Last week we saw that many people in the church today know about Jesus but they do not know Him. From the Scriptures, we saw that you can only know Jesus by revelation. Jesus Himself is a revelation of the Father to humanity.
When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?” (Matt. 16:13-15).
And Simon Peter answered and said, “Thou art the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16).
And Jesus answered and said unto Peter, “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 (revelation) I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:17-19).
In Matthew 16:19 Jesus said to Peter, “And I will give unto thee (the Church, you Christian) the keys of the Kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind (disallow) on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose (allow) on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
What is Jesus actually saying here? Jesus is simply saying, “I am giving you the revelation of God’s ways of doing things.
In Matthew 16:17, Jesus makes clear that Peter did not come up with this on his own: He said to Peter, “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”
So, the keys of the Kingdom are God’s gift to His people to state heaven’s verdict (decision) on who will and will not enter the Kingdom based on their response to the gospel.
Here is the truth: There is a way out of every situation. There is a way out of everything you are going through. The problem is finding that way, that is the key. The keys are the principles that get you out of that your challenge.
Let me tell us why our bills are not paid, sicknesses harassing our lives, our businesses not moving forward, our prayers not being answered, why we are having problems with our relationships etc. This is because we have not learnt the Kingdom keys yet.
Once you get the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, you won’t have to be bound another day in your life.
For instance, when the disciples were asked to pay taxes, they said that they had no money to pay taxes. You know that when the disciples were asked to pay taxes, they said that they had no money to pay taxes. You know that where you are right now, you are owing people some money but you don’t have that money to pay back right now.
You may not know it, but the Kingdom got some ways to pay your bills. Jesus instructed Peter to go catch a fish and pay the taxes of every one of the disciples. You see that? There is always a way out of every situation you find yourself.
What are the keys to the Kingdom of heaven? This is the key of the kingdom: The key of knowledge: the key of the teachings of Jesus Christ.
When you are ignorant of the teachings of Christ, you are in bondage. You are suffering today because you do not know what God has said in His Word concerning your situation (Isa. 5:13; Hos. 4:6).
Here is the truth: That knowledge, that faithful proclamation of the Word of Christ, truly taught, opens the kingdom to people’s lives. That knowledge withheld or distorted by any measure closes the Kingdom to people.
Look at some of these keys now:
1. What is the key to divine healing? The revelation of Isaiah 53:4-5; Matthew 8:17; 1 Peter 2:24; James 5:14-16.
2. What is the key to divine prosperity, increase and overflow? The revelation of Genesis 8:22; Luke 6:38; 2 Corinthians 9:6-8.
3. What is the key to divine protection? The revelation of Colossians 3:3; Isaiah 54:17; Psalms 91; Psalms 23:4-5; Isaiah 59:19; Isaiah 43:2; Romans 8:31, 37.
4. What is the key to success in life? The revelation of Jeremiah 29:11; Joshua 1:8; Psalms 1:1-3; Proverbs 4:20-22.
You must use the right key for a particular situation. You must apply the key by faith. For instance, in the case of prosperity, if you don’t apply the key of Luke 6:38, you will only become poorer.
Conclusion: A revelation of who the Lord Jesus Christ is will put you permanently on the side of victory.
Watch out for the next edition of Good News from the Pulpit!
- Your friend, I. I. Madubunyi (Senior Pastor, HOG) 30.04.2023 @ HQs
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