Three Nevers We Must Never Forget, Part 1

The Bible is filled with counterintuitive truths. For instance, to gain life, one must first lose his life.

And here's another to rise to a level of greatness in God's kingdom, we must become a servant of all. These are classic biblical mandates that confuse the wives. These are the absolute truths that guide our lives today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll continues our study through the first book of the New Testament were looking at Matthew chapter 16, beginning at verse 21 truck title.

Today's message three members. We must never forget God is alive and powerful, sharper than a two edge sword able to pierce between the soul and the spirit between the joints and marrow, and it is a critic costs.

It is a discerner it is a critic of the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Think of it this way would you open God's word. You are open opening yourself to open heart surgery, but in this case it's where neurosurgeon scalpel could ever reach its right down into the very soul and spirit for your form the habits of your life where you make the decisions of your life where you come to terms with what you really really believe and what you must live for, and on occasion you're willing to die for his iconic penetrating message only in the holy Scriptures working in verses 21 through 26 of the 16th of Matthew. If you have a Bible please find the place. Matthew 16 beginning the reading in verse 21 down through 26.

From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests and the teachers of religious law, he would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.

But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things, heaven forbid, Lord. This will never happen to you, Jesus turned to Peter and said jet away from me, Satan, you're a dangerous trap to me you're seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God's. Then Jesus said to his disciples, if any, you of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your own selfish ways, take up your cross and follow me. You try to hang onto your life, you will lose it, but if you give up your life for my sake, you will save and what you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own so is anything worth more than you so study the book of Matthew Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download his searching the Scriptures. Studies by going to inside world.or/studies another message from Chuck about three Nevers. We must never forget living right begins with thinking straight. In order for that to happen we must learn how to think like God thinks.

Anna Shakespeare wrote a there's the rub. We just don't naturally think like God thinks we were taught to do that so we haven't learned to do that in all of our thinking is it were not you were not different than the majority is all horizontal.

It's all about self on the server. None of it is vertical. It even happened to Samuel when he was on the search for the new king for Israel salted proven himself unqualified, he found himself in Bethlehem in the home of Jesse and E asked that his sons be brought in when Ely had came before Samuel the prophet Samuel first thought is a look at this handsome tall young Israeli. Surely the Lord's anointed is before me know got interrupted that thinking is a no no I do not look at the outward appearance you do that.

You see, Samuel. I look at the heart.

I am looking for the one who has the right heart Ely Abbott is not the one and one by one.

He took one of those sons after another need. None of them had the heart until he found the one who heart was like God's heart. David Hewitt already begun to think vertically different from those around them. No one ever put it better than the prophet Isaiah for my thoughts as God are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, for as the heavens are high above the earth, so are my thoughts about your thoughts, and my ways about your weight. So if we are going to live as we should, then we must think as God thinks. That's why we need a Bible. This book is full of God, thought it's filled with God's counsel.

It has truths to live by. None of it is politically correct because that's horizontal thinking that thinking about what other people think God cares little about what other people think the better you get to thinking like God thinks the less you would care what others think. Not only are we slow to learning sober those 12 who walked alongside Jesus. Think about that. They literally live with him for the better part of three years. They ate with him.

They listen to and teach. They watched him do his miracles. They slept beside him. They were in his shadow standing in the wings and all the while he is doing his best to change them from the horizontal to the particle and it was such a task. We see in occasions where that statement. Even in Mark's gospel. It says they they gain no insight from from the loaves and fishes because her heart was hardened receives from the heart. We begin to think like God thinks that's what the heart must be right with God. So Jesus is not dealing with these 12 and what a task it is. Especially when he reaches the crossroads literally in their training.

You see, they have seen him in a number of different lights, but never when they hear words before this like these words.

They will penetrate right down to the depths of their being. That's interesting how the passage begins in Matthew 16 verse 21. My new living translation begins.

From then on Jesus yours may begin another way. Verse 21, but the connective is meant to remind you that there is a context in the context happens to be when Peter moved to the head of the class because he gave such a perfect answer as the teacher asked who do you say that I am Peter spoke up and my that he had the answer. You are the Messiah, you are the son of God, the living one. Not only did he understand who Jesus was, he realized he had come from the living father. Jesus told it, you need a new name call you Rocky, you're going to be solid you're going to be my spokesman to represent me in places that I'm not even known your rock and on this rock like statement I'm going to build my church, and you remember we work through that in our study last time.

From then on. Now that they've got that answer straight and they understand his identity. Jesus believes it is time to move into well the absolute unexpected. From then on, he began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem pause right there.

We had the habit of reading on and on and on and not letting the words sink in. So far so good to go to Jerusalem, they must've thought horizontally along the Jerusalem is for the authorities are. That's where that's where history is made. That's where information really in many ways begins in that country go to Jerusalem. He goes further look at what he says and that I will suffer many terrible things at the hands of elders and leading priests and the teachers of religious law right horizontal thinking. We've seen that before we watch them argue with you, we see them criticize you you so you stood toe to toe. They've assaulted you verbally requested all of course when you're Jerusalem you'll run into those people again.

We seated we can only imagine how tough it will be there and then he goes one step further and you could hear the brakes screech. Look at what it says and then I will be killed. What I believe. I believe that is so revolutionary, so unexpected that the rest was a blur. Just my thinking for whatever it's worth, I'm not even sure they heard LB raised the third day from the dead. He says it, but their stock ever had that happen to you. Course unit something apposite all of a sudden the world stops at and and you sort of real is you get your balance and equilibrium Entrada say at her feet because you're having to deal with something you never ever dreamed would have been said or done, it's necessary that I be killed so deeply about this a message today that I decided to keep it in simple terms, and give it to you in a way that I hope at least these three members will never be forgotten. What you look at what we just read act as though you don't know the story and your hearing it like they did for the first time to go to Jerusalem to suffer at the hands of these the religious authorities. I'm going to kill in your horizontal thinking Messiah doesn't die Messiah conference Messiah doesn't submit Messiah's and since you're the Messiah, the son of the living God thinks Peter you you missed it on this one. Jesus now let me say let's not be too hard on Peter. Let's just be grateful that God has stopped writing his word and your name isn't in the Bible where you said something, and you will everybody around him forget it is you try your best to get past it. But in Peter's case every preacher down through the centuries and just write him over the cold for saying what he said it wasn't the right thing to say is a matter of fact it was the ultimate wrong thing to say but before this I want you to observe that Peter took him aside and began to I can hardly let those words out of my mouth reprimand him. I love you man I gotta tell you, you see, when you're at the head of the class you begin to think you're the chair of the Bible department and so he now needs to counsel the master and get them back stinking can even finish it. The master never did anything but think straight to Peter's way out of line when not all Rocky steps on the scene to exhibit took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying what he said you were raised, but I was raised never to assess my mother never the word sass only here much anymore but every session.

What I'm cleaning it up from the way my father said to me. In fact even said it, you drive nails and her coffee when you sense all children. My mother was a running over the mile Peter reprimand Jesus, Peter, don't ever do that and yet he's already done it on brings us to the first never, and I don't want you to forget it. So I even suggest that you write it down somewhere. Maybe in the margin. Maybe on the outline writing down the needed. We must never think that just because something is unexpected. It's unacceptable. You see, it's unexpected because we operate from a human viewpoint is really just a moment. These things happen and when the human viewpoint kicks in resistant I think about a marriage that looks like it will go on for another 35 years and suddenly the unexpected. He walks out she doesn't love you anymore and the marriage fractures or you walk away from the MRI and you're in the doctor's office waiting for the results and he brings in the oncologist and you hear the totally unexpected results, or you have now finally build your dream home you're settled. Everything is great. You know those around you you you your perfect fit for where your living. Everything is going well. The company and wouldn't you know it.

I you're told that you're going to be transferred totally unexpected ticket for me who was transferred from United States to an island in the middle of the South Pacific and fought it with everything within me only to realize after the fact. Had I not gone there. I doubt that my life would ever been turned as it was thanks to a man who mentored me during the 16 months of lonely service in the Marine Corps.

The unexpected, which I did not in any way shape or form X of accept I would have to go without my wife I would have to be there all those months. What good can come out of Okinawa on my call to the ministry came out and and I look back and I realize God you actually knew, would you, I have a clue and if I learned in these 82 years, the value of keeping my mouth shut and never even coming close to reprimanding God for surprising Peter hasn't learned that he is in the process of but look at how he puts it easy. Peter's not angry he's flabbergasted. One of those great English words. He is a little put out.

He's surprised and as a result he I can just see him as he puts his arm around Jesus shoulder heaven for bid, Lord, by the way he took him aside as nice put aside. Lord, get a life a real life talk like that this never happened to you. That is that saying this is what I never want to happen to you. Horizontal thinking that Jesus doesn't mince words, doesn't he turned to Peter and said get away from the seatback on look at what he called is a far cry from Rocca oh pull Petross to suddenly become simple Simon again. The guy with all the answers now moved to the back of the class that had that since D not predominance the predental. How dare you speak to me like this. You sound just like the one who tempted me in the wilderness before, minus my ministry, even began offering me all these things that the world would offer if I would simply bow down before and get away from me, you are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God's. That is what gave me the idea for my opening line. Thinking straight is a result of God's working in our heart so that as a result of that we begin to live like we should Peter's firecracker is a far cry from it. These now either in the back of the class are standing in the corner. He doesn't say anything else. He he is just terribly embarrassed. I'm sure brings me to the second never.

I hope you will never forget.

We must never think that the Lord should alter his plan to fit our preference get that really clear your thinking because our world is full of our private preferences. It's what I want is the place I want to sit is the car I want to drive. It's a place I want to work is the position I want to hold.

I preferred this over that I want help, not suffering.

I want power, not weakness. I want to be known not to be obscure but you see all of those things are horizontal just that Jen is straight. When you do you'll find you turn toward the vertical without even having to work at it regardless of how long will walk with the Lord is important is important that we acknowledge he has every right to call every shot to move us whatever he pleases. At whatever time is in his plan.

One response is not to reprimanding its to obey us to follow. And now Jesus moves into that notice. Peter is silent, so he turns and says to the other disciples in verse 24 Jesus said to his disciples, if any of you will if you knew you wants to be my follower. I do. I think if I ask you to raise your hands. It most hands would go up.

You're not here because it's convenient not here because you have anything else you could have been doing. You're here because you will learn what it means to be a phone writ is straight talk cleanly said you want to be a follower of mine must take up your cross you're listening to the Bible teaching of Chuck Swindoll titled today's message three Nevers.

We must never forget the grace and mercy of Jesus, shine brightly in Matthew chapter 16 in many respects these virtues are the cornerstones of this daily program insight for living is a beacon of compassion and grace to millions around the world and now for more than 42 years and to see what resources we have available for today's topic, please visit us online@insightworld.org among the dozens of books.

Chuck is written there is one that heralds this message a little louder than the rest. It's his classic book called the grace awakening thousands of readers point to this book as the turning point in their spiritual walk as they truly understood in many for the very first time. The depth and reality of God's compassion and grace and if you're prepared to shed the legalism that was first imposed by the Pharisees in Matthew's gospel, then we highly recommend this book from Chuck in the grace awakening he clearly describes what it means to embrace our freedom and liberty in Christ. So to purchase a copy of the grace awakening go to insight.org/offer or call this number listening in the US, 1-800-772-8888. Recently we received a note from someone who listens in Edmonds, Washington.

He said you don't know me but you been my pastor for more than a decade now, your dedication and passion have drawn me into the word. I understand your humility requires that you rebuff rightly so. Praise be to him just wanted to say thank these special moments are made possible by those who support insight for living here among our month companions. We hope this brief story encourages you to keep up the good work. To give a donation today, listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 or give online@insight.for join us again Monday. Chuck Swindoll continues our study through the book of Matthew right here on insight for living. The preceding message three Nevers. We must never forget was copyrighted in 2016 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R.

Swindoll.

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