The Keys to the Kingdom

No one knows who invented the first lock and key.  But it stands to reason that the necessity of protecting valuables mothered its invention not long after sin entered the world.  The oldest discovered locking mechanism is 4,000 years old and was found in Nineveh.  It is similar to other locks found in Egypt within that same time.  The Bible also makes mention of locks in the book of Judges, which isn’t long after this period.

In Matthew 16 Jesus uses this imagery to speak about the Kingdom of Heaven.  It is a place and dominion that you need a “key” in order to join.  We don’t generally think of heaven as being a place that is locked.  But Jesus here reveals that he is giving his disciples “keys” that would unlock its gates to specific people.

Do I Know Who Jesus Is?

Jesus had asked his disciples who people were saying that he was in verse 13.  Of course they gave several answers.  Then in verse15 Jesus makes it personal.  Who do you say that I am?  The question is directed to all the disciples.  They had been with him for a while now and Jesus checks to see what they have come to understand about who he is.  Peter is the one who steps forward and answers for the group.  Obviously he risks “getting it wrong.”  However, this time, Peter nails the answer in verse 16.  The first part of his answer is that Jesus is the Christ.  Now Christ is a transliteration of a Greek word, not a translation.  The translation would be Anointed.  So Peter declares that Jesus is The Anointed One.  Now what is he talking about?  In the Old Testament the first group we see being anointed (having oil smeared on or poured over) was the priests.  Aaron and his sons were anointed for the ministry they were going to perform.  It was a picture of the presence of God’s Spirit to empower them for the holy function they were called to do.  Later the same was done for those who were to be King of Israel.  Thus only those called to an important and holy job on God’s behalf were anointed.  This idea of anointing was later given a connection to another concept of a Messiah or Savior that would rise up to save Israel and the World.  We see this in Psalm 2.  In this Psalm God’s Anointed One becomes a specific title.  The messiah would be God’s Anointed One who would be given the kingdoms of the earth.  Thus Peter recognizes Jesus as this Messiah/Anointed One for whom the world had been waiting.

The second part of Peter’s statement is that Jesus was the Son of God.  Now in a physical sense we can understand Jesus being called the Son of God because he was directly created by God in Mary’s womb.  Jesus was miraculously born by a virgin girl through the power of God.  Just as God directly shaped Adam and breathed the spirit of life into him, so God directly creates the matter that would become the man Jesus.

Yet, Jesus was the Son of God in an even deeper way.  The apostle John brings this out in the first chapter of his gospel.  In regard to his humanity, Jesus came into being just over 2,000 years ago.  But in regard to his spirit, he had existed from before the creation.  In fact he was in essence not only with God the Father, but he and the Father were together One God.  Yes, this does bring up the mysterious Trinity that can be a mind bender.  But this is what the disciples came to know about Jesus.  He and the Father were two and yet One.  To see the Son was to see the Father.  Both Son and Father have eternally been One with the Holy Spirit.  Jesus was the only, True God-Man that has ever existed.  All others have been pretenders and fakes.

The Key of  The Knowledge of Who Jesus Is

Jesus points to Peter’s statement as important.  First it was not given to them by a man.  It was God himself who had revealed this to the disciples.  How did God do that?  He did it by first sending his Son, Jesus, who performed miracles and spoke the words of the Father.  He confirmed this by the Scriptures that had been given before hand.  The disciples could recognize the God of the Scriptures in what Jesus said.  The third thing is the inner witness of the Holy Spirit.  When push came to shove, something within the disciples testified that Jesus had the “Words of Life.”

In verse 18 Jesus then begins to talk about the Church he was going to build.  The Church would be built upon the truth of who Jesus is.  This truth is an immovable rock that is like a mountain in comparison to the small rock that Peter was.  But all of these individual rocks making their confessions of the Great Rock of Jesus and his true identity would build a group that even Hell itself could not stand up against.  I know that some try to make Peter himself the foundation of the Church but this seems to fly in the face of the language that is being used.  Yes, Peter is a part of the foundation of Jesus and His apostles, but that is it.  This knowledge of the identity of Jesus is a key that opens the way into the Kingdom of Heaven.  Thus the main task of the leaders of the Church is to use the Key of Knowledge to open the door to those who will receive it in faith.  However, this knowledge also repels some, just as it did in days of Jesus.  In like manner today, the truth of who Jesus is repels some and because they refuse to receive it, acts like a lock that both keeps them out of the Kingdom and stuck in their lost condition.  They are bound in a prison of their own making as they refuse to receive the truth.  So all who follow Christ and proclaim the truth of who he is have this key that both looses and binds those to whom they proclaim it.

Now the word “keys” is plural.  So it stands to reason that there are other keys and we will talk about those in the weeks to come.  But this key is critical and cannot be left out.

Here are some practical thoughts for those who have put their faith in Jesus.  People who have not heard the truth about who Jesus is are bound in a prison and kept back from his Life.  They are bound by a principle of death that comes from the effects of sin.  Only those with the keys to Life can help them.  God has given you a powerful key to life in the truth about who Jesus is.  Are you sharing it?  We must first see the plight of the lost before we will be motivated to help them.  What was it like for you before you became a believer?  May God start by reminding us of our own past, but also continue the teaching by opening our eyes to the pain, hurt, and death that is in the lives of people around us who do not know him.

Keys to the Kingdom audio

Missionary Randy Lindsey

www.deafkidsmexico.orgLast Sunday Night we were priviledged to have Randy Lindsey and his family with us.  They shared the ministry to deaf children that they have helped build in Mexico City.

Click their picture to check out their website.

Also if you missed the service but wanted to help support their ministry then you can send donations to the church designated towards them.  Or you can designate an offering at any of our church services.

Below you will find a video that gives you a feel for the ministry that is going on in Mexico City.  In many ways these kids have hardly anyone who sees the value of teaching them anything.  The ministry of Randy and Linda Lindsey gives the hopeless hope.  Pray for this ministry that it will be contagious within the churches of Mexico and that more ministries to the deaf of Mexico will be raised up.

Unalienable Rights

Today we are going to continue to look at the part in the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America that contains the words:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 

Specifically we will be talking about unalienable rights.  This phrase basically means that the rights cannot be legislated away by governments, or disregarded by individuals without offending God, who is the giver of those rights.  So the rights may be practically severed from a person, but those who do so will give account to God himself.  In that sense, they are unalienable (inseparable) from each person.

Now as our text we are going to look at 1 Corinthians 9.  Here Paul is dealing with their need to drop their rights for the sake of their brothers and sisters.  He does so by giving an example of his own rights and how he had not exercised them when he was with the Corinthians.

Rights And Freedoms Are Very Real

Paul first of all affirms that there are certain rights that God gives to men.  In verses 4 and 14 he establishes that those who preach the gospel have the right to make a living from those to whom they are preaching.  Of course, this right can be abused.  But those who do so will give account to God.  The second right is in verse 5.  Those who make their living by preaching also have the right to marry a believing spouse.

Now the rights listed in the Declaration of Independence are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.  Are these legitimate rights that have been given by God?  The founding fathers’ belief that these rights were from God was derived by reasoning from the Scriptures.  They used the history of the Bible and the Laws that God gave to Israel to discern what rights God intended men to have.  Let’s look at each of the three briefly.

Life is clearly given by God in Genesis 2:7.  If God gives life then it is wrong for another man to take it away.  Also, in the Law murder is banned: “Thou shalt not kill.”  We see God judging Cain for killing his brother Abel and many other places judgment is shown and described.

Liberty can be found in the Law through the laws limiting slavery and promoting Jubilee.  However, the most powerful expression is found in the purpose of the Law and the giving of Grace.  The gospel was not plan B.  It was the plan all along.  The Law was only given to show mankind their need for freedom from our sin nature.  The Laws are not wrong, but they become chains that keep us in bondage.  The Gospel shows another way; the way of freedom.

The Pursuit of Happiness is another way of saying “enjoying life.”  It doesn’t mean a mere attempt, but rather the journey of experiencing the many joys of life.  Again this is throughout the Scriptures, but a specific verse can be quoted in Ecclesiastes 3:13, “Every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.”

It is important to remember that though something is a right, it can be refused by those in power.  Thus the British empire that refused to recognize the rights of the colonists subsequently lost the revolutionary war and continued into decline and deterioration.  Whether it was a sign of the judgment of God or not, God will hold all nations and individuals accountable for how they treat others.

Choosing The More Excellent Way Of Love

There are times, however, when we need to choose a different path.  Fighting for our rights may help us, but it may harm others.  This is what Paul is talking about in 1 Corinthians 9.  He is not arguing against rights altogether.  Several times we see Paul insisting on his rights as a Roman citizen.  However, he does so for reasons other than saving his skin.  Thus love needs to be our ultimate motivation.  In 1 Corinthians 12:31 and chapter 13, Paul describes love and how it acts.  You can see from the list of what love is and isn’t that love would not always insist on its rights.  Here is a general rule of thumb: It is best to fight for the rights of others and to trust your own to God. 

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:19 that though by right he is free, he “freely” chooses to be a slave to all men so that he might save more.  He could insist on his rights, but that path would lead to less people saved.  So he chose a tougher route that would lead to more people being saved.  His rights weren’t taken from him, rather he sacrificed them for people’s souls.  Thus Love is willing to sacrifice for the sake of a greater good and to save souls.  In verses 20-23 Paul makes this clear.  Though he was no longer obligated to keep the Mosaic Law, he would freely do so around Jews in order to get a platform on which to share the gospel.  When he was among Gentiles, he didn’t continue to do “strange” things from the Law of Moses.  This would just ostracize him and take away any opportunity to talk to them about Jesus.  In both cases love constrains him to exercise or not exercise his rights.

Notice that Paul is not motivated by his own pleasures.  He does not “sin” when he is among the Gentiles.  But neither does he worry about ritual washings, unclean foods, and proper dress.  In verses 24-27, Paul makes it clear that his desire is to please God.  Thus Love chooses wisely when to assert or sacrifice personal rights in order to please God.  Here the image of a runner is used.  The runner who wants to win the race must restrain themselves from drink and food that will be a hindrance.  It is not that it is wrong for them to drink or eat certain foods, but those things will hinder them winning.  So a choice must be made.  Do I want my rights or do I want something better?  Paul said that he “disciplined” his body.  Though Paul had a right to make a living from the ones to whom he preached, he generally didn’t.  Most of the time he worked as a tent-maker to cover his own expenses.  This was a difficulty and required him to burn the candle at both ends.  But he did it so that the gospel would not be hindered. 

Now here are some practical thoughts for us as believers in Jesus.  First, Christians should be a strong voice for the rights of people of this society.  We should be the first to warn our country that if we trample the rights of the citizenry then we will follow the path of all great nations before us.  However, as Christians we need to be identified more by what we sacrifice than by what we demand for ourselves.  Jesus is identified with the cross and laying his life down.  The apostles were identified with difficult lives and ultimately being martyred.  Similarly the founding fathers laid their fortunes and lives on the line for the sake of the colonies.  May God give us wisdom to see what we should sacrifice in order that others might be saved.

Unalienable Rights Audio

All Men Are Created Equal

Today I want to look at the phrase, “all men are created equal.”  You should recognize it as being from our Declaration of Independence.  A fuller quote is: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights;…”  I believe it is important for Christians to be biblical in how they view this statement.

Clearly the equality that is being recognized is not that of strength, wealth, or abilities.  When we compare these things there seems to be great inequality.  So the founders had something more fundamental than our physical nature.  That said, it was commonly expressed that even these physical differences were not so great that they couldn’t be overcome by the mental prowess or collaboration of the weak.  In other words the differences were not enough to elevate the strong, rich, and able to a higher status (gods among men),  Despite the differences we are still all humans and must deal with the realities and limitations of what that entails.

In Acts 17 Paul is waiting in Athens, Greece for Silas and Timothy to join him.  He had fled the northern area of Thessalonica and Berea due to violent opposition to his teaching.  While he was there he began to talk with his fellow Jews in the synagogues and with Gentiles in the marketplace.  At some point he is invited to speak further about his teachings at a special forum in Athens where the philosophers of that day would pit there views against each other.  In verses 22-32 we have an address that Paul gives in this forum.  I believe it will be quite instructive in regard to our topic.

All People Are Equal In Origin

In verse 24 Paul points out that there is a God who created all peoples and all things.  This Creator is being referenced in the phrase, “all men are created equal.” Thus the Creator is the God of every nation, peoples, or individuals, whether they understand that or not.  The Greeks worshipped a multitude of gods, but Paul points out that they do not know their Creator.  This God is in no need of anything from us.  However, He does receive worship from those who will worship Him from the heart and in Spirit.

Now, the foundation of evolution rejects the idea of a creator.  But putting that aside, evolution has always contended that some species are more advanced than others.  Historically this has included what we call “races” today.  Thus it promoted the idea that some races are more superior then others.  The Bible rejects this idea.  All men come from the same Creator and through the same creation.  Let’s take this a bit deeper.

All People Are Equal In Their Humanity

Paul goes on to say at the end of verse 25, that God is the source of everyone’s life, breath, and all things.  Thus humans are all dependent on God for everything.  In verse 26 he points out that we are all from one blood.  The Bible traces all mankind back to a single couple, Adam and Eve.  Though time, environment and procreation have developed variations within the human species, we are still of one blood. In our modern scientific age we have been able to determine that most differences between “races” are cultural and not biological.  Only .2% of the DNA code differs among peoples of the world and only .012% has impact upon those things we label as race.  On top of this a person needing an organ donor may be a better match with a person of another race than another of his own.

We are all part of the same human family.  It is difficult to hold a family together once it goes past 3 generations.  There is a part of us that laments this and tries to work against it.  But the sheer size and geographical spread work against us.  In a sense all of us, no matter how different in looks and customs, come from the same Great, Great, …..Grand father/mother.  The sheer size makes it impossible to be close.  But it doesn’t mean we have to see the others as somehow less human, or inferior to us.

Paul points out that it was God who appointed the nations and set their limits.  Now the term nation here is not associated with skin color.  It is a term that points to those who have common culture and customs.  Even the term “race” in the English language was not associated with skin color until recent years.  It was used to describe the differences between the Brits, Normans, Irish, Scots etc…  These were all different races thought they had the same skin color.  Why?  Because their culture, history, and customs were different.  Biblically speaking it is language that makes the biggest difference among mankind not skin color.  All people regardless of where they come are equally human and have an equal right to exist upon this planet.

All People Are Equal In Their Need

In Acts 17:27-31, Paul points out several needs that all mankind have.  First, we all have the need to find God.  As much as we may disagree with God’s decision to confuse the languages, its intent is that those differences might cause us to search for him.  The term “grope” conjures the image of a blind man feeling for something.

Secondly, God is not far from any of us.  Yes, he is far in light of our limitations.  But he is not far from us in the sense that everything we have comes from him.  He is our source of everything.

Thus in verse 30 he points out that we have all been ignorant of God’s way.  Even Israel, who had been given much light, as a whole was ignorant to God’s way.  Thus God, knowing our blindness and limitations, comes near to us in Jesus Christ.  He makes himself known to not just one race, but to all.  Thus the Gospel through men like Paul goes out to the groping nations.  All nations need to repent of their ignorant ways and customs and turn to God in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

In fact, all nations will be judged by Christ at an appointed future time.  God has assured us of this by raising Jesus from the dead.

Let me close with these thoughts.  Modern technology has not only made the world smaller but it has made culture go global.  Kids from all over the world are beginning to have the same music interests, movie interests, and fashion styles.  How ought we as biblical believers live out this statement that “all men are equal?”

First, we should drop any sense of racial or cultural superiority.  All of our cultures have ungodly things within them.  Let us learn the lesson from Israel that pride and superiority always leads to a fall.  This does not mean that we should blindly accept all aspects of other cultures as worthy of respect.  But neither should we be blind to the aspects of our own culture that are not honorable.

Second, we should recognize the need of all people to know God.  God is not the white man’s god.  Nor is there a black god, red god, etc…  There is one God over all nations, no matter how far their culture may have gone away from him.

Third, refuse to be baited into ethnic rivalries through bigotry or politics.

Lastly, do not focus on non-moral differences between cultures.  They are irrelevant.  Grace and Peace in the name of Jesus Christ.

All Men Created Equal Audio