Background: Jesus had been traveling around the cities and villages off the Sea of Galilee with his disciples, his final Galilean Trip. Battling the Pharisees, dealing with their wicked ways and traps, he went 32+ mile round trip out of his way to bring his disciples and followers to one of the greatest teaching points of his ministry and the greatest revelation of his purpose and his departure. Caesarea Philippi is a city which sits at the foot of Mount Hermon, butts up against a large cliff, referred to as the “Rock of the Gods,” in reference to the many shrines built against it. Shrines to Caesar, Pan and another god (possibly the fertility goddess Nemesis) were all built up against this cliff. People would travel from all over to worship these gods and perform pagan ceremonies. Pan was half goat half man, and a large phallus was erected in honor of Nemesis. They would perform wicked perverse acts for fertility even with goats. In the center of the Rock of the Gods is a huge cave, from which a stream flowed (after 19^th century earthquakes, the stream began flowing out from the rock beneath  the mouth of the cave). This cave was called the “Gates of Hades,” because it was believed that Baal would enter and leave the underworld through places like this where water came out. It is believed that this was the backdrop for Peter’s Revelation and Declaration. 

Matthew 16:13-16 (NLT): “When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ ‘Well,’ they replied,’ some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.’ Then he asked them, ‘But who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’” 

We All At Some Point Are Going To Have To Determine Who Jesus Is In Our Lives. Philippians 2:6-11 (NLT): “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. “Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  2 Corinthians 5:10 (NL): “For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.” 

Jesus Had To Deal With Peter —> He Changed His Life —-> It’s Not Enough Just To Follow. Matthew 16:17 (NLT): “Jesus replied, ‘You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.” His name was Simon = an extremely common surname and it needed an identifier = Bar-Jonas which was his father’s name. Jesus used this play as he Was Getting ready to change his identity. Limitation is Simply a Label —> Common vs. Uncommon. Jesus will take the Lid of Limitation off your life. What labels have been placed over your life? My Teen Challenge Leadership Lesson; You Could Never Be A Pastor. Pebbles Cause Small Ripples, But Rocks Cause Big Ripples, Damage to Demons, Destroy the Darkness.

Jesus Leveled Peter Up —-> It Changed His Level ——-> Can’t Stay The Same. Matthew 16:18 (NLT): “Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my  

church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” I Will Build My Church!! —> Jesus Wants To Build His Church. This gives us an indication that there are many types of churches to build. 

               If we are not careful we could fall into the error of building our church and not His. Merchandise and Traffic The Anointing. The Devil Tried To Seduce Jesus, Matthew 4. Simon The Sorcerer Tried To Buy It, Acts 8:18 (NLT): “When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power.” Any church that teaches things that go against Jesus’s Teaching is not his Church but Merchandisers. These are the people Jesus abhors: Deceivers. False Religions – “Twisted Scripture.” Church = Ekklesia: Among the Called, Believer’s Gathering. 

Ek = Among, From; kaleg = To Call; klesia = Called. The Church Isn’t A Building. It’s what In it that makes it a Church. 

Jesus Installed Peter —– > He Was Going To Change Lives —> Kingdom Business. 

Matthew 16:19 (NLT): “And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” 

Colossians 2:13-15 (NLT): “You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all your sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over  them on the cross.”

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