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The Keys Of The Kingdom Of Heaven

January 20, 2008

The keys of the kingdom of heaven

Matthew 16:18-19 "And I (Jesus) also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 "And I will give you (Peter) 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."

Keys represent – authority, rights, benefits, and privileges

Revelation 1:18 I (Jesus) am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Revelation 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

The keys can be transferred to another due to unfaithfulness

Isaiah 22:15-22 Thus says the Lord GOD of hosts: "Go, proceed to this steward, To Shebna, who is over the house, and say: 19 So I will drive you out of your office, And from your position he will pull you down. 20 ' Then it shall be in that day, That I will call My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah; 21 I will clothe him with your robe And strengthen him with your belt; I will commit your responsibility into his hand. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem And to the house of Judah. 22 The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; So he shall open, and no one shall shut; And he shall shut, and no one shall open.

For our learning

Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

Privileges and rights taken away from the leaders of Israel

Matthew 21:33-45 "Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. 34 When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. 35 But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. 36 Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. 37 Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, 'They will respect my son.' 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.' 39 They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?" 41 They answered him, "He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times." 42 Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes'? 43 Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit. 44 ( The one who falls on this stone will be dashed to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.)" 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking about them.

They sat on Moses’ seat

Matthew 23:1-3 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. 3 "Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.

The keys are used “to bind” and “to loose”

Matthew 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind (close or forbid) on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose (open or permit) on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

The leaders of Israel had exercised this authority

Matthew 23:4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move (loose) them with one of their fingers.

They possessed “the key of knowledge” for Israel

Luke 11:52 "Woe to you lawyers [or scribes]! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered."

The keys of the kingdom

Matthew 23:13 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.

The scribes had a duty to perform

Matthew 13:52 Then He said to them, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder [he is the one in possession of the keys] who brings out of his treasure things new and old."

The leaders of Israel rejected the will of God

Luke 7:30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.

They did not believe nor repent

Matthew 21:31-32 Verily I say unto you [“the chief priests and the elders of the people” v.23], That the publicans (apostates) and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

The keys of the kingdom were taken away from them

Matthew 21:43 "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God (the keys) will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it.

They were given to the little flock

Luke 12:32 Fear not, little flock (the apostles - the church in Acts 20:28); for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom (the keys).

Christ’s apostles were the leaders of the His church

Acts 2:37,41-42,47 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. 42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers

The key of knowledge was revealed unto them

Matthew 16:15-17 He (Jesus) saith unto them (the apostles), But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered (representing all the apostles) and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Peter represented all the apostles

Matthew 16:18-19 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock (the Messiah) I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 “I will give you (Peter – representing all the apostles) the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

The church possesses “the keys of the kingdom”

Matthew 18:17 "And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. 18 "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.

The church can “put away” a member from inheriting the kingdom

1 Corinthians 5:1,4-5,12-13 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you [in the church at Corinth]…4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye [as the church] are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? 13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

1 Corinthians 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?

The church teaches disciples how to enter into the kingdom

Matthew 28:19-20 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

The stewards of good news of the kingdom

Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.