Title: Binding and loosing.
Theme:
Text: Matthew 16:13-19
¶ When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 16:13-19 AV)
Matthew 16:13c ¶ When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi,
Caesarea Philippi is located in the north eastern side of Galilee. It seems that Jesus is about to begin his long and saddened road to the cross. For three years he trained the disciples. He taught. Now he was beginning his purpose.
So he has to ask these two questions. Two things Jesus wanted to teach his disciples. 1) His purpose of coming and dying. 2) Who he was.
16:13b he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
What does this world think of Jesus?
14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
John the Baptist-recognized as a great man and teacher, even found favor in the eyes of Herod (strangely enough Herod said this about Jesus in Matthew 14:2), found favor in the eyes of many, had a great following was a great teacher. Some say Jesus is a great teacher
Elias or Elijah-did many miracles, helped many, a great person. Some say Jesus is a great person
Jermias or Jeremiah “the weeping prophet”, A prophet among prophets. Stood for the Lord and would not back down, had determination, a great prophet. Some say Jesus is a great prophet.
And our destiny is not depend on what others say about Jesus but what we think.
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
This is the most important question that you will ask in your life. Not what others think. Many people rely on the opinions of others. But it is not what others think it is what we think. It is what we do with what the Lord has given us.
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
“Thou are the Christ”. The Messiah, The anointed one, The one prophesied in the Old Testament.
“The son of the living God”-The Son of God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
This confession could not be from the flesh and blood but only by the Father. The revealer. In other words it is not what is spoken by the mouth but what is revealed and believed in the heart.
Jesus had made head way and accomplished on of the greatest steps not because he taught the disciples the right words to say but because they searched within themselves to know who Christ is. It is in the heart.
Jesus said in Mt 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart;
18a And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church;
What rock? Is the church founded upon Peter. Has it been laid at his feet and his descendants feet to carry out or could it be that here we see a play on words. Peter in the Greek means Petros, which is what Jesus called him, and this means rock. And in the next word rock he says petra, which is a large bedrock.
So it is not as much on Peter himself but on the fact that of who Jesus Christ is.
1 Peter 2:4-6 reads ¶ To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
Paul said in, 1 Cor 3:11
¶ For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:11 AV)
18b and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Because of this fact of the rock then the “gates of hell” or death which is the final result of hell will not prevail. The church will stand and live on. God’s children will live forever because of the price that Christ will pay on the cross. Because of the sacrifice of the rock. We must make sure that our foundation is not on sinking sand that the “gates of hell” death, hell and the grave can come against and take possession of our soul but founded in Christ the "chief corner stone”.
19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Keys are a sign of authority. Now that the confession has been made by Peter representing the majority of the disciples, with this confession, notice not with the mouth but with the heart.
A. Authority to open (loose) the door of salvation and close (bind) it
B. Authority to lose people from sin and bind the habits that are holding them back
John 20:23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
C. Authority to lose people from sickness and bind the demons that attach themselves in these areas.
The demon of cancer, the demon of aids, the demon of blindness, the demon of disease. Now maybe all these are not demons but I believe some are.
Acts 3:1 ¶ Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
D. Authority to bind false teaching and loose sound doctrine
E. Authority to bind the habits that help us and loose the ones that hinder us
Somehow, he caught on to the essential message of Mt. 16:9-that he had the keys to the Kingdom and had to use these keys to be an overcomer. He literally bound his old life and loosed his new one. He bound his sordid habits and loosed his new sense of responsibility. He bound his shameful past and loosed his renewed position in Jesus Christ.
A victorious Christian life means that we must learn to bind some things and loose the others.
All of this is wrapped up in the confession of Jesus Christ as Lord. One of the major problems I have with the positive confession of some. And the preaching on authority that we have is the fact that they are leaving out the major content and that is the fact that we must be a child of God.
Yes God will bless us. Yes God can heal us. Yes God will protect us but only as his children. And although these preachers may assume that people understand that I have come to conclusion that we cannot almost not assume anything about the people we preach to especailly in their relationship with the Lord.
