Morning. Thought Frank was going
to pick on me quite a bit more, so I guess I'll get rid of my
first couple of pages of notes. I want to give everybody a warning.
Our pastor tells us at home, the Lord tells us we suffer with
our brethren, and I hope you don't suffer too much this morning,
but I think the Lord gave me something that will benefit you.
I'm nervous and I'm a novice, so I'll probably read too much
from my notes, drink too much water and stammer a little bit,
but just be with me. Next month, it'll be 22 years
since I got my first job. I worked for my father's son
around the home, if you call it that. And I learned real quick
that hanging insulation in attics in Kentucky in the summertime
ain't a fun job. I wanted something in air conditioning.
So I applied for my first job, and I put your pastor as my reference. And he vouched for me. And on
his name, I got that job. And I hope I didn't dishonor
him. Now you fast forward. two decades, and I preached at
our home church some, and for the first time, preached somewhere
else. He's put his name on me, so I hope I don't embarrass him.
I look around and I see so many familiar faces, and I see people
that's taught me the gospel. I see women that showed how a
bride's supposed to honor their husband. I saw fathers that are
tender to their children, and that's a little intimidating.
What could I tell you that you ain't told me already? But I
see the fruit of the Spirit through Christ's people here, and that
stands out to me. But what message could I bring
that would honor God the Father and comfort you at the same time?
So this isn't going to be my text, but if you will, turn to
Matthew 17. Matthew 17, we'll begin in verse
5. I fear this will get to young people's attention. This is the
shortest sermon ever preached. Spurgeon was once asked, I think
it's Spurgeon, once asked, he said, hey, when can you preach
for us? And he said, well, it depends. How long do you want
me to preach? And I said, what's that got to do with anything?
He said, well, if you want me to preach an hour, I'll preach
right now. If you want me to preach 30 minutes, I'll need
a couple of days. If you want me to preach 15 minutes, I'll
need a week or something along those lines. I'm paraphrasing.
This is the shortest sermon I could find. On the Mount of Transfiguration,
after Christ met with Moses and Elias, Peter wanted to make three
tabernacles to honor each of them. So we pick up in verse
five. Speaking of Peter, while he yet
spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them and behold,
a voice out of the cloud which said, This is my beloved son
in whom I'm well pleased. Hear ye him. God, the father
spoke from heaven and he said Christ was his son in whom he
is well pleased. That's the only way that the
father is pleased is through his son. Our pastor used to tell
us that I'm already lost in my notes. The only way he's pleased
is through Christ. And then he says, hear ye him,
believe him and listen to him. He's the one prophesied of old.
That's Christ. Christ is the way that the Lord
is pleased and we need to hear him. So it'd be very important
for us to know who Christ is. My text today will be Matthew
16. Turn back over to the left a little bit. Verse 13 through
17. The title of my message is Who
Really is Jesus Christ? The most important question ever
asked or will ever be asked to you, either in this life or in
judgment, what do you think of Christ? Matthew 16, 13. When Jesus came
into the coast 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 say Elias, and others Jeremiah,
or one of the prophets. And 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 had not revealed this unto thee, but my Father
which is in heaven. Now, it's important to know which
Christ we're talking about. That may be silly, but you can
say many accurate things about someone and be talking about
someone totally different. A quick story before I was in
the military. I don't know if we've met any
of you all. Y'all probably know my whole
story. I was in the military working in Fort Knox, and a guy
I worked with was Stephen Myers, spelled with a P-H. And I knew
a lot about this guy. He was a little bit above me,
and I'd known him pretty well. I moved to Kansas years later,
and I was talking to some folks, and I said, yeah, we got a Stephen
Myers here. Well, we talked about 15 minutes about this guy. I
mean, everything lined up, what he did, how he looked, what kind
of truck he drove, things he did. And I thought, well, I'm
going to go say hi to Stevie. And so I snuck in the back office
where they told me he was. And I started yelling, hey, Stevie,
and picking on him. I wasn't Stevie. And I about
got in a lot of trouble. But thankfully, we ended up being
good friends, too. But in our passage, there's two
drastically different answers. There's what the mind of the
flesh thinks about Christ, and what his people think about Christ.
A pigment of the imagination that suits fleshly desires, or
the Christ, the Savior, God in human flesh. Matthew 16, 13,
the Lord takes his disciples to a remote place about 30 miles
north of the Sea of Galilee. They're not bothered by crowds.
They're off to themselves. And this is considered the spring
of the mouth of the Jordan River, which is symbolic of the root
of wisdom in many cultures. In other cases, Christ asks questions
to the unregenerate public places, like in Matthew 22. But here
our Master is careful and tender to instruct us. In a simple place
with simple people, He asks what we appear to be a simple question. So when He gets Him alone, He
says, Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? Now, it's
important to know that He says the Son of Man. It would be easy
to overlook these choosing of words, but the Lord meets us
alone in private and has us consider what we would think His lowest
office. Any time that the Lord deals
with us, He is descending to our level. Many commendators
say that that office is Him coming down to us but any office that
he holds is completely sovereign and holy. It was the seat of
woman come to crush Satan's head. It was the person standing there
in front of them, real, in the flesh. And from Adam forward,
every believing woman thought that their firstborn son was
Christ. From Eve to Mary. When Eve had
Cain, she said, I've gotten a man from the Lord. Now they were
wrong, they were mistaken, but that's who they were looking
for. And it would be a safe bet to assume that even the wild
people of the time knew that there was a God-man coming. So
he asks them, he says, who do men say that I am? My first point
is what the world thinks of Christ. The biblical records of blasphemy
concerning the Lord Jesus Christ don't differ from the opinion
of today's generation. The sins of the flesh have not
changed. The enmity towards God has not changed. Why? That's
because the proud sinner hasn't changed and the truth of Christ
has not changed. The last one means profane, irreverence
and wickedness. And this can present itself as
one would think as a blatant disregard for Christ's Lordship. But the more deceitful and cunning
denials are shown in our text here. These are the thoughts
of the common person at the time that was following him or what
we would call nowadays Christians. Most of the people in those times,
not necessarily the Pharisees or Sadducees and Herodians, the
Lord deals with those people as they approach Him. They simply
ask, who do men say that I am? Who does the common man say?
And those folks are no different than we once were. These are
the same people we see daily. It's most of the people you know.
Most of your family potentially, your co-workers, your friends,
people you see on the street. What do these normal people say?
Matthew 16, 14. They said, some say thou art
John the Baptist, some Elias, other Jeremias, or one of the
prophets. A few things can be taken from
this verse. One, all of those things stated are honorable.
The three saints listed in the generalized term prophets applied
seem to the outward to be charming. If someone compared me to one
of the prophets, I'd be kind of fucked up, wouldn't I? I'd
be nice. These are good thoughts of a
person to have, but they're not fitting to the righteousness
of Christ. Another thing is all those things
are different. Many minds are easily divided. They're not of
one accord. All those folks were raised from
the dead. There's a great man from the past, unlike the people
we have nowadays. It's their fault and our fault
now. But a man nonetheless. And all those opinions are false.
By nature, they're seemingly high thoughts. They're incorrect
and they come from a corrupt partner. This is a very telling
of our nature. These saints are not much more
than men and their lives are the problem. Most people don't
mind a little help, but they could take some good counsel
maybe from a wise person, but they don't want to be saved and
they don't want to be ruled. Christ in the parable of the pounds
in Luke 19 said, we will not have this man to reign over us. That's how they saw it. This
man slightly above you is not more than that, slightly better.
And that's what the modern religionist claims is his God, someone who
can help a little and wants to help, but is solely limited to
your discretion. They want a God that's like them.
Man's thoughts. I frequently hear people say,
I like to think that God is, and you can fill in the blank.
That, my friend, is a poor thought to have. But you go to a courtroom
and say, well, I like to think that property taxes are this
way or that way. I don't think that'd help you
with the judge, would it? It won't in the end. Isaiah 55 says,
for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways
my ways, saith the Lord. Whereas the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are my ways higher than yours and my thoughts
than your thoughts. Often also hear people say, well,
what's your interpretation of this passenger? How does your
pastor interpret this? Second, Peter says, knowing this
first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation
for the prophecy came in old time, not by the will of man,
but holy men of God speak as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
I actually see man's desire to do the work. I have a longtime
friend who tells me, Kevin, he has no hands but your hands.
And I'll tell him who Christ is out of the scriptures. And
he said, but you need to read your Bible. Well, I did. And the psalmist
says in Psalm 115, their idols are silver and gold in the works
of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak
not. Eyes they have, but they see not. They have ears, but
they hear not. Noses they have, but they smell
not. They have hands, but they handle not. Feet they have, but
they walk not. Neither speak they through their
throat. Why? They that make them are likened
to them. So is everyone that trusts in them. And that friend
meets me with, well, that's your interpretation. So that's a circular
argument you keep. You better be better off not
having. So what am I getting to? A man
has no good thoughts and is spiritually dead? Yes, that's exactly right. You all know these Romans 3 23
says for all of sin and come short of the glory of God. Romans
5 says wherefore by one man entered the world. Wherefore as by one
man sin entered into the world and death by sin. So death passed
upon all men for that all have sin. Sin is the issue of blood. It's a disease and it's hereditary. The two zebras have a baby. It's
a zebra. The two sinners have a baby.
It's a sinner. That's proof. What men want. Some folks respond to passages
like this. Well, I don't like to think that way. Psalm 10 3
says, For the wicked boasts of his heart desire and blesses
the covetous whom the Lord abhors. The wicked, through the pride
of his countenance, will not seek after God. God is not in
all of his thoughts. So did I get all that from saying
that men think that God is a saint and one of the prophets? It's
true. Natural man will cling and support
anything. Anything. Whether it's a sport
or a false religion, skydiving or whatever, they'll cling to
anything but the true and living Christ. That's what man thinks. What does the disciples say?
My next point is what the believer thinks of Christ. So in Matthew
16, verse 15, saith unto them, but whom say ye that I am? He knows what the men are thinking,
but what do you think? Simon Peter answered and said,
Thou art the Christ, son of the living God. Peter's answer is a short, direct,
accurate display of who Christ is. It's a brief picture of Christ
as our mediator because he speaks with a group and declares the
truth. And this portion of scripture is often called Peter's confession
of faith. That's what a confession is.
You go to the courthouse and you have a confession, you just
tell the truth. That's what a criminal does, they confess. That's what
Peter was doing, he was telling the truth. He said that he's
the Christ, he's the son of the living God, the Messiah, prophesied
of old, the one promised, he's God Almighty. And with this statement,
like my illustration from the beginning, he describes who Christ
is. He's God Almighty in human flesh.
John 10, it says, I and my Father are one. We know that the word
in scripture means Christ. John 1 says, In the beginning
was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. The word was made flesh and dwelt
among us. We beheld his glory. Glory is of the only begotten
of the father, full of grace and truth. He says, I and my
father are one. The word was God. Do you mean
to say that Christ is the Son of God? Yes, absolutely the Son
of God. Do you mean to say that Christ is God? Yes, absolutely,
fully. He is God. I've heard Henry say
before, if you don't understand the Trinity, don't deny it because
you can't explain it. That's good advice for everyday
life, isn't it? You may not be able to deeply
describe how antibiotics work, but if you've got a severe bacterial
infection, you'll take them, won't you? So what else does
a believer know? We know he's the God of creation.
All things were made by Christ. He made the world, the heavens
and all things in it or on it. Isn't that right? A lot of people
would agree with that. Of course, God created everything,
but now you have to make good on it, make good on what he gave
you. Man should never waste a gift that was given to him by the
Lord through his providence. But your works make it flourish
or does he? People say Christ made it possible,
but you need to make it effectual. That's silly. Turn to Colossians
1 with me if you will. Colossians chapter 1 verse 15. Who, speaking of Christ, is the
image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.
For by him were all things created that are in heaven, that are
in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions
or principalities or powers. All things were created by him
and for him. And he is before all things.
And by him, all things consist. You mean to say Christ controls
who's on the throne of England? Yes, of course he does. Who's
your boss at work? Who gets promoted or demoted?
Absolutely. How does he do that? Well, we
know he's a God of providence, don't we? Christ is completely
sovereign in all things. Daily. Turn to Job 37 with me. Job chapter 37. Beginning in
verse 5. God thundereth marvelously with
His voice. Great things He doeth, which
we cannot comprehend. For He saith to the snow, Be
thou on the earth. Likewise to the small rain and
the great rain of His strength. He sealeth up the hand of every
man that all men may know His work. Then the beasts go into
the dens and remain in their places. Out of the south cometh
a whirlwind and cold out of the north. By the breadth of God,
frost is given and the breadth of the waters is straightened.
It's frozen. Maurice Montgomery used to read that verse and he'd
say, People say, well, that's just natural things. That's nature. We don't think
much of it. You can't do it, can you? Go and read verse 11. Also, by watering, he weareth
a thick cloud, he scattereth his bright cloud, and it is turned
around about by his counsels that they may do whatsoever he
commandeth them upon the face of the world and the earth. He
causes it to come, whether for correction or for his land or
for mercy. How are we supposed to respond
to someone like that? Read on. Hearken unto this, O Job. Stand
still and consider the wondrous works of God. If humans had any
sense at all, we would see that, stand back and say, what a God.
And be quiet and listen. You don't have to turn to these
texts. I know you probably can quote all of them better than
I can. But Ephesians 1.11 says, he who worked with all things
after the council of his own will. Matthew says are not two
sparrows sold for a farling? That one of them shall not fall
to the ground without your father's hand, without your father, but
the very hairs of your head are all numbered. You mean he controls
how many numbers of hair I have on my head? He does. He controls
the color too. We was talking about that earlier. Matthew 5.36
says neither shalt thou swear by thy head because thou canst
make one hair white or black. You can die, but give it two
weeks. It'll change, won't it? Nebuchadnezzar said in Daniel,
All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. And he
doeth according to his will in armies of heaven and among the
inhabitants of the earth. And none can stay his hand or
say unto them, what doest thou? A lot of people say that God
needs you to help him and lend him a hand. Let's turn to Acts
17. Acts chapter 17, verse 24. God that made the world and all
things therein, seeing that he is the Lord of heaven and earth,
dwelleth not in temples made with hands, neither is worship
with men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth
to all life, breath, and all things. And he hath made of one
blood all nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the
earth, and hath determined in the times aforepointed, and the
bounds of their habitation, Semico. What comes after that? that they
should seek the Lord, if happily they might go after Him and find
Him, though He be not far from every one of us. For in Him we
live and move and have our being. You know, the chore of sinner,
that's good news. What else do we know? How do
we know that? Because He's the God of salvation.
For the world was God elected a people for Christ to redeem.
In His power, He meets them where they are. and there's sin and
corruption and he conquers them and he stays with them until
the appointed time and he brings them home and we're made exactly
like his son. As we say here, they wouldn't
get this in New Jersey. We made the spitting image of him. I
just learned what that means about two years ago. We say it
quick, that's a spirit and image. We have the character and the
form crossed. That's what we want. Incidentally,
the natural man says, What needs to happen? What do I need to
do to be saved? And the child of Christ says, I've been saved.
Can you tell me what happened? It goes backwards, don't it?
So how does that happen? Does the Lord have limited atonement
and loses none of his elect? Was it man's choice to make Jesus
his personal savior as his God or did Christ feed him to it?
Let's see what happened to Peter. My last point is, who makes you
the difference? Back in our text in Matthew 16, Matthew 16, verse 17, Jesus answered
and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, flesh and
blood have not revealed this unto thee, but my father, which
is in heaven. That's what the child of God
believes that Christ revealed that to us, that knowledge. Believing
is not something you can choose to do. I had a different obstruction
for this, and I think I'm in the right part of the country.
Since 1992, you can't convince me that UK could be beat in basketball. I think they're the best team
out there. Now, I could be a Duke fan and act like it. I could
put stickers all over my car. I can watch all the ball games.
I can root for them and cry when they lose and cheer when they
win. But when I go home at night and I'm by myself, I'm in my
basement, I'm a UK fan because that's what I am. So is that what God's people
believe? What do they believe? Christ is all. I can act like
something different, but that ain't what it is. And I didn't
choose to believe that. It was given to me and I'm thankful
for it. Let's turn to John 10. Go in
there. John chapter 10. I was in a third world country
for a little while, thanks to dual taxpayer dollars. I appreciate
it. I had to watch a road for a couple of weeks. And every
morning I'd see these two boys, and they was young, about eight
years old. And they'd have, both of them have a box of sheep,
about 15 hundred sheep each. One would come this way down
the road and the other one would come this way down the road. And I
was watching this way. And they'd meet and they'd sit
and talk for a few minutes. And all them sheep would just
mingle together. And I thought, boy, they're going to get in
trouble. And so they, to get through, they had to take them
to the field. So they'd, all right, we'll see you later. And they'd walk
off opposite ways. And one would click and whistle
and throw rock or make a noise. And those sheep would separate
out of that big pile. And one would follow that one
and one would follow this one. And at the end of the day, they'd
go back exactly the same. And so I think of that because
I saw it, I experienced it every time I read this. John 10, verse
25. Jesus answered and told them,
I told you and you believe not. The works that I do in my Father's
name, they bear witness to me. But you believe not, because
you are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice,
and I know them, and they follow me. I give unto them eternal
life, and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. My Father which gave them to
me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out
of my Father's hand. So is that what you believe?
Are you the sheep and he's the shepherd? He calls and you hear
Him. You believe fully on Him to accomplish
everything for you completely. You're completely secure in His
almighty hand. Through His providence, the Lord
has brought you to that place to profess that. And the last
day, He will say unto you, Blessed art thou. Amen.