The Priceless Key
Date: 30 October, 2016
Text: Matthew 28:16-20
Title: A Priceless Key
Introduction:
Titanic key - (locker 14 F deck) sold at auction for 85,000 pounds - Sidney Sedunary - on F Deck when F deck was flooding, the key was to the cabinet which held the life jackets, he was getting life jackets to as many people as possible.
"Sidney frantically tried to save lives as the ship sank, heroically staying on the F Deck as it flooded - according to evidence given to the British Inquiry into the disaster by another steward - John Hart:" (ITV online)
THE KEY WAS INCREDIBLY VALUABLE ....
· BECAUSE IT SAVED LIVES
· AND IT COST THE LIFE OF HIM WHO SAVED LIVES.
Sidney Sedunary had the key because he was a third class steward on the vessel.
It was a sacred life saving trust given to him - a trust which he did not neglect to fulfil although it cost him his life.
Hear me friends, We have an incredible key given to us by our King. A key which opens the door for salvation to those whose souls are in peril. It cost our Saviour His life to give us this key.
This morning we are going to stand before the Captain of our salvation to receive that key from His hand. Our text is Matthew 28:16-20
I. The key is given....
A. The key is given to disciples.
16 ¶ Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
exp. Jesus had just accomplished the Gospel. He had gone to the cross, died, risen from the dead. He could now put the Gospel key into the hands of His followers.
ill. Not everyone on the titanic had keys to the lockers which held the life jackets. Only those who were stewards of the vessel had the key.
exp. Not everyone in our world has the key of the Gospel. Only those who have been set free by the key are given one.
app.
TO UNBELIEVERS:
You could be here today and love your family, love your neighbor, love people, BUT BE ABLE TO DO NOTHING TO SAVE THEM BECAUSE YOU YOURSELF HAVE NEVER BEEN SAVED AND BECOME A DISCIPLE OF JESUS.
TO BELIEVERS:
You have the key because you are a disciple.
ill. Sidney Sedunary - was faithful unto death to fulfil his stewardship.
ill. Costa Concordia disaster - On 11 February 2015, after a trial of more than eighteen months, Captain Schettino was found guilty of manslaughter of 32 passengers and sentenced to 16 years in prison
· His negligence was responsible for the crash
· He did not tell authorities about the collission until an hour afterwards.
· He did not oversee the evacuation but evacuated himself.
app. Believers - WE HAVE THE KEY - THE WORLD DOES NOT.
B. The key is given by King JESUS.
question: Have you ever thought of the accountability for holding the key?
ill. Negligence can be criminal. Whenever their is an accident - there is an investigation to see if negligence played a part.
OUR ACCOUNTABILITY IS TO THE ONE WHO GAVE US THE KEY.
1. He is God.
17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.
exp. JESUS became a man to go to the cross - BUT JESUS CHRIST IS GOD. They worshipped him.
ill. The disciple John when receiving Revelation in Heaven began to worship a man BY BOWING DOWN TO HIM and the man said Re 22:9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
app. We have a great responsability this morning because the key is given by God.
2. He has all authority.
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
def. power -
exp. Mankind thinks that they make the rules. Humanism is the new GOSPEL being promoted by government and schools - we are to be tolerant and not to challenge people's views AND IT ALL HAS TO DO WITH RELIGION.
Ill. New Russian law - you can't proselityze. Baptist missionary from Iowa - taken to trial because he put two tracts up on a notice board in a block of flats.
exp. This opposition TO THE GOSPEL is not new.
Ac 4:19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
Ac 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
app. Jesus, WHO HAS ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND IN EARTH, has given us the key. We can't say this morning, "But our world doesn't like the key/ want the key/...."
II. The key is ....
A. A command to GO.
19 Go
exp. You can't sit at home and fulfil this command because it is a command to go.
ill. The Indy Camp (independance) at the Scottish Parliament - has lost their appeal and have been told to go. We'll know that they have fulfilled that command when they are gone.
app. You can go to your neighbor, your family, strangers, another country. BUT STAYING IS NOT GOING.
ill. Darlen Diabler Rose - was a missionary to Papua New Guinea - Her husband Russel made a trip into the interior of the country. His cat's claw boots were shredded and he had lacerated feet full of sores.
Isa 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
app. When is the last time - you put your feet to the Gospel. The key is GOING.
B. A command for YOU to go.
ye
exp. This command is to ALL DISCIPLES. "Teaching them to observe all things whatsover I have said unto you." GOD INTENDS FOR YOU TO GO.
ill. When boys turn 18 in the US - they have to register for the draft. The last draft in the US was December 7, 1972. If you got a draft letter - YOU HAD TO GO.
note: In time of war - man MEN WHO WERE MEN - enlisted to have the honor to fight for their country.
exp. When you got saved, God appointed you to be a Christian soldier.
2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
App. Is this command a burden to you or an honor?
C. A command for you to go BECAUSE HE SAID SO.
therefore,
exp. Therefore - goes back to v.18 "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."
note: JESUS, who has all authority in heaven and earth, has command for you to go.
ill. Moses had a fearful call of God - Exodus 3:2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
app. The very same God whom Moses was afraid to look upon has commanded us to take the key and go.
D. A command for you to go because He said so AND MAKE DISCIPLES.
and teach
def. Teach: to make a disciple
ill. The pharisees were good at making disciples.
Mt 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
ill. Cults are good at making disciples - JW's on the corner - Mormon missionaries (2 years)
app. They compass sea and land for damnation - WHAT WILL WE DO FOR SALVATION. Are we reaching any for Jesus?
E. A command for you to go because He said so and make disciples IN ALL NATIONS.
all nations,
exp. The command to go doesn't stop at the city bypass, Bilston or Lasswade. It doesn't stop at the North Sea, Irish Sea, Atlantic Ocean or border with England.
ill. Our sending church ....
· supports by prayer and financially missionaries in Africa, Europe, South America, ... all over the world. Last I knew we had 30 missionaries we supported around the world.
· Young people from our church are serving the Lord in ....Minnesota, Illinois, Hawwai, South Africa, Scotland, etc.
app. We have a responsability as a local independant Baptist church to obey this command.
· Some need to go as missionaries to foreign fields.
· We all need to give to Gospel causes in foreign fields.
· We all need to pray for the missionaries in these different locations.
III. The key does ....
A. Bring new believers to identity with God.
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
note: Those who believe baptism saves would grab hold of this passage and say - see the comand is to baptize.
Parallel Passage recorded by Mark.
Mark 16: 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
exp. Baptism does not save - but baptism is commanded of those who receive Jesus Christ as their Saviour to FULLY IDENTIFY WITH THE GOD. THEY ARE TO BE BAPTIZED IN HIS NAME.
ill. Citizenship granted through a representative of the Queen (HER NAME) giving us the certicate of citizenship.
App. We need to be burdened about this as a church - we ought to regularly see people follow the Lord in believers baptism because they are new disciples.
B. Bring new believers to maturity in God.
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:
exp. New believers misssed those special three years with Jesus. They didn't hear from his teaching from his lips. The disciples were to take His message to them. They did so and recorded it for us (New Testament) so that we could instruct disciples today in the teaching of Jesus.
Eph 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
app. When we get together at our church, preaching and teaching have the priority - because that is exactly what we have been commanded to do.
We've been praying that God will fill up the empty chairs. Why? Because empty chairs can't learn what Jesus taught. We want them filled with disciples for our Lord.
(Are you scared of your responsability having received this key?)
IV. The key includes....
A. A promise of HIS PRESENCE.
and, lo, I am with you alway,
ill. In Florida doing follow up evangelism. Seeing a large crowd of black people (30-40) congregating in the street - telling the guy with me if you are scared you can wait in the truck. Wad of money - perhaps drug related - giving out a couple tracts.
app. We can be bold when we have Jesus with us.
B. A promise of His presence UNTIL TIME SHALL BE NO MORE.
even unto the end of the world. Amen.
exp. He told this to his disciples 2,000 years ago - AND THE PROMISE IS THE VERY SAME TODAY.
ill. When Joshua took over the leadership of Israel after Moses died God said Jos 3:7 And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.
app. God is with us as He was with them. Why are you afraid to use the key that he has placed in your hands.
conclusion: Sidney Secundary's key sold for 85,000 pounds - because it saved lives and it cost him his life.
We have a priceless key.
1.) Given to every disciple of Jesus. (You can save no one if you are not saved. You must stand by while people perish.)
2.) Given by command from the King of Heaven.
3.) Given to make disciples.
Will you be faithful to the sacred trust which God has given? Can you be trusted to save men's lives?
