(Read Matthew 16:13-16)
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. We spent weeks on verses 13-23. I thought I was going to move on, but this morning I can’t. Last night I led a group of men into jail to minister the gospel. I had the privilege of having my Pastor (Tony Brazelton) with me. Pastor Tony preached the Word. Lives were changed forever. Not only did the men receive the Word, but the power of God was manifested supernaturally afterwards and I am sure those men will never be the same.
In his message Pastor Tony said something about Matthew 16:13 that truly blessed me. In a way, I have already taught you what he said, but the way he said it communicated the message in a different way. As I drove home from the jail last night I asked the Lord if I should address this with you and He said, “Yes”. As soon as I got up this morning I started meditating this Word. So we will go back to Matthew 16 and look at verses 13-16 again this morning.
I hope you don’t get tired of looking at the same verses over and over again, because there are layers and layers of revelation. That’s why I can teach on one passage for weeks and weeks. The Lord has a way of revealing new things from an old passage, so you can live off fresh insight.
The Lord has been speaking to me since last night about this passage, so I won’t attempt to cover it all today. I will spread it out over several days. Let’s get into it.
The Bible says,
“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. You are a spirit, you possess a soul, and your spirit and soul live in your body (for now). The real “YOU” is your spirit. The real you (your spirit) is going to live on forever in one of two places: heaven or hell.
2. God made plans for the real you (your spirit) well before you ever had a body.
a) The Bible says, “Before I made you in your mother’s womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I chose you for a special work.” (Jer 1:5).
b) The Bible says, “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:16).
c) Paul said, “Even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace.” (Gal 1:15).
3. God made plans for the real you (your spirit) from the foundations of the world. When you are born and the real you (your spirit) begins to live in a body, people relate to your body — who your parents are, where you came from, where you were raised, the schools you attended, etc. — but they don’t know the real you. You don’t even know the real you until God reveals it to you.
4. Jesus asked, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” He was saying, “Who do people say my body is? Who do people say the son of Joseph and Mary is? Who do people who only know my flesh say that I am?” Jesus knew that most people were only going to know him after the flesh. It would take God Himself to reveal Jesus’ true self to people. So when Jesus asked, “But what about you? Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus got excited because He knew God Himself revealed this to Simon.
a) Common people knew Jesus only after the flesh. They knew Him as the son of a man.
b) God revealed to Simon the fisherman something about Jesus he could not know in the flesh. God revealed to Simon that Jesus was the Son of God.
c) Jesus’ true identity was connected to His true self (His spirit), not His outer shell (his body).
d) People who only know you as the son of your parents don’t know the real you. You don’t even know the real you until the Lord reveals “YOU” to you.
e) People may know you as a the child of a man, but Jesus came to reveal to you that you are actually the child of God.
*** We will stop here for today.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my requirement to live by faith. I am a spirit, I possess a soul, and my spirit and soul live in this body for now. Most people know me through my body. They know my parents or my natural background. But You know my spirit. You knew my spirit before I had earthly parents. Therefore, this world can’t define me because it did not design me. My parents can’t even define me. Only You can define me Father, and You did, when You called me from my mother’s womb by Your grace. I get to know the true “ME”. The more I learn about my true identity, the more I can walk in it, and the more impact You can make in this world through me. People have known me as a son of a man, but soon they will know me as the son of my God! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
