Title: Heaven's Key
“And I tell you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 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. "
There was a monk who spent his whole life making monastic clothes and mending shabby clothes. When it was time to face his death, he asked his brothers. "Go and bring me the keys to heaven."
"You're even talking nonsense, no... The key to heaven? I don't know if you're talking about the rules of the Order. Or maybe you're talking about the rosary. I'd rather bring you a cross."
But the older brother shook his head each time. Finally, the director heard him, went to the repair room, took a small needle, and handed it to the dying monk. The old monk who was handed the needle murmured as if speaking to the person next to him.
"The two of us worked together for a very long time. Together we tried to do God's will. So now you must open the door to heaven for me." After speaking, the monk died. The little needle was the key to heaven that opened up heaven to the monk day by day.
“Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
Consider a famous passage from Hermann Hesse's novel Damien. “Birds hatch their eggs and come out. Anyone who wants to create a new world must destroy another world.”
We are people who live in hope of a new world. We call that new world heaven. Anyone who wants to create a new world must destroy the other. You cannot become a bird without breaking the egg called another world. You can't fly to a new world.
Anyone who wants to hold onto the cord of God must let go of the cord he is holding on to. You can never hold onto God's string until you let it go. Those who cannot hold on to the bond of God cannot obtain the key to the kingdom of heaven even if they attend church for the rest of their lives. You cannot live a heavenly life.
Faith is living with God as Lord of oneself and of the world. Living with God as the master of yourself and the world means that you have only God as your string and nothing else in the world as your string. It means that I give up the string that the people of the world hold on to, which I have been holding on to until now. I hope that you will get the key to heaven by breaking the chains of the world and holding on to God's only by faith, so that you can enjoy the life of heaven and salvation on this earth.
Jesus promises to give Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven. This did not give Peter the right to decide who may or may not enter the kingdom of heaven. In the event immediately following the text, Peter heard a rebuke from Jesus, “Get behind me, Satan.” But it is clear that Peter received a wonderful blessing.
Jesus is doing a poll of sorts. “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” The disciples answer. “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Public opinion isn't that bad. But Jesus is not satisfied with that. Jesus asks his disciples. “Who do you say I am?” ‘You’ is an emphatic expression. This means that the disciples must face God one-on-one, not public opinion.
There is no point in giving other praise to Jesus. I believed people who said that I could only go to Seoul if I went to Moro, but when I stand at the entrance to eternity and find out that it wasn't, who will be responsible? The public opinion of the world cannot guarantee my eternal destiny. No matter how hard you try, you can't fix the roof of your own if you put a ladder on the roof of someone else's house. How can you be compensated for the injustice when you find out at the last moment of your life that the ladder you climbed up your whole life was erroneous?
Peter answers. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Because of this answer, he was given the key to heaven. This answer is the most important. The church of Christ stands on this confession of faith. This confession of faith breaks the powers of death and hell. Those who still make this profession of faith are lucky. In the early church days, there were confessors who could not be martyred and kept their faith by enduring suffering. We must live as confessors even in times of peace.
The most important verse in the Bible is John 3:16, which says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." The essence of this verse is that “whoever”, that is, any sinner, if he or she changes their heart and believes only in Jesus, that is, if they receive Jesus in their heart, they will have eternal life from today and enter the kingdom of heaven in the future. You do not have to have a single sin to enter the kingdom of heaven, nor do you have to do many good works to enter the kingdom of heaven. Anyone who realizes that he is a sinner and returns to God with a repentant heart and believes in Jesus will be saved and enter the kingdom of heaven. Believe it or not, it depends on your choices and determination.
In the book of Job, from chapter 38, God's questions about Job are recorded. God pours out countless questions to Job.
‘Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Do you know where the candles were placed?’
‘Who gave food to the crows when the young crows had nothing to eat?’
Putting the countless questions together, they fall into two types. It is a ‘Do you know?’ type of question and a ‘Can you do it?’ type of question. The most important point God is trying to teach us and Job through that question is our ignorance and incompetence. In the midst of that question, God says this in Job 40:14.
"Then I will admit that your right hand can save you."
One of the most important verses in the Bible is Romans 1:17, “But the righteous shall live by faith.” People live by faith. But that faith is acknowledging that God is Lord of himself, of the world, and of himself. You will be saved if you live with a heart and faith that acknowledges that God is the world and your own God and Master in everything. Success. Win. When people of such faith gather together, a good church can be formed.
Peter's confession of faith in today's text is, in one word, "Jesus is his Lord." Jesus heard those words and said that he would build his church on the rock of that faith. This verse means that if people who profess the faith that “Jesus is Lord of us and the world” gather and build a church on that faith, that church will become a good church built on the rock.
I know the way and how to make our church a good church. It is for our members to become believers in Jesus. It is to become people of faith who confess that God is the Lord of Himself and everything. And we do our best to make sure that people do not become masters of the high will we serve, but always, until Jesus comes, so that God can become the masters. It is always giving up God's place so that God can personally control our church. And we are trying to keep that place of God.
Who is your master? Do you really believe that God is your master? Do you accept that God must be master of me and you? Do you thoroughly deny yourself, give up all greed, and acknowledge that you must acknowledge and serve God in everything you do? Do you believe that the owner of our church must always be God? It's not as easy as you might think. Because we are sinners with original sin, it is almost impossible for us to deny ourselves, give up our greed, and acknowledge and serve God as our master. But nevertheless, that does not mean giving up on it. You can't give up the fight with yourself. We cannot give up the fight to serve God as our Lord. Even though this battle is the most difficult and difficult for me, I will not give up until the end and will fight this battle in detail while praying.
When we acknowledge God as our Lord, from then on, our lives are built on the rock. If we are blinded by greed and live as the masters of ourselves and the world, from then on, our lives are built on sand. Just going to church doesn't change your life much. You cannot earn salvation just by moderately serving the church and living the church life. You must believe in Jesus to be saved. When we acknowledge God as the Lord of ourselves, the world, and the church we serve, and deny ourselves thoroughly, we can be saved. Like Peter, I hope that you can become all wise builders who build your church and your life on the rock through the right and clear confession of faith, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
* Prayer: Loving Heavenly Father, thank you that life on earth is not the end. Thank you for having the hope of living in the kingdom of the Lord. Do your best in your life today so that you will not be ashamed on the day when you will stand before the Lord. Accept Jesus and obey His will so that everyone can participate in salvation. So please help me so that I do not lack enough to go to heaven. May I always live as a true confessor of faith who holds the keys of heaven. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.