August 15, 2004 - Lesson: Matthew 16.13-20

SERMON TITLE: Who Am I?

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INTRODUCTION:

He used to work for a large company, they often did special things for them to make work a little more enjoyable, below is a memo he found in my desk today thought I would pass it on. (1)

Casual Day Memo No. 1: Effective immediately, the company is adopting Fridays as Casual Day so that employees may express their diversity.

Memo No. 2: Spandex and leather micro-miniskirts are not appropriate attire for Casual Day. Neither are string ties, rodeo belt buckles or moccasins.

Memo No. 3: Casual Day refers to dress only, not attitude. When planning Friday's wardrobe, remember image is a key to our success.

Memo No. 4: A seminar on how to dress for Casual Day will be held at 4 p.m., Friday in the cafeteria. Fashion show to follow. Attendance is mandatory.

Memo No. 5: As an outgrowth of Friday's seminar, a 14-member Casual Day Task Force has been appointed to prepare guidelines for proper dress.

Memo No. 6: The Casual Day Task Force has completed a 30-page manual. A copy of "Relaxing Dress Without Relaxing Company Standards" has been mailed to each employee. Please review the chapter "You Are What You Wear" and consult the "home casual" versus "business casual" checklist before leaving for work each Friday. If you have doubts about the appropriateness of an item of clothing, contact your CDTF representative before 7 a.m. on Friday.

Memo No. 7: Because of lack of participation, Casual Day has been discontinued, effective immediately.

  1. Life can get pretty complicated not only in the office, but also in the church.

    1. It really helps to know who you are and what is going to happen.

    2. It really helps to know who you are worshiping and with whom.

  2. The questions of Jesus to his disciples are remarkable for their frankness and their vital nature.

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MAIN BODY:

  1. First, Jesus asks, "Who do people say that I am?"

    1. He uses the phrase, "Son of Man."

    2. He is the "Son of Man."

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so for three days and three nights the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth, (Matthew 12:38-40, NRSVA).

    1. Jesus' question receives four answers.

      1. He is John the Baptist.

        1. This was the conclusion of King Herod, Matthew 14.1-2.

At that time Herod the ruler heard reports about Jesus; and he said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he has been raised from the dead, and for this reason these powers are at work in him," (Matthew 14:1-2, NRSVA).

        1. This implies a belief in the transmigration of the soul.

        2. John the Baptist's spirit animated the body of Jesus.

        3. The contrasts are so great that we can totally reject this one.

      1. He is Elijah, Malachi 4.5.

Lo, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes, (Malachi 4:5, NRSVA).

        1. Jesus said that Elijah had already come.

        2. John the Baptist came in the spirit and the power of Elijah, Matthew 11.7-15.

As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written,

'See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'

Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John came; and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. Let anyone with ears listen! (Matthew 11:7-15, NRSVA).

        1. Jesus is not Elijah.

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      1. He is Jeremiah.

        1. Jeremiah was expected as a precurser of the Messiah.

"Mother, embrace your children; bring them up with gladness, as does a dove; strengthen their feet, because I have chosen you, says the Lord. And I will raise up the dead from their places, and bring them out from their tombs, because I recognize my name in them. Do not fear, mother of children, for I have chosen you, says the Lord. I will send you help, my servants Isaiah and Jeremiah... (2 Esdras 2:15-18, NRSVA).

        1. Mother is Israel.

        2. The passage is referring to the time of consummaton and restoration that was promised, but could not be fulfilled.

        3. In 2 Maccabees, 2.4-7, it was taught that at the same time the tabernacle, the ark, and the alter of incense would be rediscovered and restored.

It was also in the same document that the prophet, having received an oracle, ordered that the tent and the ark should follow with him, and that he went out to the mountain where Moses had gone up and had seen the inheritance of God. Jeremiah came and found a cave-dwelling, and he brought there the tent and the ark and the altar of incense; then he sealed up the entrance. Some of those who followed him came up intending to mark the way, but could not find it. When Jeremiah learned of it, he rebuked them and declared: "The place shall remain unknown until God gathers his people together again and shows his mercy," (2 Maccabees 2:4-7, NRSVA).

      1. Lastly some believed that Jesus was one of the prophets.

        1. Revived, restored to life to prepare the way fort he great consummation.

        2. The well-known prediction of Moses in Deuteronomy 18, may have given rise to this idea.

The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet...Then the LORD replied to me: "They are right in what they have said. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command, (Deuteronomy 18:15, 17-18, NRSVA)

    1. It is important to carefully observe and understand what these four popular opinions reveal.

      1. Jesus had a very high reputation among his contemporaries.

      2. He was by none of them regarded as the Messiah.

    2. What is there left to ask or understand?

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  1. Jesus now turns the question in a not so subtle manner from what other think to what the disciples have come to believe.

    1. Who do you say that I am?

    2. Hardly before he can get the words out of his mouth, Peter answers with great confidence and confirmation:

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

      1. He speaks out the persuasion wrought in his soul by Divine grace.

      2. Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

        1. The Christ; the Anointed, the Messiah.

        2. The Son of God; of the same substance, one with the Father.

        3. Living as alone "having life in himself," "the living and true God" (John 5.26; 1 Thess. 1.9).

        4. The same (or nearly the same) confession was made by Peter in the name of all the apostles at Capernaum (John 6.69); but the sense of the expression was different, and sprang from very different conviction.

        5. It referred rather to the subjective view of Christ's character, as it influenced the believer's inward assurance of the source of eternal life.

        6. Here the acknowledgment concerns the nature, office, and Person of our Lord.

      3. This is not what he said, but what is implied by what he said.

        1. Peter acknowledges Jesus to be the true Messiah, commissioned and sent by God to reveal his will to man, and accomplishing all that the prophets had foretold concerning him; no mere man, not even the most exalted of men (which common opinion held Messiah to be) but the Son of God, of the substance of the Father, begotten from everlasting, God of God, perfect God and perfect man, Son of God and Son of man.

        2. Such was Peter's faith.

        3. The Church has added nothing to it, though she has amplified and explained and illustrated it in her Creeds; for it comprises belief in Christ's Messiahship, Divinity, Incarnation, personality, and the momentous issues depending thereon.

        4. We need not suppose that Peter understood all this or speculated on the question how these several attributes were united in Christ.

        5. He was content to accept and acknowledge the truth, waiting patiently for further light.

        6. This is the attitude which Christ approves.

    1. This is not a response that he picked out of the air.

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  1. Because Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.

    1. This introduces the reason why Christ calls him "Blessed." flesh and blood.

    2. This is a phrase to express the idea of the natural man, with his natural endowments and faculties.

      1. So St. Paul says (Gal. 1.16), "I conferred not with flesh aud blood;"

      2. "Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood" (Eph. 6.12).

      3. The Son of Sirach speaks of "the generation of flesh and blood" (Ecclus. 14.18).

    3. No natural sagacity, study, or discernment bad revealed the great truth.

    4. None of these had overcome slowness of apprehension, prejudices of education, slackness of faith.

    5. No unregenerate mortal man had taught him the gospel mystery.

    6. My Father which is in heaven.

      1. Christ thus accepts Peter's definition of him as "the Son of the Living God."

      2. None but the Father could have revealed to thee the Son.

  2. What is remarkable today are the ways in which this whole conversation is worked out in the thought, theology, religious expression and living of humanity today.

    1. Many do not believe in Jesus as Messiah.

1998 was the silver anniversary of the film version of Jesus Christ, Superstar. Here are the opening lyrics, sung by Judas (2):

My mind is clearer now.
At last all too well I can see where we all soon will be.
If you strip away the myth from the man,
You will see where we all soon will be.
Jesus!
You've started to believe
The things they say of you.
You really do believe
This talk of God is true.
All the good you've done
Will soon get swept away.
You've begun to matter more than the things you say.
He was a good and great man.

      1. He was specially endowed by God to do what he did and by being he became accepted by God.

      2. Any of us given the same training, dedication and drive can accomplish the same thing.

      3. This is often called the Christ-event.

      4. This is:

        1. Corrupt theology.

        2. Distorted history.

    1. What we believe makes a big difference.

Donald Miller, the well-known minister and seminary president, tells about a woman who phoned him one Saturday night. (3)

Dr. Miller, what do I believe? she asked him.

What do you mean? Miller was not sure he had heard her correctly.

I mean, she said, what do I believe? You see, I've just come from a party where several people got into a discussion about their various beliefs. One woman was Jewish, and she told us what she believes as a Jew. Another was Roman Catholic, and she told us what Catholics believe. Somebody was a Christian Scientist, and he talked about what they believe. I was the only Protestant in the group and frankly, I didn't know what to say. What do I believe?

That woman, said Miller, must have come into the church on the confusion of faith, not the confession of faith.

      1. When Jesus asked the disciples, "Who do people say that I am," they responded in confusion of faith.

      2. When Peter answers for himself and the rest of the disciples, he is making a confession of faith.

      3. He understand the significance and vital nature of what is being done for him and in him.

      4. It is a life-changing, transforming experience.

      5. It is the way to personal power and control of life.

      6. We have one who is with us and empowers us.

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CONCLUSION

A man fell into a pit and couldn't get himself out... (4)

~ A subjective person came along and said, "I feel for you down there."

~ An objective person walked by and said, "It's logical that someone would fall down there."

~ A Pharisee said, "Only bad people fall into pits."

~ A mathematician calculated how deep the pit was.

~ A news reporter wanted the exclusive story on the pit.

~ An IRS agent asked if he was paying taxes on the pit.

~ A self-pitying person said, "You haven't seen anything until you've seen my pit."

~ A fire-and-brimstone preacher said, "You deserve your pit."

~ A Christian Scientist observed, "The pit is just in your mind."

~ A psychologist noted, "Your mother and father are to blame for your being in that pit."

~ A self-esteem therapist said, "Believe in yourself and you can get out of that pit."

~ An optimist said, "Things could be worse."

~ A pessimist claimed, "Things will get worse."

~ Jesus, seeing the man, took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit.

  1. So in the end, Who do you say Jesus is and why?

1. Pastor Tim [posts@cybersaltlists.org]

2. Lyrics by Tim Rice; music by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

3. John Killinger, You Are What You Believe: The Apostles' Creed for Today (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1990), 11, told by Hal Brady, Dallas, Tex., 18 July 1993.

4. Mikey's Funnies [funnies-owner@lists.MikeysFunnies.com]

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