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The Gates of Hell Matthew 16:13-20 Before the Pandemic Altered Our

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The Gates of Hell Matthew 16:13-20 Before the Pandemic Altered Our The Gates of Hell said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter Matthew 16:13-20 replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! Before the pandemic altered our lives we used to turn and For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my greet one another right before the first hymn. Some would Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and even be so bold as to cross the center aisle to shake hands on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell with someone on the other side. shall not prevail against it. It’s a nice thing to do, but also has its roots in Matthew 5. It All of us have used a gate. We know what they are for. They says there: [I]f you are offering your gift at the altar and open allow us to pass through. They close to keep us in or there remember that your brother has something against out. I use the one in my back yard frequently. I open it to get you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be to the garden. I close it to keep Ruby inside the fence. The reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gates at Backbone stand open spring, summer, and fall. But gift. (22-23) in the winter they are close. You can’t get in with your car. That’s why, in the hymnal, the sharing of the peace is placed In our text, we are told that even hell has a gate. between the prayers and the offering. It says, “Following the It shouldn’t take too much deep thinking to answer this prayers, the people may greet one another in the name of the question: Is it the nature of a gate to be offensive or Lord, say, ‘Peace be with you,’ as a sign of reconciliation defensive? … If your answer was defensive, think about and of the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” this: Should we be hunkering down to prepare for the gates I’ve said before that I listen to a lot of sermons. This week I of hell to come and attack us? Or should we be on the march listened to one delivered by a St. Louis Seminary professor to combat evil wherever we find it? Is it “Built on the Rock in May of 2011. When I was there last fall he was still a the Church Shall Stand”? Or should it be “Onward Christian faculty member, so he must have done a fairly good job of Soldiers”? explaining what he suggested in that sermon. That is somewhat of a false dichotomy, like faith or works. What he offered was some alternative wording for the We are saved by faith, but good works are a response to greeting. Instead of “Peace be with you,” “And also with faith. Without them, faith is dead. you,” he made a case for “Go to hell,” “And you go there There is a place for building a firm foundation. We want our too.” church schools and seminaries to teach solid doctrine. We He didn’t make them practice saying it right then and there, send our children to Sunday school and we attend Bible but he encouraged them to do it. And here’s why: [Jesus] class to know what the Bible teaches us about God and ourselves. It is a good thing for us build on and stand firm day He rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended on the rock of the Bible. into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. But does it stop there? Have we done our duty if we Jesus broke down the gates of hell for you. They will not diligently search the Scripture and stand firm on that rock? prevail against you. The devil is against you, but Jesus is for … Or, are there some gates that need to be broken down? you. Shedding His own blood on the cross, He has washed you clean of all your sin. The gates of hell will not prevail The gates of hell we are to attack come in two common against you. Jesus died for you to earn for you the full kinds: evil without and evil within. forgiveness of all your sin – all your sin, not just the little It’s fairly easy to identify the evils without: prejudice, ones but also your private hell. Jesus has won the victory. poverty, hunger, hatred, disease, despair. The gates of hell shall not prevail against you. They have It’s fairly easy to write a check to Food for the Poor or the been broken down. They will not hold you captive. You Cancer Society. It takes a little more effort to speak up to belong to Jesus, and He will lead you to a much different set defend those who can’t defend themselves. It takes a little of gates – the gates of heaven. more effort to invest yourself in someone who is going Jesus gave keys of the kingdom of heaven to His church: through a hard time. Going to hell as a Christian soldier will [W]hatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. take some hard work on your part. Those keys were put to use this morning as you heard me What about the evil within? Each of us has our own little announce the forgiveness of sins and deliver it to you in the hell – that place we try to keep hidden from other people, name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. and even God Himself. What is it going to take to break Added assurance and deliverance of the forgiveness of sins down that gate? How hard are you going to have to work to is about to be offered to you in the bread and wine – body overcome that sin? and blood – of our Lord’s Supper. I would say, “Good luck with that!” But that’s not what you Blessed are you, child of God! You have the Christ, the Son need. You don’t need luck. You don’t need to work harder. of the living God as your Savior. And He doesn’t leave you You need a Savior! And you have one in the person of Jesus wondering what that means or how He delivers His gifts to Christ the Son of the living God. you. Through faith in Him you have the forgiveness of your sin and the promise of life eternal with Him. These gifts are Jesus was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary yours through His word and sacraments. And the gates of and was made man; and was crucified also for us under hell shall not prevail against you. Amen. Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third .
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