JESUS ONLY KNOWS THOSE WHO TAKE THEIR CROSSES
December 5, 2010

Mike Blume




Matthew 16:16-19  And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.  (17)  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.  (18)  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  (19)  And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Matthew 7:21-24  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  (22)  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  (23)  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.  (24)  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:  Matthew 7:25  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.




Both accounts show people knowing who Jesus is.
  • Jesus having some words for these people to hear and obey.
  • And Jesus’ words involving building on a Rock.
  • Mentions the KINGDOM.
  • (Keys of the Kingdom – Matt 16, Enter the Kingdom – Matt 7).

Last week we explained how the Father gives the first revelation of Christ’s identity.
  • Then the Son proceeds to give a secondary revelation.
  • “And I say also unto thee.”
  • This second revelation puts us on the Rock where even death cannot overcome us.
  • Jesus said the wind, rain and floods, like the gates of hell, cannot prevail against the house on the rock.

But it is so important to catch the detail that THE SON SPEAKS WORDS TO THOSE WHO RECOGNIZE HIS IDENTITY.
  • As in Matt 16 when Peter learned from the Father that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, people call Jesus LORD in Matthew 7.
  • And as in Matt 16 Jesus told Peter “And I say also unto thee,” Matt 7 shows Jesus saying they cannot enter the KINGDOM unless they HEAR HIS WORDS AND DO THEM.

Unless the people who learn His identity HEAR HIS WORDS, He does not know them.
  • That is in Matt 16 why Jesus called Peter “satan” even though Peter was blessed to have received the revelation of His identity from the Father.
  • Similarly, in Matt 7 Jesus tells people who called Him Lord that He never knew them.

Jesus DOES NOT KNOW US if we fail to hear His words and do them.

After Jesus recognized Peter received the first revelation from the Father, HE BEGAN TO SPEAK TO THEM ABOUT DOING SOMETHING.
  • Keep tying Matt 16 to Matt 7.
  • Jesus said those who know He is lord CANNOT ENTER THE KINGDOM UNLESS THEY HEAR HIS WORDS AND DO THEM.
  • In order to know WHAT IT IS WE MUST DO, we have to compare Matt 16 with Matt 7.
  • The thing Jesus began to speak to them about when they learned His identity was :

Matthew 16:20-21  Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.  (21)  From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

Notice the pattern:
  • The Father must reveal His identity.
  • Then Jesus has something to say.
  • His words SPEAK OF THE CROSS.
  • SELF DENIAL.
  • Which LEADS TO RESURRECTION!

The second revelation from the son is TAKING UP THE CROSS.
  • Notice that Peter rejects this note and Jesus chides Him and reinforces the need for the cross IN THEIR LIVES.
  • He calls Peter “satan” just like He says to those who know He is Lord, but never did HIS SAYINGS, “I NEVER KNEW YOU.”

Matthew 16:22-23  Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.  (23)  But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

Jesus GIVES HIS SAYINGS and TEACHINGS about the cross, and Peter rejects them.
  • Jesus calls Him satan and an offence.

Matthew 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

It is SO IMPORTANT to GET what Jesus’ emphasis to us is all about.
  • Taking the cross.
  • The reason he tells people to depart from him as he told Peter to get behind him, was because they were workers of iniquity.
  • That fits perfectly with Matt 16’s notes about taking the cross.
  • When we refuse to hear his words about the cross and self denial, we have nothing working in our lives to HINDER SINS AND INIQUITY.
  • So we are left as WORKERS OF INIQUITY.
  • That means the teachings of taking up our crosses in Matt 16 are the sayings of Jesus in Matt 7 that we must hear and do or else be turned away from the KINGDOM as workers of iniquity.
  • The cross stops us from being workers of iniquity.
  • The cross keeps self in place.
  • And that is why he can give us the keys of the Kingdom.
  • HE CAN TRUST THOSE WHO DENY THEMSELVES for they will not act in self interests, but IN HIS INTERESTS.
  • AND THEY TRULY CAN LIVE IN THE KINGDOM!
  • Those who enter HIS KINGDOM, recognize HIM AS KING AND NOT THEMSELVES.
  • If we do not take up our crosses, we will, guaranteed, BUILD THE KINGDOM OF SELF!
  • He cannot entrust the KEYS OF THE KINGDOM to us unless we take up our crosses.
  • Taking up such crosses and denying self ARE THE REASON WE ARE ON A ROCK!
  • All that satan can appeal to is our self centredness, and if the cross is on our back and we are denying self, the winds, rain and floods CANNOT AFFECT US!




SERMONS