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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/william-lavery/matthew-ch-16-17/
Now I'd like you to turn with me again to the gospel of Matthew, but it's not 18. 16, wait. Matthew 16, and we're going to read a few verses. And we're going to start with verse number 1. Matthew 16 verse 1.
The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came and tempting desired him that he would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them when it is evening. He say it will be fair weather for the sky is red.
In the morning it will be foul weather today for the sky is red and lowering. Oh ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky, but can you not discern the signs of the times? And a wicked and adulterous generation seeketh a sign.
Verse 5 and when his disciples were come to the other side they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said unto them take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees and they reasoned among themselves saying it is because we have taken no bread.
Which when Jesus Perceived he said unto them. Oh ye of little faith. Why reason ye among yourselves because you have brought no bread? Do you not yet understand? Neither remember the five loaves and the five thousand and how many baskets he took up.
Verse 13. When Jesus came into the coast of Caesarea Philippi He asked his disciples saying whom do men say that I the Son of Man am and they said some say that thou art John the Baptist and some Elias and others Jeremiah's or one of the prophets.
He saith unto them but whom say ye that I am and Simon Peter answered and said thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God and Jesus answered and said unto him blessed art thou Simon Barjona for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven.
Now look down the chapter a little bit just for sake of time. Verse 21. From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples how that he must go unto Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders and the chief priests and scribes and be killed and be raised again the third day.
Then Peter took him and began to rebuke him saying be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee. Now verse 27. Well, maybe we should read verse 25. For whosoever will give his life shall lose it and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
For what as a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of his father with his angels and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
Verily I say unto you there be some standing here which shall not taste of death till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. Now the next chapter is very familiar, but verse 3 says behold there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with them.
Then answered Peter and said unto Jesus Lord it is good for us to be here if thou wilt let us make let us make here three tabernacles one for thee and one for Moses and one for Elijah and while he yet spake behold a bright cloud overshadowed them and behold a voice from the cloud which said this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him.
Now we've read quite a few verses I'm not going to be very long, but we know that God will bless the reading of his precious word with what we have already learned. When we come to a conference there's one thing that we preach we try to do and more than one thing but one good thing is we try to get young people interested in the Word of God.
Good to read the Word of God. I hope we're all reading the scriptures and particularly when you're young because when you're younger you'll find out when you get older you can't remember things just the way you did when you were young and the things that we learned I was never really really young when God saved me I was 33 years of age, but still I can remember those early days things really struck you and I enjoyed the Word of God and we were all instructed and encouraged to get into the Word of God and then you wonder but how am I going to read it?
How do you really get something out of the scriptures maybe you read a lot well at first, you know I read a lot halfway through the night sometimes woke up with my Bible on my chest in the morning I don't know if it took a lot of it in but but but the time would come one of the elders He said, you know in about 10 years, you'll be able to fit these things together.
Well, I'm still trying to fit them together in five years I was out trying to preach the gospel. But anyhow, that's another story but now when you read a Versus like this just what do you really get out of them?
And and I like to see just how things are put together. They're not haphazard in the Word of God. They're not always chronological but the Spirit of God guided to the writers were born along by the Holy Spirit and Things were put together.
So when I read a chapter like what we have read I say, you know, how do these things fit in? Here you have people and it's talking about they know what kind of a day is going to be today. And you know what?
It's going to be like tomorrow. Well, how would that fit in? We're not trained to be weather forecasters. If I was a weather forecaster I'd go and be it over in Ireland because you could be right most of the time said gonna be rain with showery intervals.
Or something like that. But I what I saw when I read this what I thought about like fitting it into the chapter. I thought Here's people and they're just occupied with the day and tomorrow now if you ever were in business and you have to make decisions and This would apply greatly to the elders in this our assemblies.
You don't just make decisions for the present. You're not just interested in knowing What's happening right now or what if I make this decision? How it will be right now you look into the future and they taught me I worked for a Jewish company.
I'm glad they taught me a good worth work ethic and they said consider where it's going to lead. And that's a tremendous principle in our lives even for young people. Decisions you're going to make don't just make them for today.
Don't just make them for tomorrow. But think of the future. That's the important thing get your eye. Where is this going to lead you? Well, I hope that you'll get into the the Word of God now the disciples.
They didn't seem to realize this. The Lord is going to tell now. Don't be occupied with these little things in the world. They're not really important and They Said well, you know, he must have thought we've forgotten to take bread.
We didn't get any food he said beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the and the Sadducees and you know, the eleven of the Pharisees is hypocrisy or Ritualism and the Sadducees would be rationalism just looking at things just as they are and not even Considering the future so they they didn't understand when he talked about the leaven of the bread.
They thought we have taken no lows with the Lord said don't worry about that. Do you not remember what I just did? I fed the thousands. I've got food for the thousands and again get into the Word of God.
There's food here for everybody and There's a variety of food. It's not all potatoes or not all meat there's a great variety of food in the Word of God and The Lord will feed his people and I hope you've been fed at the conference.
Hope you have had an appetite for the things of God. That's what we need. They always told us when we were children of you're hungry. You're healthy. And we can bring that right up to date today. If you're hungry for the things of God, you're healthy.
Are you hungry for them? You want to learn more and And and not just More to have a head knowledge. We've already heard that emphasized to us. It's something that's going to change our lives. That's what the Word of God is.
We want to be different. We want to go home another way, don't we? We don't want to just come to go like a door on its hinges. We want to learn the truths of the Word of God and the Lord says now I'm going to tell you what to be occupied with.
He said whom do the people say that I the son of man I am. Well, you're one of the prophets. You're Elijah Jeremiah. And he said but whom do you say that I am and what did Peter say? Thou art the Christ the son of the Living God and I think he's telling him now you need to be occupied with With the Lord Jesus or we would say you need to be occupied with with the Lord Jesus Christ.
That's the important thing that's what we have learned. Haven't we in this conference get our eye on him. We get our eye on ourselves. We're going to be disappointed get our eye on the Lord's people. That might be a little better, but not much but get your eye on him.
I want the Christ the son of the Living God. These Pharisees and Sadducees. They thought they knew everything and they really knew very little and the Lord says now. The whole thing the teaching all surrounds me and you will notice of course, maybe in this chapter that there are three firsts.
There's a first mention of the church Upon this rock. I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against at the gates. You know would speak of the authority. That's where the old man sat in the gate the days of Ruth and and that's right.
Here Jacob saw the gate of heaven. I've been reminded the assembly it's under the authority of heaven under the authority of Of the Lord himself. So he said there's a church that's coming now. This isn't the local assembly here.
Where we love the local assembly, but you know, there's a wider sphere as well. We shouldn't just be all one little all Assembly or all the big picture or all prophecy or all there's a word of God has a variety just like food when you go down to the the Dinner, we just go and we eat and we don't maybe realize that why look at the the colors.
They go the carrots go with a with a peas and so on and they make it colorful. I make it appetizing. It's not just all one big mix like a dog's dinner. But we enjoy the the things of God and and he said there's a church coming Day of Pentecost the birthday of the church and there's nothing going to thwart God's purposes.
Aren't you glad you're part of the church? All the authority of hell shall not prevail against it. God's Plans aren't going to be thwarted by anybody or anything. They're all taking Place today. God's working behind the scenes.
We don't see maybe the way he's working and we don't understand always the way he's working. But we know he is and he said here's something what a revelation that was to Peter. You know Peter when that when the Lord said, but first of all, you know, I need to go to the cross.
Oh Peter says not so Lord. Now, you know, that's a contradiction of terms. You can't say Lord and say not so and That's a little illustration maybe you have that in James. Where James says out of the same well the same spring you can't get fresh water and salt water.
You need to be consistent and Here he is. He said not so Lord. What about the cross? That's what makes these things dear to us. That's what we've heard. That's what touches our hearts. It's a it's a cross.
We appreciate to the majesty of the Lord. And the more we appreciate his majesty the more we should appreciate his lowliness the more we should appreciate the cross. That's why we have a way in the Exodus in the Passover.
Well, it is it take a little lamb. Maybe you wouldn't have minded slaying a lion or something like that. I'm not a hunter. I Won't tell me. I was in a place in a motel and they had a they had a notice on the bathroom.
No cleaning of birds in the bathroom. And I asked a man. What are you hunting in this place? Oh, he said pheasant. I said, I think I'd rather Hunt something like an elephant and be bigger, you know, you have a better chance of hitting it.
He says I don't hunt anything that fights back well, anyhow. Here he says the cross is coming and they kill a little lamb. Why to touch your heart. There's no other animal. I don't think that you could kill some people wouldn't mind killing your cats or some old dogs or causing trouble.
But but think of a little lamb. God's emblem is a lamb. Russia has a bear. Britain has the lion. We have the eagle. But God says I have a lamb and That's to touch your heart and the Lord was bringing this before them.
Why so they would focus on him and that's the idea that I'm trying to bring across to you get focused on him. Don't think of today or tomorrow just and what you're going to do and how these things are going to work out.
There's an eternity that lies ahead. Get focused on what is in the in the future because the Lord says, you know I'm coming again. It's going to return. Now it wouldn't be the Rapture here as you know, but but he still said I'm going to come back and I'm going to rain.
And and he said there's going to be rewards. Going to reward every man according to his works. So he said I'm coming the whole like cometh. My rewards are with me. We read in the book of Revelation. But he said he's coming in the glory of his of his angels.
And then when we come into the next chapter remember, well, you know the Bible wasn't written in chapters. We have a little illustration of the kingdom. He said I'm coming. This is what he's talking about.
I'm coming and I'm coming to it rain now we don't miss this because Before we come into chapter 17 remember. Whosoever will save his life will lose it. We live our lives just for selves. Just for the present and maybe the immediate future.
We're going to lose it. It's going to be nothing for God but he said. And if you lose your life for my sake if you live your life devoted to him as we've heard from Romans chapter 12 a devotion to the Lord.
He said you're going to have a life that's worth living and He said because the Lord's coming and but they said I should read this verse again or quote it. What is a man profited if he gained the whole world and lose his own soul?
What shall a man give in exchange for his life his life? It's a waste of life he's talking about and I want to emphasize that because when we come into chapter 17 We have a beautiful picture of the kingdom.
Now, you know, it's a it's a it's a perfect picture because there there are seven individuals brought before us as Peter James and John and I would suggest to you that they're a picture of the of a little remnant of Israel.
Yeah, they're in the world. But then when we look a little higher. We see Moses and Elijah. Now, I'm sure you know that Moses was a man that died and Elijah was a man that didn't die. Was caught up into heaven so you could see that that would be a little picture of the church and those that have gone before and those that will be alive and remain when the Lord comes and.
And of course the Lord in the midst. I've heard a little bit about that but he's going to be in the midst in. Now what how do we fit Moses and Elijah into this and we know the picture of the church. But I've also thought of them as individuals.
What shall it profit a man if he gained the whole world and lose his own soul? What about you Moses? There are men like Moses men like Paul. I tell you they lost a lot. But if you ask him, they likely would say it was nothing for the excellency of the glory of Christ Jesus is Lord.
Moses gave up the throne and Everything that was associated with it. Everything he says I'd rather be associated with a group of slaves. And to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season gave up all the riches of Egypt.
I tell you that's that was a lot, isn't it? And As well as that, you know he represented the law and he had written about all the offerings and so on and I I think He can bring that right to the fore and then you have Elijah man.
He was a tremendous man. He wasn't afraid to stand for the things of God even when he didn't know there was anyone else. There were 7 ,000 but he didn't know and he stood and made fun of these people.
The prophets of Balaam's in the groves and so on made made fun of them, but there's something else I think we can learn from it and it's this. When Peter said let us build here three tabernacles three booths.
He was thinking of the feast of tabernacles. That the kingdom was going to be set up right there and then. They'd come to the end of the journey it forgotten all about the Lord telling him but they're gonna kill him and so on.
I think he did. Anyhow, that's the way it appears to me. But he says, you know, it says a bright cloud overshadowed them and what happened. They saw no one saved Jesus only. That's tremendous. Moses you represented the law.
And that's what the Pharisees and all they were occupied with the law and the tradition to don't traditions and so on. But he says, you know, that's come to an end. It's gonna be no more sacrifice. I'm the sacrifice.
Get your eye on me. What about the prophets? Why they were all pointing forward to the the Lord. First of all is death men like Isaiah and so on. And and they said, you know We don't need that God who at sundry times in a diverse manner speaking time passed on to the fathers.
By the prophets hath on these last days spoken unto us in son. So that's where I want to leave you. And I hope I have shown you that when you study your Bible. Just just consider these things. How do they fit together?
I always get a big sheet of paper and write things down as I go along. And then have a good look at them later and you can see maybe how well I can see now how that fits in. With that, but I'll tell you the most important thing is the end result here.
What is it? Get your eye on the Lord Jesus Christ. He's coming. You're going to have part in the kingdom. When Moses wrote when Peter rather wrote about this in 2nd Peter chapter 1. He didn't write anything about Moses and Elijah didn't even mention him.
You know why he had learned a lesson. He saw the Lord himself. Got his eye on him. And that's what we would like you to do as you leave the meeting and that would give you a thirst to learn more about.
That's what we want to do and and don't just learn. Paul he said I want to learn about him in an Experiential way and what that means is I want to live like him. I don't even want to reach the resurrection by the easy pathway.
The Lord didn't reach it. I just want to be like him in every way. The great cost involved. What's your problem man? You want the world? Lose your life, but you want to live a life that's valuable a life for him.
Who is it that's close to him in the kingdom? I'm applying at Moses and Elijah and men that were willing to give up everything. Nothing else really mattered and for us it should be the same. Get our eye on the Lord Jesus Christ.
We see no man saved Jesus only and we get our eye on him will be like him day by day. So may the Lord bless his word to us with what has gone before and with what will follow for his name's sake.