Simon Peter – Tawa Baptist

June 21, 2026 Tawa Baptist

On this rock…

Scripture: Matthew 16:13-20

Video Link: https://youtu.be/EOvjOUfDwZE

Audio Link: Stream Sermon – 21 Jun 2026 – On this rock… by tawabaptist | Listen online for free on SoundCloud

Structure:

Introduction
Clear identity
Stable leadership
Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

You don’t own a cricket bat just to oil it. The purpose of a cricket bat is to score runs. Of course, a bat cannot score runs by itself. It needs to be guided by the hands of a skilled cricketer.

Likewise, you don’t buy a tea pot just to keep it on the shelf looking pretty.

The purpose of a tea pot is to brew tea. But the pot cannot make the tea by itself. A person needs to pour the water and add the leaves.

You don’t purchase a tractor to leave it sitting in the shed. The purpose of a tractor is to do work in the field. However, the tractor isn’t going to operate itself. The tractor needs a driver.

The church does not exist for itself. The purpose of a church is to carry out God’s mission, his purpose in the world. But the church cannot carry out God’s mission by itself. The church, which is the community of God’s people, is built up, guided and moved by the Spirit of Jesus.

Over the past couple of weeks our messages have been in support of the work of Arotahi, our New Zealand Baptist missions organization. Two weeks ago, we heard how Mary said yes to God’s call on her life. And last Sunday we heard how Jesus is our way home to God.

In today’s message we listen in to Jesus’ conversation with his disciples about building his church. From Matthew 16, verses 13-20, we read…

¹³When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴They 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?” ¹⁶Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. ¹⁸And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hadeswill not overcome it. ¹⁹I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will bebound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will beloosed in heaven.” ²⁰Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

This morning’s message is about building the church. Not the bricks and mortar construction of church buildings, but the spiritual and relational formation of a community of people who believe in Jesus. The church is the people.

As he talks about building his church community, Jesus has two things in mind: clear identity and stable leadership.

The Christian church gets its identity from Jesus and it requires stable leadership; leadership that is guided and sustained by the Spirit of Jesus.

Clear identity:

Front and centre of today’s reading is the importance of having a clear sense of identity; we need to be clear about who we are. Without a clear identity, the church risks being assimilated into the surrounding culture. We don’t want to lose our saltiness, our distinctiveness, and become just another club.

Some of you may be familiar with the Avatar movies, made by James Cameron. This series of films features a fictional people known as the Na’vi. The Na’vi have blue skin. They live close to the natural world and they care for it. The Na’vi have a clear sense of identity. They know who they are and what they value.

When the Na’vi’s world is invaded by corporate raiders wanting to steal the planet’s natural resources, the Na’vi do not assimilate. They stay true to who they are. They remain clear on their identity and hold to their values.

The Na’vi have a saying, ‘I see you’. More than just a way of greeting people,

‘I see you’ is an acknowledgement of who that person is, deep in their soul.

It conveys respect, understanding and value for the person.

‘I see you’ is often accompanied by the gesture of moving one’s hand from the forehead to the chest, signifying trust and profound spiritual connection.

As human beings we have a deep longing to be seen, in this way, by someone. We even have a word for it; intimacy. Into-me-see.

In verse 13 of Matthew 16, Jesus asks his disciples “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” The Son of Man is Jesus’ way of referring to himself. Jesus is asking, ‘Who do people (in general) say I am?’ It is a question of identity.

The disciples reply, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Each of these people were servants of God, his spokesmen.

Herod thought Jesus was John the Baptist returned from the dead. Herod’s conscience was haunting him after he had John killed.

Elijah was one of Israel’s greatest prophets. He lived during the time of king Ahab and queen Jezabel. Like Jesus, Elijah confronted false religion and afterwards was taken up to heaven. Unlike Jesus, Elijah used violence.

People at the time of Jesus believed Elijah would return to herald the coming of God’s Messiah. In fact, it was John the Baptist who prepared the way for Jesus.

Jeremiah was probably more like Jesus than any of the other prophets.

Like Jesus, Jeremiah was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

And like Jesus, Jeremiah, challenged the Jewish nationalism of his day, without resorting to violence. He had the unpopular task to telling his people to submit to their enemies. Sadly, the people paid a high price for not listening to Jesus or Jeremiah.

In some respects, calling Jesus a prophet was no small thing. The Jews of the first century did not think God had spoken through a prophet in 400 years. And while it is true that Jesus was a prophet, this title is not adequate for him. Jesus is more than a prophet. The people of Jesus’ day did not see him, not properly.

So Jesus said to his disciples, “But what about you? Who do you say I am?”
And Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Peter nailed it. Peter sees who Jesus really is.

Messiah is a Hebrew word which literally means ‘anointed one’. Christ is the Greek equivalent. In Old Testament times, God selected someone to be a prophet or priest or king by having his messenger pour oil over their head; oil being a symbol of the Holy Spirit’s anointing.

Jesus is God’s anointed one. He is not just a prophet. He is priest and King as well. More than this, there is something qualitatively different about Jesus.

He is in a league of his own. He is the Son of God. There is no other prophet, priest or king who comes close to Jesus. No other with the same standing.

As Son of God, Jesus knows the mind of his Father. Indeed, Jesus reveals God the Father. To see Jesus is to see God.

Only God can reveal God, and so Jesus affirms Peter’s declaration, saying: Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. ¹⁸And I tell you that you are Peter…

The name Peter means rock. It’s like Jesus is saying to Peter, “I see you. You are a rock, strong, dependable.”

Two points of application here. Firstly, our discovery of Jesus’ identity must be a personal discovery. Peter was not following the crowd. His perception of Jesus was not influenced by the surrounding culture. Peter was able to see who Jesus really is because God revealed it to him personally.

Being a Christian is more than simply knowing about Jesus. Being a Christian means knowing Jesus through a personal relationship with him. Recognising who Jesus really is, on the inside. Understanding that he is Lord of life and death, that he alone is righteous; and therefore, worthy of our trust and obedience. To see Jesus is to have an intimate spiritual connection with him.

Only God can reveal God. We need the Holy Spirit to turn the lights on in our mind and spirit if we are to see Jesus.

The second point of application is this: We don’t define ourselves. Jesus defines us. Peter was not always called Peter. His given name was Simon. Jesus gives Simon a new name (a new identity) and a new purpose.

The surrounding culture we live in says, you can create your own identity; you can define yourself. Our surrounding culture is at odds with the gospel of Jesus. We don’t create our own identity. Our identity and purpose are intimately entwined with Jesus. It is in discovering who Jesus is, for ourselves personally, that we discover who we are and why we are.

A cricket bat is not a cricket bat until it is in the hands of the batsman. Without the batsman, the bat is just a piece of wood. Jesus is the batsman.

A tea pot is not a tea pot until it holds the tea. Without someone to pour the water and add the leaves, it is just a pretty ornament, an empty vessel. Jesus is the one who pours the water and makes the tea.

A tractor is not a tractor until it is put to work in the field. Without the driver, the tractor is just a hunk of metal sitting in the shed. Jesus is the driver. Jesus defines us.

We do not know who we are or why we are without Christ. Jesus shows us our true self and he helps us to fulfil our God given purpose. More than that, Jesus defines the church (the body of believers) and he enables the church to fulfil God’s mission.

Whenever someone asks me what the vision of the church is, my answer is always the same, Jesus is the vision. Jesus is God’s vision for the church. No one can improve on him.

Stable leadership:

The Christian church gets its identity from Jesus. But for the church to have a sustainable future, it needs stable leadership; a team of people who will steady the ship and make decisions that are in keeping with the will of Christ.

After Peter makes his personal discovery that Jesus is God’s anointed one, the Lord then goes on to appoint Peter as leader for the early the church. In verse 18 Jesus says: “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hadeswill not overcome it…”

The word translated as church is literally assembly, as in the assembly of God’s people. As already mentioned, the Christian church is not a physical building or even an institution. The church, as Jesus describes it, is a gathering of people who can say with Peter, “I see you Jesus. You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

That Jesus is building his church on a rock speaks of stability. The church has a secure, strong, dependable foundation. So strong in fact that the gates of Hades shall not overcome it.

Hades is the Greek name for the realm of the dead. Some English versions say the gates of hell, but that translation is misleading. Hades is not the same as our modern concept of hell. We think of hell as a place of torment and demons and destruction. But Hades, in this context, is simply a metaphor for death, no torture or suffering implied.

Jesus is saying his church will be stronger than death. Indeed, those who are part of Jesus’ church (his assembly of people) will be raised from the dead.

The church on earth may not appear that strong or robust, but it is eternally secure, not because of Peter but because of Jesus.

As we have already noted, the name Peter means rock. When Jesus says that the apostle Peter will be the rock on which he builds his church, he is speaking poetically. In plain language, Peter will be the leader of the early church; his leadership will give stability to the church community, like a rock foundation gives stability to an actual building.

Now when we think of leadership, we picture the person at the top. But that is not the picture Jesus gives us of leadership. According to the logic of God’s kingdom, the leader is on the bottom, like the foundation of a building. The leader paves the way for others; the leader supports others.

Providing stable leadership includes setting standards for the community; making it clear what is acceptable and what is not. In verse 19 Jesus says to Peter, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven;

This verse has been prone to quite a lot of misunderstanding over the years.

In popular culture, there is this idea that Saint Peter stands at the pearly gates, deciding who to let in and who to turn away. But this is not what Jesus had in mind in Matthew 16. Peter does not decide who gets into heaven. That is God’s decision.

We are better to understand the keys to the kingdom of heaven as the gospel concerning Jesus. As we heard last Sunday, Jesus is the way to God the Father. Therefore, the key is believing in Jesus. But how are people to believe in Jesus unless someone tells them the good news about Jesus?

Peter and the other apostles opened the door to the kingdom of heaven by their witness and preaching about Jesus. For example, in Acts 2 at Pentecost, Peter opened the door of the kingdom for 3,000 souls when he called on those present to repent and believe in the risen Jesus.

Likewise, in Acts 8, Peter and John opened the door of the kingdom for the Samaritans, by praying for those who believed in Jesus to receive the Holy Spirit, which they did.

And then, in Acts 10, Peter opened the door of the kingdom for the Gentile, Cornelius and his household. By doing this Peter was laying the foundation, paving the way, for all peoples to enter God’s kingdom through faith in Jesus.

Of course, Peter was not doing this on his own initiative. Peter was responding to the impulse of Jesus’ Spirit.

Jesus continues addressing Peter saying, “…whatever you bind on earth will bebound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will beloosed in heaven.”

Binding has to do with what one forbids or prohibits, while loosing has to do with what one permits or allows.

During the first century the Jewish Rabbis had responsibility for interpreting the Law of Moses. Their interpretation either bound certain things (meaning it was prohibited), or it loosed certain things (meaning it was permitted).

Jesus is the word of God. In Jesus we have someone greater than the Law of Moses. Indeed, Jesus is the true interpretation of the Law. Peter has just confessed Jesus as the Son of God and so Peter (and the other disciples) were given the responsibility of interpreting the teaching of Jesus. [1]

To be clear, it is not that Peter makes a decision and heaven then endorses it. No. It’s the other way round. Peter is not the initiator of new directions for the church, he is the faithful steward of God’s prior decisions. [2]

Jesus’ words to Peter here are a promise of divine guidance. If Peter is like the cricket bat, then Jesus is the batsman guiding Peter. If Peter is like the tea pot, then Jesus is the one who fills Peter with the water of his Spirit and the tea of his word. If Peter is like the tractor, then Jesus is the one in the driver’s seat. The Spirit of Jesus is guiding Peter in accordance with God’s will in heaven.

We see an example of the Spirit’s guidance in Acts 10. Just before Peter went to preach the gospel to Cornelius (the Gentile), the Lord gave him a vision of all sorts of animals both clean and unclean, saying it was okay to eat them. This happened three times to reassure Peter it was okay to fellowship with Gentiles.

This vision gave Peter authority to loosen the tradition around food and fellowship so that the gospel of Jesus could spread. Without this direction from heaven, Peter could not have opened the door of God’s kingdom for Cornelius and other Gentiles.

Conclusion:

This morning we have heard how Jesus builds his church; the community of his people. Two things are crucial for building the church. Having a clear identity in Christ and having stable leadership, which is guided by the Spirit of Jesus.

For more than 140 years New Zealand Baptists have been involved globally in planting and building churches by training pastors and evangelists and supporting church associations so that churches are equipped to grow.

In particular, New Zealand Baptists have helped to plant churches in Tripura, a northern state of India. We have worked alongside these churches for 87 years. Now, with local growth, there are 1,000 Baptist churches with over 100,000 members who collectively make up over 60% of all the Christians in Tripura.

The Tripura Theological College is the only theological college in the state.

To serve such a large population, it needs support to train people to interpret God’s word and provide stable leadership for the church.

Following this morning’s sermon (while we are singing our closing song) the stewards will take up the special Renew Together offering for the work of Arotahi. Some of this money will help support the building of Jesus’ church in Tripura.

Now though, let us pray…

Jesus, you are the one who builds your church. Our identity is found in you. You define us. Help us to stay true to who we are in you. Bless your church, here in Aotearoa and overseas, with stable leadership guided by your Spirit. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
What is the church? Why does the church exist? What is the purpose of the church? What is God’s purpose for you in relation to his church?
Why is having a clear sense of identity important for the church? Where does the church’s identity come from? How do we strengthen / maintain our sense of Christian identity?
When did you first ‘see’ Jesus? How did this happen for you?
Why is stable leadership important for the church? What does stable leadership look like?
Discuss / reflect on Matthew 16, verse 19. What does verse mean? What does it not mean? In what sense did Peter unlock the doors of the kingdom for people? What does it mean to bind and loose?
Who are you?

Bibliography:

R.V.G. Tasker, ‘TNTC: The Gospel According to St Matthew’, 1963.
William Barclay, ‘Gospel of Matthew Vol. 2’, 1967.
Michael Green, ‘BST: The Message of Matthew’, 2000.
R.T. France, ‘NICNT: The Gospel of Matthew’, 2007.
Craig Keener, ‘The Gospel of Matthew – A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary’, 2009.

[1] Green, page 180.

[2] France, page 627.

May 3, 2015 Tawa Baptist

At the Water’s Edge

Scripture: Acts 10:1-23a

Title: At the Water’s Edge

Structure:

Introduction
Jesus prepares Peter (to catch people)
Conclusion

Introduction:

Watch the Tranzsend intro to Self Denial video clip…

https://www.tranzsend.org.nz/media-video/1453-introduction-til-the-nets-are-full

Then watch the Tranzsend week 1 ‘at the water’s edge’ video clip…

https://www.tranzsend.org.nz/media-video/1454-at-the-waters-edge-week-1

Please turn with me to Luke chapter 5, page 81, toward the back of your pew Bibles

The headline for this year’s Tranzsend Prayer and Self Denial campaign is: ‘til the nets are full’

This is a reference to the story in Luke 5, where Jesus calls some of his first disciples, 4 fishermen from Galilee
From Luke 5, verse 1 we read…

Read Luke 5:1-11

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+5%3A1-11&version=GNT

May the Spirit of Christ give us understanding

This reading from Luke forms the back drop of Tranzsend’s Self Denial campaign this year

Today’s sub heading is “at the water’s edge”
At the water’s edge is where fishermen wash, mend and prepare their nets before heading out into the deep to catch fish
Without this careful preparation the effort of letting down and pulling up the nets can be wasted

In the DVD clip we saw earlier, Lynley spoke about the work they do at the water’s edge in Thailand to support and prepare the local Christians for mission

For example, they facilitated the installation of a water well in a village which gave the Christians in that place a passport to share the gospel
Lynley is also involved in creating Bible study resources for new Christians to help them get started in the faith
These, and other things, help prepare the way for Jesus

These activities are valuable and worthwhile but perhaps the most important work done at the water’s edge is the preparation and re-formation of ourselves (that is, our inner lives) so the nets of our hearts and minds are prepared for the work God has planned for us

In verse 10 of Luke 5 Jesus says to Peter…

“Don’t be afraid; from now on you will be a fisher of men.”
In other words, ‘Peter, I’m calling you to catch people for me – to bring men & women into the kingdom of God’

Jesus prepares Peter (to catch people)

Peter’s preparation (at the water’s edge) involved 3 years learning directly from Jesus, like an apprentice

Then, in the book of Acts, we see Jesus’ prediction come true as Peter indeed catches people for God, through preaching the gospel

Please turn with me to Acts chapter 10 – page 163 toward the back of your pew Bibles

In this passage we read how God sends Peter fishing among the Gentiles
But before heading out into the deep, the Spirit of Jesus first prepares Peter at the water’s edge
From Acts 10, verse 1 we read…

Read Acts 10:1-23a

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+10%3A1-23a&version=GNT

May the Spirit of Jesus wash and mend the nets of our hearts and minds

‘Networking’

It’s a word these days which, in business circles, means meeting other people who can help you in your work, creating relationships with people which are mutually beneficial

When we were at Baptist College training for ministry our New Testament lecturer, George Weiland, gave us a picture of how relationships work when God is involved

[Pull out white board and draw vertical lines at either end of the board]

Imagine, if you will, that this line here represents you

And this other line over here represents someone else
Perhaps you are connected to this person through work
[Draw a horizontal line connecting the two vertical lines]
So long as you share the same workplace and get along then you have a connection
But if you (or they) leave the job, or you have a falling out, then the connection is severed [wipe out a hole in the horizontal line]

How do you keep the connection – how do you mend the relationship?

Well, it’s a lot harder if your only point of contact is work
But if you have made other connections with them…
[Draw more horizontal lines as you give examples]
Like for example, playing squash or baby-sitting their kids or inviting them over to your house for a meal or regularly praying for them, or whatever, then you have a lot more points of connection
And so the relationship is more robust and you are better able to fix the breakdown which happened at work [reconnect the broken line]

But wait there’s more – because if it is a relationship that God condones then God (by His Spirit) will strengthen those points of connection as we make them

[Draw vertical lines]
And now what do we have?
Yes, that’s right, a net. Far more robust than a single strand
Networking, in this sense, involves God

So how does this relate to Peter & Cornelius?

[Rub out what is on the board]
Well, imagine this line here [draw a vertical line to one side labelling it ‘C’ for Cornelius] represents Cornelius
And this line over here [draw another vertical line on the other side labelling it ‘J’ for the Jews] represents the Jews

Acts 10 starts with Cornelius

As a Centurion Cornelius was in charge of 100 men in the Roman army
This meant he was a Gentile – he wasn’t Jewish
We know this because the Jews at that time in history were exempt from military service

Somewhat surprisingly, despite being a Roman Centurion, Cornelius reaches out in acts of friendship to the Jewish people

His whole family worships Yahweh – the one true God [Draw a horizontal line]
Which means he probably attended the local synagogue [Draw another horizontal line]
Not only this but Cornelius helps the poor [Draw another horizontal line]
And he prays for people [Draw another horizontal line]

Cornelius is a top bloke, both by Roman standards and Jewish standards

And, he is at the edge of the water in the sense that he is ready to accept Jesus, only he needs someone to tell him about Jesus first
So God takes the initiative and sends an angel with very specific instructions for Cornelius to fetch Simon Peter
[Draw a vertical line on the white board]
And Cornelius obeys God as quickly as he can [Draw a horizontal line]

Although Cornelius is ready to receive Jesus, Peter isn’t yet ready to tell Cornelius about Jesus

Acts 10 is often described as the conversion of Cornelius but in many ways it is as much about the conversion of Peter
Peter needs the net of his heart & mind enlarged to accommodate the Gentiles

While Cornelius’ servants are on the way, Peter has a vision which basically makes it clear that all kinds of reptiles, birds and animals are now kosher to eat

[Draw a vertical line] – this is God doing some more to help Peter & Cornelius’ relationship

Peter, the ‘rock’, is aptly named for he disagrees with the voice saying

“Certainly not, Lord! I have never eaten anything ritually unclean or defiled”
Peter is complicated – on the one hand he says he never eats unclean foods but on the other hand he is boarding with a tanner whose trade (of working with dead animals) made him unclean [1]
But the voice spoke to Peter again, “Do not consider anything unclean that God has declared clean”. This happened three times
[Draw two more vertical lines]

While Peter was still trying to understand what the vision meant, the Spirit of Jesus said to him…

“Listen! Three men are here looking for you. So get ready and go down and do not hesitate to go with them”
[Draw another vertical line] – once again God is strengthening Peter & Cornelius’ relationship

Peter welcomes the Gentile messengers and shows them hospitality for the night [Draw a horizontal line] – then he leaves with them the next morning for Cornelius’ place – [Draw another horizontal line]

Peter has put it all together and realised God is saying, Gentiles are fit to be included in the sharing of the gospel – fit to receive Christ
This reconstruction of Peter’s net happens at the water’s edge, before Peter even meets Cornelius

We may think little of this from our perspective in history, but from Peter’s perspective (from a Jewish perspective) it was revolutionary, it was huge

Peter was going against literally 1000’s of years tradition, in faith that God was doing something new
It took great courage for Peter to embrace the change

In his book, ‘Things Hidden’, the Catholic priest Richard Rohr talks about… [2]

“My story”
“Our story”
And “The story”

My story is just that – it is my own personal life story, or your own personal life story – it is the story of the individual

Our story is about ‘us’ or ‘we’ – it is the collective story of the group we identify with

For example, we kiwis, or we Generation X’s or we Baptists or we teachers or whatever the group happens to be

And The Story is those things (or patterns) which always hold true, irrespective of My story or Our story

For example, ‘forgiveness always heals’ – that is true whether you are Christian, Hindu or Buddhist. The story describes ‘what is’

Let me illustrate further…

Peter’s my story is that he was a fisherman called to follow Jesus

He often put his foot in it and on one occasion he even denied Jesus
But Jesus restored him, so that Peter became the rock on which Christ built the church

Peter’s our story is that he was Jewish and we Jews don’t eat certain foods and we don’t associate with certain people – like Roman Centurions for example

We Jews stick to ourselves because we are God’s chosen people don’t you know

But the story (of which God is the author) is that God loves all nations, whether they are Jewish or not

Jesus died and was raised for all people. The gospel is for everyone and so Peter must not consider any person unclean

This is what happens for Peter in Acts 10 – this is what his conversion is about

God had to gently burst the bubble of Peter’s our story to show him the story (the bigger picture)
Or to put it another way, the story (of God) redeems both my story and our story
The story is the truth which gives meaning to our own private pain and sets us free from the failings of our own little culture or group

Sometimes in the history of inter-cultural mission one ethnic group has said our story is the story – or in other words, you must adopt our cultural practices if you want to be a Christian

We shouldn’t do that
We must have the humility (as Peter did) to tell the story of God without imposing our culture on others

When it comes to Cornelius’ ‘my story’ (his own personal story) little is known

He was a soldier in charge of 100 men and he was searching for God – that much is certain
Did he have blood on his hands? As a soldier, quite likely
Did he carry the burden of surviving when others around him had died?
Maybe – guilt might explain why he is trying so hard to be good
Then again it could be that he is simply an honourable man

As a functionary of the Roman army – part of the fist of Caesar – Cornelius’ our story was one of violence in pursuit of peace.

The Romans considered themselves great stewards of justice, but that is not necessarily how the people they had conquered saw it

The story is that God is in control more than the Romans and His way is one of vulnerability in pursuit of peace

Through the cross Jesus takes responsibility for any blood on Cornelius’ hands

In receiving the story of the gospel we must have the humility (as Cornelius did) to face the injustice of our story

To admit where the group we belong to has gone wrong
And to admit where we personally have gone wrong

Conclusion:

Don’t you love the way God uses Cornelius to evangelise Peter as well as using Peter to evangelise Cornelius

There is a mutuality to mission here which is quite beautiful
Peter is changed as much as Cornelius is

Peter, the missionary, doesn’t come with all the answers

He doesn’t have the whole story
But he is listening to God who does know the whole story
And so God speaks through Peter to Cornelius

Likewise Cornelius, the God fearing Centurion, does not sit in complete darkness – he is not entirely ignorant

He too is listening to God and so God uses Cornelius to reach Peter

Let me finish now with two questions…

What is your story?
And how is God enlarging your net with the story?

[1] Refer van Thanh Nguyen, in ‘Peter and Cornelius: A Story of Conversion and Mission’, page 118.

[2] Richard Rohr, ‘Things Hidden’, pages 21-24

March 23, 2014March 23, 2014 Tawa Baptist

Seeing Jesus

Scripture:

Mark 8:27-35

Key Idea:

There is a time to hold on and a time to let go

Title:

Seeing Jesus

Structure:

Introduction
Peter’s confession – Mark 8:27-30
Jesus’ prediction – Mark 8:31-33
Salvation’s paradox – Mark 8:34-35
Conclusion

Introduction:

Today we continue our sermon series looking at some of Jesus’ conversations with his disciple, Simon Peter

Please turn with me to Mark chapter 8, verse 27

– You can find Mark 8 on page 56 toward the back of your pew Bibles

– Chapter 8 is a hinge passage in Mark’s gospel

– In comes in the centre as a turning point in Jesus’ ministry

– It is also a hinge point for Peter and the disciples as they become aware of who Jesus is, what he came to do and what it all means for them

– From Mark chapter 8, verse 27, we read…

[Read Mark 8:27-35]

May the Spirit of Christ help us to understand the time for holding on and the time for letting go

Peter’s confession – Mark 8:27-30

William Barclay retells the story of a 4^th Century monk by the name of Telemachus [1]

– Telemachus had determined to leave the world to live all alone in prayer & fasting and through these disciplines to save his soul

– In his lonely life he sought nothing but contact with God

– But somehow he felt there was something wrong

One day, as he rose from his knees, it suddenly dawned on him that the life he was living was somewhat selfish

– He realised that if he was to serve God he must serve people and therefore the desert was no place for a Christian to live

– The cities may have been full of sin but they were also full of people who needed to know God’s love

So Telemachus left his life of solitude in the desert and set out to the greatest city in the world – the city of Rome

– He begged his way across land and seas to reach his destination

By this time Rome was officially Christian

– Telemachus arrived at a time when the Roman General, Stilicho, had gained a mighty victory over the Goths

– As part of the celebrations there would be gladiatorial games where those captured in battle were forced to fight each other to the death to entertain the Roman populace

The crowd of 80,000 roared with blood lust as the gladiators fought

– Meanwhile Telemachus found his way into the arena

– He was appalled at what he saw

– Men for whom Christ had died were killing each other to amuse a supposedly Christian audience

Still in his monk’s robes, Telemachus, leapt over the barrier and dropped into the fighting pit – standing between two gladiators

– For a moment they stopped

– But the crowd shouted, ‘Let the games go on’

– The gladiators pushed Telemachus aside & again he stood between them

– The crowd began to hurl stones at him urging the soldiers to kill the old monk, so the captain of the games gave an order, a sword flashed and in moments Telemachus was dead

The arena fell silent – shocked that a holy man had been killed in such a way

– Suddenly everyone’s eyes were opened and they saw Christ in the man who gave his life to stop the violence

The games ended abruptly that day and never began again

There is a time for holding on and a time for letting go

– Telemachus let go of his life of solitude but he held on to his vision of Christ

– Then he let go of his life so that others could get hold of God’s love

This morning’s reading from Mark’s gospel begins with Jesus leading his disciples from Bethsaida to the villages near the city of Caesarea Philippi

– At the time of Jesus, Caesarea Philippi was a centre of worship for those who believed Caesar was a god

– Before that the city had been a centre of worship for Pan, the Greek god of nature

– And before that Caesarea Philippi had been a site where the god Baal was worshiped [2]

Now you would think this was a most unlikely location for Jesus to reveal his true identity and purpose – like hearing God speak to you at a Metallica concert, or in a shopping mall or at an arena during a gladiators’ contest – totally unexpected

– Caesarea Philippi may have been a city full of sin but it was also a city full of people who needed to know the love of God

– So in a way it was the most appropriate place for the disciples to learn who Jesus really is

Whales communicate by a technique called echo-location

– They can’t see all that well under water so they make high pitched sounds measuring how long it takes for the sound to bounce back to them

– Obviously the longer it takes for the sound to come back the further away the object

It seems to me Jesus uses a bit of echo-location with the disciples on this occasion

– Jesus doesn’t come straight out with it by saying…

– “Guess what guys – I’m the Messiah”

– No – he gently questions the disciples to sound out how far they are from understanding who he really is

– In an area which is renowned for its worship of false gods Jesus says to his followers, “Who do people say that I am”

– And they reply, “Some say you are John the Baptist, others say that you are Elijah, while others say that you are one of the prophets.”

This tells us most people didn’t yet perceive who Jesus actually was

– Yes, they had a vague idea that Jesus was a messenger from God (and this created quite a bit of expectation) but their vision of Jesus was still pretty blurry

So Jesus asks his disciples another echo-location question…

– “What about you? Who do you say I am?

– This is more specific – more personal

– Peter replies, “You are the Messiah”

The word ‘Messiah’ is a Hebrew word which literally means ‘anointed one’

– The Greek equivalent is ‘Christ’ – also meaning ‘anointed one’

– In Old Testament times when God wanted to identify someone to be king he would have one of his prophets anoint the chosen one by pouring olive oil on his head

The words ‘Messiah’ and ‘Christ’ are not surnames for Jesus – they are titles

– You know – like ‘Sir Daryl’ or ‘Baron Brian’ or ‘Dame Letitia’

– Except the title of ‘Messiah’ carries a far greater status and honour than any other title

– To call Jesus ‘Messiah’ was like calling him King – a rival to Caesar

– This title was politically explosive – a treasonable offence

Verse 30 tells us that Jesus ordered his disciples not to tell anyone about him

– For various reasons the Jews thought the Messiah would be a military leader (like king David) who would completely destroy Israel’s enemies

– If word got out that Jesus was the Messiah all hell would break lose

– People would rally alongside Jesus in expectation of a violent overthrow of Rome and much life would be lost for nothing

So Jesus orders his disciples to remain silent about his true identity

– Jesus didn’t come for genocide – he came for salvation

– He didn’t come to take life – he came to give life

Jesus’ prediction – Mark 8:30-33

There is a time for holding on and a time for letting go

– Peter had correctly confessed that Jesus is the Messiah – and the disciples needed to hold on to that

– But the common misconception that the Messiah would spill his enemies’ blood they needed to let go of

– The only blood that would be spilled was Jesus’ blood. From verse 31 we read…

Then Jesus began to teach his disciples: the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. He will be put to death but three days later will rise to life. Jesus made this very clear to them (Which means he didn’t talk in parables)

So Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him but Jesus turned round, looked at his disciples, and rebuked Peter, saying…

– “Get behind me Satan. Your thoughts don’t come from God but from man”

This is one of the most difficult parts of the gospel to listen to

– It sounds like such a harsh thing for Jesus to say when Peter is so well intentioned

So what’s actually happening here?

– Well, the first thing we notice is that Jesus only rebukes Peter after Peter has tried to rebuke him

– The measure we use for others is the measure God will use for us

– If we forgive others He will forgive us

– If we are generous with others He will be generous with us

– If we rebuke God or try to correct Him, He will rebuke us

The Good News Bible (the one in our pews) translates verse 33 as ‘Get away from me Satan’

– A more accurate translation has Jesus saying, ‘Get behind me Satan’

– These are words of grace and truth

– Jesus is not telling Peter to get lost (as the Good News translation suggests)

– Jesus is telling Peter to get in behind

Stop trying to lead me
Stop trying to manage me
Stop trying to set the agenda for me

– ‘Get behind me as my disciple – I need your support not your opposition’

Having said that, we can’t avoid the fact that Jesus compares Peter to Satan

– Although it sounds harsh it is a fair comparison

– Just as Satan had tried to divert Jesus from going to the cross by offering a short cut, so too Peter tries to divert Jesus

– The difference between Peter and the Devil is that Peter wasn’t really aware of what he was doing, whereas Satan was quite intentional

It’s interesting that Jesus follows the phrase ‘Get behind me Satan’ with ‘Your thoughts don’t come from God but from man’

– The implication is the human race has had its thinking distorted by Satan

– So Peter was not on his own in wanting Jesus to avoid the cross

– He was only saying what everyone else was thinking

– Jesus may have been talking to Peter but he was looking at the other disciples as he spoke

– They (and we) have all had our thinking distorted by the devil

Recently a movie came out called Gravity – starring Sandra Bullock & George Clooney

– Set in space Gravity tells the story of one woman, Dr Ryan Stone, who learns that in order to truly live she needs to learn to let go

I’d like to play you a clip from the film now – I think it helps to illustrate what Jesus was saying and how Peter struggled with it…

Play the clip from ‘Gravity’

Chapter 4, start at 29:45 and finish at 32:40 if using VLC Media Player

In the scene we just saw Matt Kowalski (played by George Clooney) was the leader of the mission and Dr Ryan Stone (played by Sandra Bullock) was the scientist

– Dr Stone didn’t want to let go of her mission leader Matt Kowalski

– In her desperation she started trying to give him orders

– Her thought was to try & save Kowalski by grabbing hold of the tether between them

– But Kowalski tells her, ‘…you have to let me go or we will both die’

– Dr Stone can’t do it – she can’t let go

– In the end mission commander Kowalski has to unclip the tether himself

This situation reminds me a bit of Jesus and Peter

– Peter is holding on when he needs to let go

– Jesus is the mission leader and Peter is hanging by a thread

– Peter wants to save Jesus (or perhaps he just wants to save his idea of the Messiah) and in his desperation he starts trying to give Jesus orders

– Jesus knows if he doesn’t go to the cross he can’t save Peter or anyone

– So it’s like Jesus says to Peter, You have to let me go or we will both die

Salvation’s paradox – Mark 8:34-35

There is a time for holding on and a time for letting go

– In verse 34 Jesus calls the crowd and his disciples to him saying…

– If anyone wants to come after me he must forget self, carry his cross and follow me.

Jesus is referring to his own death in this verse – he would literally be crucified as would some of his disciples

– Most of us are unlikely to ever be crucified but nevertheless there is still a cost to following Jesus

So what does it mean then for us forget self and carry our cross?

Well, forgetting self does not mean neglecting our own physical or mental health

– It does not mean working 16 hours a day 7 days a week burning ourselves out for the gospel – that’s just poor stewardship

– As a general rule we do better if we keep life in balance and take care of ourselves so we are able to serve God as a living sacrifice

By the same token carrying your cross does not mean stoically putting up with any sort of suffering or hardship – like when people say of an illness or a difficult relative, ‘It’s just my cross to bear’

– No – carrying our cross has to do specifically with suffering through our association with Jesus

– Crucifixion was not only a painful death – it was also a humiliating death

– Part of the punishment involved carrying the cross bar through the streets as a way publicly shaming the person and destroying their reputation

– So ‘forget self and carry your cross’, in the context of Mark 8, means forget your reputation for the sake of Christ

– Be prepared to identify with Jesus even though it makes you look bad in the eyes of others

Jesus’ step dad Joseph (the carpenter) forgot himself

– Joseph had a good reputation – a reputation as a just man

– But when God asked him to marry the pregnant Mary he had to forget his reputation

– He couldn’t afford to worry about what others thought or said about him

– He had to suck it up and endure being misunderstood

What if we bring this idea of forgetting your reputation into a contemporary NZ context?

– Well, generally speaking Christians don’t get good press in this country

– We are sometimes portrayed as a bit backward, a bit homo-phobic, a bit irrelevant, a bit narrow minded and a bit cultish – like the Moonies, something to be avoided

– Whenever someone asks if they can name me as a referee on their job application I think they are quite brave really

– I’m not sure it always helps your cause to say you go to church

Having said this we shouldn’t be too quick to develop a persecution complex

– Christians are not usually targeted for persecution in NZ – we have it a lot easier than Christians in some other countries

– And, in my experience, once people get to know you properly any reservations they may have had about Christians tend to dissolve – so it is generally worth the risk being up front about our allegiance to Jesus

– Better for your employer to find out you are Christian before they give you the job than to find out 3 months down the track and then feel like you have been hiding things from them

Anyway, the point is, forgetting self and carrying your cross means forgetting your reputation and being willing to suffer humiliation for the sake of Christ

– In reality this can hurt because so much in life seems to depend on our reputation

– Like getting a foot in the door, getting work, getting a promotion, getting friends, getting accepted and getting ahead in life

– Jesus is saying we need to be prepared to put these things aside if we are going to follow him – because he didn’t come make us look good

I was reading an article in Time magazine recently – this article in fact…

[Display slide 1]

“Can Google solve death?”

– Internet giant Google have started a subsidiary company called ‘Calico’ which is doing some long range research into finding ways to enable people to live longer

– Not just finding a cure for diseases like cancer and dementia but trying to find a way to reverse the aging process

– Sounds like science fiction but I suppose if you have lots of money and time you begin to think seriously about this sort of stuff

– Now I have no intention of criticising their efforts

– Who knows – maybe they will stumble upon some remedy which helps to extend the average life expectancy of human beings – good luck to them

As I reflected on the article though it occurred to me that Jesus has already solved death

[Stop displaying slide 1]

In verse 35 Jesus says…

– For whoever wants to save his own life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for me and the gospel will save it.

There is a profound paradox in these words which evades full comprehension

The movie clip we saw earlier sheds some light on the first part of what Jesus says…

– Whoever wants to save his own life will lose it

– If Matt Kowalski had tried to save his own life he would have lost it and taken Dr Stone with him

– He knew it was time for him to let go – even if Dr Stone didn’t

But the story I told earlier about the monk Telemachus provides a better illustration of the paradox, for Telemachus’ story finds its meaning more directly in relation to Jesus’ story

– Jesus literally lost his life by dying on a cross to make us right with God

– But in losing his life Jesus saved it – for God raised him from the dead

– Now all who put their faith in Jesus will share in his resurrection, even though they die

– Telemachus’ death reminded the crowd that Jesus died for them and for those gladiators who were being killed for their entertainment

– His death also reminded the people of Jesus’ resurrection – a resurrection that Telemachus shares in, just as he shared in Christ’s sufferings

Conclusion:

At the heart of this idea of losing our life to save it is the lesson all human beings need to learn – the lesson of when to hold on and when to let go

For those of us who are parents – our kids need us to hold on to them when they are young but as they get older we need to learn to let them go

– Not all at once but gradually

– If we hold on too tightly for too long it damages the relationship

It’s a similar principle with school and work

– When we are studying for an exam or working toward an important deadline at work – that’s the time to hold on

– But once the exam is finished and the deadline has passed – that’s the time to let go

– Do the work, do the hard yards, but don’t worry about the outcome

There is a time for holding on and a time for letting go

– Forgiveness requires us to hold on to God’s grace while letting go of our feelings of hurt and guilt

– Grief is similar to forgiveness – it’s the letting go which is painful

When you are maligned, misunderstood and mistreated because of Christ that is a time to hold on to the hope of heaven – those who share in Christ’s suffering will also share in his glory

– But when you want something so badly that you would give anything to get it – that’s a time to let go and simply pray, ‘Not my will Father, but your will be done.’

There is a time for holding on and a time for letting go

– What time is it for you?

Let us pray…

[1] William Barclay, ‘The Gospel of Mark’, pages 208-209.

[2] Ben Witherington, ‘The Gospel of Mark’, page 240.