Down in the Valley

Matt 17:6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. 7 But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid." 8 When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. 9 Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead." 10 And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" 11 Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. 12 But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands." 13 Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist. 14 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 15 "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him." 17 Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me." 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" 20 So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." 22 Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up." And they were exceedingly sorrowful. 24 When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, "Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?" 25 He said, "Yes." And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?" 26 Peter said to Him, "From strangers." Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free. 27 Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you."

Once you have seen Jesus for Who He really is, what effect does that have on your life and your ministry?

As glorious as being on the mountain with Jesus in His glory may be, unless you are raptured, this life is going to continue down in the valley below the mountaintop.

This is a return to being surrounded by evil, which is such a startling contrast to being surrounded by God in a cloud – and hearing His voice!

But, in a sense, this IS real ministry life. Most of it takes place down in the valley, and not on the glorious mountain peaks.

I wonder, oh how I wonder, (don’t you?) about what Peter and James and John were going through emotionally and Spiritually and even physically as they followed Jesus back down from the mount of transfiguration.

To leave the literal, perceived presence of the Living God for anything less than that is troubling. But how can we meet the needs of the lost and lame on the mountain-top?

-Pastor Bill

Transforming Presence

Matt 17:1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." 5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" 6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. 7 But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid." 8 When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. 9 Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead." 10 And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" 11 Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. 12 But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands." 13 Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

For those who consider Jesus to be a merely a “good teacher,” there are a number of issues present in the Gospel accounts which become troublesome to those who hold such narrow viewpoint of who Christ is.

Certainly, Jesus WAS a good teacher, but He IS much more than that. He is God in the flesh.

(The very reason Jesus WAS / IS a good teacher, (great, in fact,) is because He IS God.)

For those who continue in striving to hold a narrow, humanistic view, Jesus pulls back the curtain just a bit. His disallows anyone from the position that He is merely a “good teacher.”

As Jesus was about to take His ministry from a place of revival and wonder to a place of turmoil and persecution and suffering, He brought His closest followers in on a bit of everything that was going on behind the scenes. The unseen became the (briefly) seen.

That He did this in private speaks of His particular regard for these three men, James and Peter, and John. Jesus’ more full revelation of Who He is at this point in His ministry life is fantastic. Spectacular. Awesome. And also very humbling.

How are we to respond to this sort of revelation? With pride?

Peter gives a clue of how good a job the flesh does processing the supernatural, with his sort-of bumbling attempt to join in on what is taking place, rather than simply being still.

Can you imagine trying to help God out with something like this? (I can.) God says, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" And the disciples fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.

This is our most full place in the ministry of Christ. In fear, on our faces. It’s the very best of what we are capable of.

-Pastor Bill

Foundational

Matthew 16:13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" 14 So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 20 Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ. 21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. 22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" 23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." 24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. 28 Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."

There is a church in north Naples that has been greatly challenged in the last couple years because their building has developed severe cracks in the concrete slab which have broken the slab apart and shifted it to such an extent the walls have also cracked, and the ceilings are a threat to fall. It had to be abandoned.

The problem wasn’t caused by the building. The building was built to code. Everything in the building was just fine for several years prior to the cracks showing up.

The problem was the ground the church was built upon.

Had anyone involved in the building of the church known the condition of the ground the church was built upon, they never would have built it in that location. They never would have invested in a church not built upon solid ground.

Jesus teaches His disciples exactly the same lesson here. There is no point building the church upon any other ground than solid rock, firm enough to withstand any and all attempts to shake it down.

The ground Jesus tells His disciples to build His Church upon is faith that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

There is no point building any church on any other ground, as it will eventually falter and fail. Just as owners of physical buildings may occasionally check the condition of the ground they are built upon, the same is true for His Church. What the church stands for has everything to do with what the church stands upon.

-Pastor Bill

Who Are You?

Matthew 16:1 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; 3 and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. 4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." And He left them and departed. 5 Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. 6 Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees." 7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread." 8 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? 9 Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? 10 Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? 11 How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?--but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." 12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" 14 So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 20 Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ. 21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. 22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" 23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." 24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. 28 Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."

Who Jesus is has a lot to do with who you are. Who are you?

To the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus was a threat to their position and power and status. It did not matter how Jesus answered them. Jesus would always be a threat to their position and power and status. (Something the Pharisees and Sadducees could agree on.)

To Peter and the rest of His disciples, not only was Jesus a friend He was also a Savior. It really doesn’t matter who men say Jesus is when you have been divinely instructed Jesus is a friend and a Savior. Ever shall He be.

But then, from Jesus’ perspective, who are you? There is really only one way to prove this out, and that is by dying for Him spiritually in the same way He has died for you literally. Are you willing to make your life a living sacrifice for Jesus? Who you are is proven by taking up the cross, and by your death to who you are.

-Pastor Bill