S. Matthew 6:18-20 (NIV) 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
O. Jesus blesses Peter for his confession that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus then gives Peter (and I think this extends to all believers) the keys to Kingdom living, that is this binding and losing. The binding and losing refers to the authority that Christ’s disciples have in proclaiming the gospel and in the oversight of the church.
This “authority, is that as they act (binding, loosing) they are doing so by the blessings of God in Heaven. God will honor His word His call to believers by blessing their work. There is a similar thought expressed by Luke in Acts 18:9-10.
A. I am humbled and blessed to serve the Lord through the ministry of the local church. I know as we proclaim Christ Jesus, He will continue to bless and lead us. Some aspects of the church oversight is humbling - humbling that God does give Christian leaders great responsibility to manging His house. I will continue to keep my eyes on Him and the great work of reaching our world with the Gospel of Jesus.
P. Thank you Father for your word today. Thank you Jesus for this great responsibility of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus and for the oversight of your church. Holy Spirit fill me and guide me with knowledge and wisdom to be a loving, humble and faithful manager of the Lord’s house. In Jesus’ name.
