternal plan. In fact, Ephesians chapter 3, beginning about verse 11. The Bible tells us about the Eternal purpose of God by which the church is to make known to the world. As they're simply saying the church before the foundation of the world. Yep. There was a church in the mind of God and assembly and assembly of safe people. And he says, this group of people this assembly this church, they're going to be responsible for teaching the Eternal purpose of the Plan of Salvation. The gospel that was in the mind of God in eternity. And so Jesus had to go to the city of peace. No longer the city of peace. It was at one time the city of Peace. That's what usually means. Here we have a peaceful City. No longer peaceful. They're hell-bent on killing the Messiah. And they've already killed and tortured their profits. And so, God tells us that he was going to exact Revenge. Think about that. God was going to take revenge upon his own people. That he said he would destroy his own people. In fact, we were talking about Moses and Deuteronomy this morning. We're about he was talking about a, another Prophet will arise from among your brethren and you will hear him. You will hear him. And then, at the Mount of transfiguration, in Matthew chapter 17, there we find Jesus standing with Moses and Elijah. And there is Peter, James, and John, and they witness all of this. And there's a voice from Heaven. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am. Well pleased, hear him. Bossier City Deuteronomy chapter 18, hear him pointing to Christ, almost 2,000 years later. And then we read 2000 years later in this account and Matthew. And it says hear him. God, telling the apostles that it's no longer about Moses. It's no longer about Elijah. It's about Jesus. It's about his son and he has a message that you need to adhere to. Rather than Rely Upon Our Own wisdom. We rely upon that message. We rely upon the words of Jesus there. No. Greater words than the wars of Jesus, Peter, understood that. Where can we go? Lord for you have the words of life.

And so we turn our pages to the New Covenant to the New Testament in his blood and we find the words of Jesus. But then we also find where Jesus said, I need to go back to the father. I'm going to Jerusalem to die. But I'm going to be resurrected and then I'm going back to heaven to be with my father, and I will send you another comforter and he will guide you into all truth. So he had many more things to tell his Apostles, but he couldn't at that moment because he was doing something for the world dying for the world. And so we rely upon those words of the Apostles and of those who wrote down those words in the rest of the New Testament. Show me. Look at that. We find that's our Authority. That's where we find ourselves, and we confine ourselves to that Authority. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. Every bad, we began to rebuke him. So we find that Peter has his own wisdom about this whole deal, but Jesus has his and he made it. Clear. So you wonder why was Jesus so harsh with such a response get behind me. Satan. Well, it's because Peter was mining things of men rather than the things of God and therefore. That demands a harsh rebuke, but certainly Jesus is showing that Peter. I know what you're saying. I know what you're trying to do, but you don't even realize the source of your own words. The source of Satan and he's trying to prevent me from going to Jerusalem. He's trying to prevent me from dying upon a cross, but that's the plan. That's the Eternal plan and I must stick to it is, what Jesus was saying.

And so we find that the messages, the power of God to Salvation and only coming to the end of the chapter and McCoys out here. If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me deny oneself. It means I'm going to die. I'm going to kill my inner man. I'm going to give up my own desires. And I'm going to focus upon his desires. There's things in this life that I want to do. But not before the things that Jesus wants me to do. That's what he saying. Hear. Jesus said seek first, the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things will come in, come after this. Come after you. So you'll be giving all these things if anyone deserves to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross. So there is a sense of humility and denying yourself. We humble ourselves before cross before Christ. And you say, your will be done. That's why we pray that By will be do not mind. Die will be done. So it's often hard for us to give up our will for his but yet we need to do so. You see, there are things that belong to God, that we don't see, and therefore, we rely upon him. Remember his thoughts and his ways are higher than our thoughts and our ways. He sees everything. We don't. We rely upon him and then he says, take up your cross hairs, the idea of suffering. Suffering, you know, it's hard sometimes to change your mind about things. Did you know it's hard for us to repent? You ever do something wrong? And then, you know, you have to humble yourself before God. And say, Lord, I'm sorry for what I've just said or done.

Pride gets in the way. But what if we love Christ enough, we humble ourselves and we inflict the pain, we take the pain from that cross, where we say, I'm sorry and I change my mind about what I said, what I do. And from now on I'm going to walk a different direction. Lord. Please forgive me that's taking up your cross and follow him. We need to follow him and the only way we can follow him is through his word. You can begin following him today. Jesus said, he that believes and is baptized shall be saved. If you believe that you can do that this morning. You can be assured of your salvation today. You can know that you're following Jesus because you've done what Jesus said do. And he says he that believes and is baptized shall be saved. Some of you've done that perhaps some of you have not been following Jesus. Perhaps not following this closely as you should have. Perhaps you're not picking up your cross daily. Maybe you're not denying yourself. But whatever the case is. Jesus says come back change your mind about the situation. You're in change your mind about the views that you might hold two and come back and everything will be fine. If you're subject to the imitation of Christ, this morning. Won't you come by faith? That's together.