Walking With Jesus-1-The Gates of Hell

Pastor Brad, just back from his trip to Israel, is excited to share with us what he has learned.  He starts this month's series Walking With Jesus with a sermon he calls The Gates Of Hell.

Pastor's Notes:

TEXT
Matthew 16:13-20 NKJV
When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not [a]prevail against it.19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth [b]will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”20 Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

INTRODUCTION
Good morning, everyone!
I’m so glad to be back with you this morning. Going to Israel to explore the land of the Bible was a dream come true.
I appreciate Pastor Seth, Gary Sapp, and Jeff and Miranda Weaver for ministering for me while I was gone.
Billy Graham said “Two weeks in the Holy Land is the equivalent of two years of Bible school.” I’d have to say I’d agree. My mind has been blown as I wondered the land of miracles.
This month, our series will bring you into a journey of truth that I learned while “Walking with Jesus”.
This morning, I want to preach from the subject “The Gates Of Hell”.

ILLUSTRATION
There’s no secret that Christianity is under fire in America. We live in a nation that screams tolerance from the top of her lungs, but the truth be told, we tolerate everything but godliness.
I saw in the news just this week that a bald eagle in Arkansas was found dead by gun shot. There is a 6 k reward for information leading to the shooter, and the press is calling for prison for the person responsible.
Yet, in the same breath, we celebrate the slaughter of innocent babies in the womb of their mothers under the preface of “ a woman’s right to choose.”
As the church, we must not be silent in this hour. We must stand for righteousness and truth.

TRANSITION
While this is bad, don’t think that Jesus didn’t deal with issues in His day. The message He came to bear was counter culture compared to everything else going around. HIs message was not soft, and often went against the very grain of culture. He marched on in the midst of sin, paganism, resistance, and revolt.

BACKGROUND
In our particular passage, we see Jesus traveling upwards to the northern region of Israel to a place called Caesarea Philippi. This is a significant place, nestled between the Syrian and Lebanese borders.
It is capped by Mt. Hermon, the very place where the Jordan river begins. It is this place where Jesus gives us the following revelation.

APPLICATION
1. The Culture
- The first thing we should look at is the culture.
- Caesarea Philippi had become a place of extreme paganism for the Jews. It was referred to as one of the most wicked places.
- Here, Jehovah had been forgotten, and shrines to false gods had been resurrected.
- SHOW PICTURE: As you can see in this picture, there is a cave. In this cave, a continual fire was lit. A shrine to the god Pan was resurrected. He was a wicked false god, so he was feared. It’s where we derive the word “Panic” from.
- The Jews would sacrifice animals, have orgies, and even throw their babies into the fire here.
- It was such a wicked place, Jesus referred to it as “The Gates Of Hell”.
- Now you are getting the picture.

2. The Catechism
- In the midst of all this, a great question was asked: “Who do men say that I am?”
- This question is relevant for what is coming. You cannot build a house on a shifty foundation.
- Then, He asked “But who do you say that I am?” - The answer was that of importance.

3. The Christ
- He said “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
- Peter is a “little stone”, but He said upon Me is who the church will be built on.
- The church will not survive on personality, program, or popularity.
- The church must be build on Christ.
- My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus blood and righteousness.

4. The Conflict
- Jesus said the Gates of Hell (The culture) would not prevail against the church.
- Many churches have moved locations because their part of town was being run down. Jesus didn’t run from culture. He pushed up against it.
- He gave us the keys to the kingdom of Heaven (upon the earth). - We have the power to bind and loose!

CONCLUSION