IntElecS
Infinite Never-ending Trinity Everlasting Lord Excellent Christ Savior

Once a small company that served control systems, now a couple that serves the All Powerful God.

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Who Me

Matthew 16:15 “He saith unto them, “But whom say ye that I am?” [1]

I.   They Say

     A. Listen

     B. Learn

II. You Say

     A. Living

     B. Lord

III. Jesus Says

     A. Let

     B. Loose


Introduction:  When we consider the attributes of God we must also consider the attributes that make us not God.  What makes God who He is might be summed up with one word, limitless.

One of the attributes of God is omniscience which is His all-knowing nature.  That means that God knows everything in all directions.  He knows the past, present, and future.  He knows more about your thoughts than you know.  I have a handy memory.  Sometimes I forget what I said but there is always someone there to remind me even though often others get wrong what my intentions were.  We are not omniscient.

God is omnipresent.  That means He can be in all places at all times.  That might be handy.  People would like me to have that nature but lately it is difficult for me to fulfill just part of what I agree to do.  I am not omnipresent.

God is omnipotent.  He possesses all power.  We believe that we can control things until one day the strength is zapped and you can’t even drive yourself to the hospital.  You might have to be carried out of your house even.  I am not omnipotent.

God is Holy.  Though God knows that there is sin He is absolutely clean from sin.  In fact the definition of sin is anything that prevents a direct relationship with God.  By God’s very nature He is true to Himself.  I say what I think is right only to find myself lying to myself.  God never does.  He is holy.  I am not holy but yet with Jesus, His holiness transcends to cover even me.

God is love.  Though we do things that would cause us sometimes to not even love ourselves, God loves us.  There is no love without God.  All that He wants from us is a relationship with us, and He wants that so much that He sent Jesus to show us what He created us to be.  We were created in the image of Christ.  Jesus is the image of love.  I want to say that I never try to get even.  I would like to say that I love everyone.  There goes holiness again.  I lie because I have not reached the point of Christian love yet that God will certainly require of me before I pass this ultimate test here.  When I see Him face to face then I will know perfect love.

There are other attributes that define the nature of God.  That is for another day.  Communication is perhaps one that we would like to believe that we have in common with God.  With all these devices we have in this age people might even believe that mankind has gone beyond God in the ways we communicate with each other.  Jerry talked about this some in a Sunday School class.  Churches that met more than once on Sunday mornings was not uncommon many years ago.  Now most people don’t feel any need to congregate in church at all.  If they can’t Google it then it’s too much trouble to stop and listen and offer your own ideas.  We text and we use so-called social media  but we seldom visit anymore.

Who people say that we are, really doesn’t matter to us anymore.  We have lost our desire to be self-sufficient yet we have never been so self-absorbed.  Who indeed do people say that we are here in Merry Oaks Baptist Church?  For that matter who do you think you are?

Scripture:  Today’s focal text is Matthew 16:15.

Prayer:  Let us pray.  Be seated.

Message:  In Matthew 16 we find Jesus and the disciples traveling through the region finding people along the way.  He had warned about being affected by the ideas of others.  They didn’t understand and thought Jesus was upset with them because they forgot to bring bread along.

They were about three steps behind Jesus’ thinking and misunderstood His metaphor.  It wasn’t really yeast and bread even though that is what He used to illustrate His idea.  Jesus’ point was that the ideas of others might affect your faith.  You might get puffed up.  It doesn’t take much to mess up your faith.  Be careful to know the difference.  Follow for yourself there in Matthew 16:5-12.  Don’t let me ill affect you.

Please leave your Bibles open and follow as we read Matthew 16:13- 20.  In order to know the difference in heresy and sound doctrine first you need to know what other people think.  Get your mind solid on sound doctrine first otherwise the ideas of others might take you to a bad place.

“Whom do people say that I am?”  Jesus is fully God!  When He lived here among us Jesus was also fully man.  Many people today know Jesus as the Son of man.  Many of the Pharisees who argued with Jesus knew about the Messiah.  They knew that He and He alone had the power to forgive sin and they told Jesus that.  They didn’t know that they were talking to the Messiah.  Jesus didn’t argue with them about who could forgive sin.  They were right.  He could!  They only knew part of the truth and He was standing in front of them.

The biblical accounts are not always chronological.  Some things are mentioned in the Bible that are not in order of time.  As we read the list of who people supposed Jesus might be, the disciples mentioned people who were dead.  Not sure about John the Baptist at that particular point.  It seems that people were looking at Jesus thinking that someone had risen from the grave.  They didn’t really know what to think but it seems that people back then were like now.  Many believed in reincarnation back into this life.  We Christian know better.  Our next life is eternal.  Our next life started the moment we believed and it will not include a do-over.

They think!  It is important to know what they think.  If you don’t understand what is wrong you might miss what is right.  So it is good to ask, listen, and learn what others believe.  If it is heresy such as the theory of reincarnation The Holy Spirit will set a flag of disturbing when you hear false doctrine.  The key is to not let the yeast contaminate your loaf of bread.

Verse fifteen is our focal verse and it is the eternal verse.  Jesus asks, “Who do people say that I am?”  Who do you say that Jesus is?  That is the question that decides it all.  The KJV begins Jesus’ response with “But.”  It is like Jesus was saying, “OK!  I hear what other people are wrongly saying.  It is good that you have heard these things and told me.”  It is important that we tell Jesus what other people are wrongly saying.  He already knows but He wants to know that we know that wrong things are being said.  It is important enough to Him that He asked.

Are you being led by your children or are your children being led by their parents?  What has happened to society?  There are some in here who could tell stories of elder respect from their past.  It is in the past.  Why?  Turn on the TV and you will see this generation turning away from everything that the past generations valued.  Were mistakes made in the past?  Yes!  Do you learn and hone your faith or throw it all away and start out with each new generation?

That is what is happening and with each passing generation.  Society if progressing away from church.  Is it inevitable?  Jesus will come when God says go.  Can we ask Him to prolong so that others can be saved?  It has happened before.

What is it that Jesus wants to hear?  “Who do you say that I am?”  In your relationship with Jesus it does not matter what anybody else says about who Jesus is.  Who is Jesus to you?  What did Peter say that was so right?  You are the Christ!  You are Lord!  You are the Son of the Living Lord.  God is alive in all three persons and here you are; my living Lord with me.

And what did Jesus say?  Listen again as we read verses seventeen through twenty.  Blessed art thou.  You were given a name when you were born and now you are given a new name.  Now you are Christian.  Now you have given witness that your faith is determined stronger than rock. 

This is the foundation that Jesus used to build His church.  Hell can’t break it.  The church will enter the gates of heaven and whatever won’t be tolerated by the church on earth won’t be tolerated in heaven.  The power that will be unleashed on earth for the church will be unleashed in heaven.

Jesus said, right there in verse nineteen, that He would give that to His church.  Jesus lets us have His power to unleash salvation to anyone who will receive Him here on earth.  What we let loose here will be loosed in heaven.  There is that John 20:23 again.  "lWhose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained." [2]

Turn it loose.  Let Jesus be who He is!  Let love shine forth and stop worrying about trying to change somebody else.  For goodness sake you might get rubbed the wrong way.  The yeast might affect your loaf.  Let others see Jesus in you.  Who do you say that Jesus is?  Jesus says, “Who am I to you!”

Prayer: 

Invitation:  Today we will leave this place and go out where others will see us in our not church faces.  Who will they see?  Will they see the same people that are in here during worship service or will they see people pretty much like they are everywhere else?

I know that we are not all cut from the same mold.  I know that God didn’t use a cookie cutter to make us all alike when He thought you into existence.  You know all that and most everybody else knows that.  Why then do we not show the difference we are when we are out in the world?  Jesus asked, “Who do people say that I, the son of man, is.”  I ask you, who do people say that you are?

Are you the same person that you were before you met Jesus?  If you are then I wonder who you thought you met that day.  Did you meet the Risen Lord or did you simply meet a historical person that appeared to you so that you might say that you met Him.  Jesus changes people and takes us from where we were to where He is going.

Are you on that journey yet or are you still telling everybody by your actions and words that you are satisfied right where you are and nothing is going to change you.  Millions have done just that.  Those millions have head knowledge of Jesus and many have been persuaded that it is OK to stay where you are with the head knowledge of Jesus.

If you don’t want Jesus in your life then say so.  It is worse to lie and add one more transgression than to tell the truth and not deceive yourself and others.  If you truly know Him you will love Him and the world will see Him through you.  Otherwise they will see what you show them you are and want to continue to be.

If you know that you are a sinner saved by grace then act like it.  Let Him have His way with you.  Search for Him and He will be found by you.  Take the step towards Him and He will run to you.

Have you really joined His church or are you a bystander?  Today is a day for change!  Every day is a day that Jesus has a change for you.  Thank God He is the only One that needs no change.  Are you ready to come or are you going to continue to stay where you are?  He gives the choice.  You respond as we sing…

[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Mt 16:15). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
l See Matt. 16:19.
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Jn 20:23). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.