(Read Matthew 16:21-23)
This morning continue our overarching series, “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing with our mini-series entitled, “Grace Based Success (Prosperity)”. We have been studying the life of the Apostle Peter and our study brought us to Matthew chapter 16. For a few days now we have been walking our way through verses 21-23. I believe this to be a very important passage because within the span of one conversation we see Peter shift from hearing from God and operating in the divine, to not hearing from God and operating as a mere man. When Peter tapped into the divine he was commended, when he operated as a mere man he was rebuked. Once again, Jesus looked right at Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are not helping me! You don’t care about the same things God does. You care only about things that people think are important.”
So what does this mean to you today? Two things.
1. Jesus redeemed you all the way back to Adam.
a) Adam was a human who lived a supernatural life before he sinned and was kicked out of the Garden of Eden.
b) While Adam was in the Garden of Eden he communicated with God Spirit-to-Spirit and he operated with divine authority on the planet.
c) Adam was an extension of God’s divine nature and power in the earth.
d) This world responded to Adam, because Adam ruled the earth like God rules the universe.
e) Adam lost it all when he sinned. Adam was kicked out of the Garden of Eden, he lost the Holy Spirit (his connection to God), and he was forced to live in a world that no longer responded to him.
f) You were born as a recipient of the inheritance of Adam. You were born in a fallen state, without the Holy Spirit (disconnected from God) and without spiritual power.
g) Jesus died to restore all Adam lost. Because of Jesus you have access to the Holy Spirit (your connection to God), divine power and authority.
h) You were Born-Again as a recipient of the inheritance of Jesus. You are no longer in a fallen state. You no longer have to live without the Holy Spirit. You no longer have to live powerless in this world.
2. You are NOT A Mere Man.
a) Now that you are Born-Again, the expectation from God is for the supernatural to become natural to you.
b) The call on your life is NOT to be natural to this world. You are called to be natural to God’s world.
c) The Holy Spirit is your Spirit-to-Spirit connection to God.
d) You are not just a man, you are born from above and God expects you to live like it.
e) Jesus was upset with Peter when he saw things the way the people down here (in the earth) see them. Jesus expected Peter to see things from God’s point of view.
f) The Holy Spirit enables you to see things from God’s point of view and the expectation is that you make God’s point of view, YOUR point of view.
g) If you are only going to live like a man, seeing things exactly the way you did before you came to Jesus, and operating with human power alone, then why did you get Born-Again? Do you think Jesus died just so you could live the same way you were living? No way! Jesus died so you could like like Him in the earth! You are called to be JUST LIKE JESUS!
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my requirement to live by faith. I heard the gospel. I learned how Jesus died for me before I did anything to deserve it. Jesus died for me by grace and I used my faith to accept it. I am Born-Again. I am born from above. Your Holy Spirit lives in me. I am NOT a mere man. All the power and authority Adam operated in before the fall, and Jesus operated in while on the earth, is available to me. I connect with You Spirit-to-Spirit. You give me dreams while I sleep. You give me visions while I am awake. You speak to me as I walk with You throughout the day. I am supernatural. The supernatural is natural to me. I am called to live JUST LIKE JESUS and I declare that I will. I no longer see things from this world’s point of view. I no longer operate as a mere man. I am supernatural and I know it. Soon everyone else will know it too! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
