Matthew
Remember the Gates of Hades will not overcome the church
Jesus said
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 he has done. Matthew 16:27
As you and I look for the Son of Man to come, we are to use these bodies to serve
As you make plans for your future
Be sure you test to see if those things please the Lord
You have what you need by God’s grace, so use it till He comes
Taking up your cross daily is the sacrifice you make
So your body will be pleasing to the Lord when He returns
Word of Wisdom
When Jesus said take up your cross daily
He did not want you to worry about carrying it for all the tomorrows
Although we are to carry our cross every day of our lives
Our thoughts should be on today
As Jesus said
Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34
Matthew 16 is a story of death, but also a story of hope
Jesus will die and come back to life in three days
You and I must take up our cross as well and Jesus will come back to take us to His Kingdom where He has stored rewards for the faithful
Story of Death and Hope
Matthew 16 is a powerful story of Death.
The power of Hades.
The grave is the destiny of everyone born.
It is the story of the cross of Jesus and our cross.
A cross we carry every day.
A reminder that someday we will not carry it anymore…
Because we will hang on it.
It is a message to make a choice.
Jesus carried His cross daily.
He lived a perfect life.
When He was nailed on the cross…
There was no wages for sin to hold Him in death.
Hades could not overcome Him.
Jesus says this concerning our cross…
Then Jesus said to his disciples,
"If anyone would come after me,
he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
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 he has done.
Jesus knew He was going to Jerusalem to suffer and die.
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,
chief priests and teachers of the law,
and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
Matthew 16:21
Because He knew Hades could not overcome Him
He said…
He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
Jesus understood the reward for the things He must suffer.
Unless the earth explodes or until the Lord comes back,
we will all die at different times.
All of us have plans for the days we have left to live.
If you are young, you probably aren’t too concerned
with when you will die, but what you want is life now.
If you are looking at collecting Social Security
or are receiving it…
You are looking at what you can do in the few years you have left.
We all make plans for whatever amount of time we have left.
None of our lives are the same as we journey to the end.
For some…
Your assets have grown
and you are planning to travel
or buy a second home.
Others have found their assets have dried up
and you worry about how you will make it to the end.
Jesus tells a story in Luke 19,
but like any story there is usually a reason for telling it.
In verse 11, we see why Jesus told the story…
While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable,
because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.
Luke 19:11
Those following Jesus thought the Kingdom of God
was going to happen very soon.
Hopefully, you and I, no matter what age we are,
are looking for the Kingdom of God to soon appear.
The story Jesus tells is not one of a soon appearing
but of a king to come later.
It is a story of people, hatred, and not wanting the royal king.
But there were some who were given mina to invest.
Those who put to work what the master gave them
were rewarded when the king returned.
The reward was more responsibility,
the caring for cities.
There was one person who hid the mina
probably for fear of those who did not want the king
to come back and rule over them.
This poor soul was stripped of the mina
he was given and executed.
You could say the reward goes both ways.
Faithful over little given much
or unfaithful and taken what you have.
Jesus tells other stories about His going and return.
Like in Mark 13:32-34…
"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
Be on your guard!
Be alert!
So, what does this mean?
What do we do from now till then?
This is a hard question.
My Dad who died at 84 said in his 70’s…
“If I knew I was going to live so long
I would have done things differently.”
Jesus in the story of the mina said in Luke 19:13…
“Occupy till I come.”
What are we occupying our time with?
Better yet, what should we be occupying our time with?
Romans 12 is a great place to find the answer.
Romans 12:1-2…
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.
You and I only have a short time in these bodies
and we are to use these bodies like a sacrifice.
Our bodies are not our own.
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Offering our bodies to be holy (set apart) and pleasing.
What does a pleasing body look like to God?
…this is your spiritual act of worship
The word worship here means service. (verse 1)
In order to offer our bodies to God…
We need a mind renewal.
Our minds are conditioned to serve our bodies…
This is the need for a renewed mind.
The renewed mind has the ability to test what God approves of.
Our ability to test want God approves
is affected by our judgment of ourselves
and the level of faith we have.
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you:
Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Romans 12:3
Romans 21:4-8 tell us…
We are all different and have received special favor
from God to do different things.
The bottom line to these verses is…
Use what God has given you, the ability to do.
Verses 8- 13 tell us…
To use what we have with Love, Honor, and Zeal.
Our attitude should be that of Hope, Patience, and Faithfulness.
As you serve you will be persecuted and misunderstood…
But seek peace and leave the rest up to God.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.
Romans 12:14-19
Verse 21 says…
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:21
Remember the Gates of Hades will not overcome the church.
Jesus said…
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 he has done.
Matthew 16:27
As you and I look for the Son of Man to come…
We are to use these bodies to serve.
As you make plans for your future…
Be sure you test to see if those things please the Lord.
You have what you need by God’s grace…
So use it till He comes.
Taking up your cross daily is the sacrifice you make
so your body will be pleasing to the Lord when He returns.
Word of wisdom…
When Jesus said take up your cross daily
He did not want you to worry about carrying it for all the tomorrows.
Although we are to carry our cross every day of our lives.
Our thoughts should be on today.
As Jesus said…
Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:34
Matthew 16 is a story of death
but also a story of hope.
Jesus will die and come back to life in three days.
You and I must take up our cross as well,
and Jesus will come back to take us to His Kingdom
where He has stored rewards for the faithful.
Scripture Reading
Matthew 16:13-28 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 Christ, the Son of the living God."
17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 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. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 20 Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.
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, chief priests and 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 things of God, but the things of men."
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his 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 he has done. 28 I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."
