Have you ever
lost your Keys? Have you ever
locked your keys up in your car or your house?
Some how you needed to get in, but you didn't have a key.
You may have had the keys that someone else was looking for. I remember
once being locked out of my truck with the keys lying on the seat.
The problem was that I was several miles into the woods.
So I had a good long walk back to a telephone.
Locks supposedly were made to keep out the bad but let the good in. Yet, sometimes everyone gets locked out including the good.
That's why some are smart enough to know the difference and responsible
enough to open the door. You have been given the keys to the doors.
Did you bring your keys?
Scripture Text:
Mat. 16:13 When Jesus came
into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do
men say that I the Son of man am? 14 And they said, Some [say that thou art]
John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered
and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus
answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and
blood hath not revealed [it] unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build
my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will
give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt
bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on
earth shall be loosed in heaven. 20 Then charged he his disciples that they
should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
What
are the keys? The keys to the kingdom of heaven are:
Knowledge
is the key.
Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God.
Faith
is the key. There is a God and that he
has the power to give you eternal life.
Desire
is the key. Do you want
to go to heaven and to live forever with the
Lord?
Action
is the key. You will carry through with your beliefs and desires.
Jesus invites us to go with Him to heaven.
If you don’t act on that knowledge through the faith to believe that
He will save you and give you eternal life, then you will be lost.
Jesus
gives to Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
1.
Why did Jesus give them to Peter? Because
Peter recognized that Jesus was the Christ the Son of the Living God.
The key to the kingdom of God is the knowledge that Jesus is the Christ
and the faith to act on that knowledge. Peter
had given his life to Jesus. Do
you have the keys? Do you have
Jesus? Who do you say that Jesus is?
2.
He gives the control. He can lock up and unlock
the doors to the kingdom. He can
let people in and he can keep people out.
You have the ability to bring people into heaven and you have the
ability to keep them out. Whatever
you lock up on earth will be locked up in heaven and whatever you set free in
heaven will be set free in heaven. Some
folks really enjoy the power that comes with the keys, but with power also
comes responsibility. The keys
were not given to you for you to decide who gets in and who is locked out.
They were given to you so that you could open the door for all others
who would choose to come in. One
day Jesus will come to find out how you have done with your keys.
If we could change things to bring in others and we don’t then we
will be held accountable for all those souls who will be lost?
It’s a great privilege to have the keys, a great responsibility, and
a great accountability.
3.
He gives the responsibility of keeping the keys.
Don’t loose them or lock them in your car.
When you have the keys you have the ability to unlock and lock the
door. Who is the door?
John
10:7 Then said Jesus unto them
again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All that
ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in
and out, and find pasture.
Have we been opening the door to allow folks to come
into the Lord’s kingdom in heaven? Many
church’s in the past were very effective in opening the doors to the
kingdom, but now many have not been able to see many come in.
How many have been saved? How
many have been baptized? How are
we doing in keeping the keys?
4.
He gives the responsibility of passing on the keys
to the next one who will be keeper of the keys.
At that time Jesus had told the disciples not to tell, but now He has
instructed his disciples to make disciples of all nations.
It is time to pass on the keys.
My teenage daughter recently
has began to drive. For her
birthday she was given a set of keys to the cars.
Giving the keys wasn’t too bad, but it was allowing her to use those
keys has been a source of nervousness for me.
Although she really is a good driver, there is a lot riding on her
ability to use those keys. I have
had to learn to trust her. I
know that she will need some time before she is able to take those keys
without me riding in the passenger seat.
But she will be able to do it. But
we had to be willing to give her those keys in the first place.
In the church we have to be
willing to do the same. Things
will have to change for the exchange to be able to take place.
Giving the privilege of ministry is great responsibility and a great
privilege.
What
did you do with the keys?
1.
Have you been set free to go to heaven?
Have you opened the door? Then
come on in and enjoy your life in Christ that is eternal life.
If you haven’t then would you come on in today?
He is the way, the truth, and the life.
He is the only way to the Father.
(John 14:6)
2.
Have you been setting others free?
You have the keys.
What have you been doing with yours?
The job of setting people free from sin is too big for just one. The Lord gives the church the privilege and the
responsibility of opening the doors for others to come in.
We can work together to open the possibility of seeing others come in
to Christ. Next week’s CPR
meeting will open that possibility to our church.
Will we meet together to discuss what our church can do to bring others
into the kingdom of Heaven. What
will you do? You can join in the
joy of bringing others to Christ. If
you have the keys then that is your privilege and your responsibility.
We can work together to open the doors to the kingdom of heaven.
Will you?