August 22-24, 2026 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Matthew 16:13-20 “THE MOST IMPORTANT Q AND A”

 

PENTECOST 13

August 22-24, 2026

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Matthew 16:13-20

 

“THE MOST IMPORTANT Q AND A”

 

          All questions are important. If you don’t know something, ask! Answers are important too. They teach or reveal knowledge you need to have. Some questions are more important than others and some answers are more important than others. Generally these questions and answers are more important because how the question is answered will have ongoing results or direct the course of your life.
“Will you marry me?” That is a very important question. One that should not be asked unless you really want her to say Yes. The answer given is also very important. It will direct the course of the lives of at least two people. “Will you accept this job?” There is another important question. An employer is offering you a means of income. How you answer will direct for a time where and when you work and perhaps even where you live. You have been accepted to this college. Will you attend? Another life directing question and answer.

          The word of God before us today presents the most important question and how you answer it will not only direct the course of this life for you, it will also reveal where you will spend your eternity. Jesus had been teaching his disciples for two years now. For two years they got to hear Jesus explain the Bible as it was meant by God instead of the way the Pharisees and teachers of the law had twisted it. For two years they had seen Jesus do miracle after miracle, healing the sick, walking on water, driving out demons. Much training had happened. Much more was needed. That is when Jesus started his Q and A session. “When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”  ¹⁴They said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

          A very important question. Who do people say Jesus is? As you live your life as a witness for Jesus it is important to know where the people around you are at. Who do people think Jesus is? What is their impression of Him? The disciples had the answer or rather answers. John the Baptist. Now that’s an interesting one. Not too long before this happened King Herod had John the Baptist’s head cut off because he told people what God said whether they liked it or not. The people had respected John the Baptist. Jesus spoke strongly too. Was John back from the dead? Other answers. Elijah, one of the great Old Testament prophets through whom God had done miracles. Jesus did miracles. Maybe he was the second Elijah. More answers. Jeremiah. Another great Old Testament prophet. Some other prophets.  An important question. Some important answers that revealed where the people the disciples would serve were at. If you had to pick one thing that all of the people’s answers had in common, what would it be? Jesus is a great man. A great teacher. A great prophet. But just a man.

          If Jesus asked you that question “Who do people say that I am?” what answers would you give? Your Muslim friends and neighbors call Him a great prophet. But Mohammed is better! Jehovah’s Witnesses will call Him a great servant of God. The Mormons will say He is the one who taught us how to live. Many of our fellow Americans look at Him as a great teacher. Some as just a name to yell when they are angry or hurt.

          There is a more important question for you and I to give an answer to, the most important question. Jesus asked that one next. “He said to them, “But you, who do you say that I am?” There it is! The most important question you can be asked. “Who do you say Jesus is?” It is a question that everyone must answer at some point and how you answer will determine not only the course of this life but where you spend your eternity. How did the disciples answer? Their self-appointed spokesman stepped up. “Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Good answer. Jesus, not only are you a great man and a perfect teacher, you are the Christ, the God sent Savior of the world. His one and only Son.

          That answer set the course for Peter and the others’ earthly life and their eternity. “Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for flesh and blood did not reveal his to you, but my Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not overpower it. ¹⁹I 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.” Based on that answer the disciples were blessed by God. They could not have come up with that answer on their own. The Father had intervened. Both the original Greek of the New Testament and our English translations make it clear the Christ’s church is not built on Peter or his man picked made up successor but on the confession that Jesus is the Christ. Peter is a name. Rock is petra. A solid foundation. The same word Jesus used when teaching on the wise and foolish builder at the end of His Sermon on the Mount.  The disciples were blessed to live their earthly lives on the truth that Jesus is both Lord and Savior, the Christ.

          That directed the course of their earthly lives. These boys still needed another year of training. They needed to learn and relearn the truth that Jesus, the Christ, had not come to set up an earthly kingdom or just teach people to be nice. He came to save them from sin so they could be a part of His eternal kingdom. Once they absorbed that truth you find driven and motivated disciples who gladly announced forgiveness of sins, the loosing of sins Jesus mentioned, to all who believed and lack of forgiveness, the binding of sin, to all who rejected Jesus. That became their life and their passion all based on their answer to the most important question. And then, for each of them, when God’s timing was right, they were welcomed to the joy and happiness of heaven reserved for those who believe.

          Now it is time for us to stand before Jesus. Who do you say He is? That is the most important question you can be asked. And how you answer it will not only direct the rest of your earthly life but also reveal where you will spend your eternity. Who is Jesus? Friend? Yes, He is. What a friend we have in Jesus and no one is more faithful than He. Brother. Yes, He is. He came to be one of us. He took on our humanity to be our substitute. Teacher. Yes, He is. In the Bible He plainly reveals God’s rights and wrongs. He gives straight talk. Marriage is one man and one woman. Sex reserved for marriage. God made only male and female. Honor and obey every God given authority whether you like them or not. Pay your taxes. Live within your means. Forgive all others. Put God first in your calendar and budget always and by the way these non negotiable rights and wrongs of God cover not only your actions and words and thoughts but your failure to have right actions words and thoughts. Friend. Brother. Teacher. Good answers. But not good enough. My Lord and My God. Savior. That answer you can only say if the Father revealed it to by the Spirit. That answer is the one that determines where you will spend your eternity. That is why our Friend and Brother taught God’s laws so clearly, to help us see we can’t do what God demands. We need saving. Jesus is that Savior.

          So, who do you say Jesus is? That is the most important Q and A session you will ever be a part of. You are blessed to answer that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, your Savior. You did not come up with this on your own. The Father revealed it do you. And now you, like Jesus’ original disciples, have the course of your earthly life set. You serve Him. At that time, because the timing was not right, Jesus “commanded the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.” Times have changed. Jesus completed His mission. So tell everyone you want the most important answer to the most important question. Jesus is your Savior. Amen.

 

August 1-3, 2026 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Ephesians 1:3-10 “IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE!”

 

PENTECOST 10

August 1-3, 2026

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Ephesians 1:3-10

 

“IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE!”

1.     Loved.

2.     Lavished.

3.     Led

 

The Bible sometimes presents us with two facts that seem to contradict each other and yet both remain true. Law and Gospel are the most obvious example. The Law of God clearly states that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and the wages of sin is death. The Gospel just as clearly states God so loved the world that He have His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. One says your place in in Hell. The other that your place is in heaven. Seem to contradict. Both are true. Here is another. The life of a Christian will be hard. Jesus clearly says that if anyone would come after Him, he must take up His cross and follow. Cross, not power recliner. Cross, not Sleep Number or Beauty Rest mattress. This is so true. If you are making an effort to faithfully follow Christ it is hard. It’s hard to put down your pride and act truly Christlike toward others. It takes work to prioritize your life on Jesus’ priorities and to fight the many temptations we daily face. At the same time the life of a Christian is a blessed life. Jesus said, “Blessed, that is, made happy, are those who hear the word of God and keep it.” Seems to contradict. Both are true. But lest we wallow in self pity at sacrifices we make to follow Jesus let’s focus on the second truth, how blessed we are to be Christians. I know, I know, I missed Christmas in July by one weekend but I’m going there any way. Christian, It’s a Wonderful life!

It’s a life where we are loved by God in a way that goes beyond our comprehension. The Apostle Paul pointed to that love in his letter to the church at Ephesus. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ⁴For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love ⁵He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will—⁶to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves.” To highlight the fact that God works on the basis of grace, love that can’t be earned, Paul praises God for what we have come to call Predestination, or the Election of grace. This refers to the fact that God loves you so much, even before He created this world, He chose you to be His own. He determined ahead of time that He would adopt you into the family of faith in spite of the many sins He knew you would commit against Him. That is how loved you are!

Now some of you are going to take this wonderful truth of God that gives us a wonderful life and ruin it for yourself. You will start thinking, “Well, if God chose me before the creation of the world and predestined me to be adopted into His family, that means I can do what I want and sin as I want and what I do does not matter.” Or “Does that mean He did not choose some others? Did God predestine some people to go to Hell?” Knock it off! You are trying to make the Almighty God whose thoughts are as higher than your thoughts and ways above your ways as the heavens are above the earth accountable to your way of thinking which is guided by corrupted human reason. All you are doing is exposing your arrogance and failing to listen to the voice of God Almighty. Focus on what He clearly says. He loves you. He chose you. He did this even though He knew Jesus would have to be punished for your sins. No one, not even dogs, love their people that much. But God loves you that much and more. Others can and have loved you and then taken that love away. God will not. Others can and have loved you only to use you, to take from you. God loves you so He can give to you. You are His and it’s a wonderful life when you are loved like that.

It’s a wonderful life where we are lavished with blessings! “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace ⁸that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” Those of you who have had the unfortunate experience of eating with me know that when it comes to the sauces I like it thick. Chicken wings? No dry rub. Sauce ‘em up! Beer battered fish fry and you bring out one little container or tartar sauce? Are you kidding me? Who does that? Keep that tartar coming. Pancakes. Don’t bring me syrup in a teacup. Leave the pitcher. Taco sauce, nacho cheese, barbeque on the ribs. Chick Fil A sauce. I like it lavished on. Now my excuse for this behavior is this. I’m just treating my food like my God treats me, and you too!

It’s a wonderful life we have where God lavishes us with His blessings. He pours it on thick. Now because we are all a little spiritually immature our first thought will be to think of the blessings we see. God has lavished those on us too. The fact that I could mention all those different kinds of food and you could relate is proof. So are our closets and cars and toys. As is the fact that we have such a nice tabernacle while we wait for the Temple to be redone. If you feel like rolling your eyes at me because you are experiencing money problems, I need you to understand that you do not have a money problem, you have a spending problem. And no matter how much God gives you, you will burn through it until you deal with your real problem. So let’s talk about real riches our Lord has lavished on us. Redemption. Forgiveness. Grace. His wisdom. All the clothes in your closet cannot hide your sinfulness but the robe of Christ’s righteousness does. If you liquidated all your assets, you could not pay for one sin but Jesus paid for them all for you. The finest mansion money can buy is but a pigsty compared to the one Jesus prepared for you and is yours because you are lavished with redemption and forgiveness. You can pay for all the relationship advice you want but it will not top the wisdom God has lavished you with, “Love one another. As I have loved you so you must love one another.” It’s a wonderful life where God lavishes us with all the most important blessings and a whole bunch more too.

And where we are led by Christ Himself. “And He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, ¹⁰to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one Head, even Christ.” When the Bible uses the word “mystery” it means something that has to be revealed by God. People will not come up with it on their own. What does God reveal here? All things in heaven and on earth are under one Head. Jesus Christ. Jesus rules. Jesus leads us and all things. It’s a wonderful life when you live conscious of this truth. “What me—worry?” was the tagline of Mad Magazine’s Alfred E Neuman character. In its positive spin it describes a person who does not get bent out of shape over things that happen in life—especially those things out of your control. Because Jesus is the head of all things, your leader, it gets to be yours. From the world bending events like the Russia/Ukraine War to Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. From mid term elections to the price of a gallon of gas. From the Dow Jones to where my next paycheck will come from. From the health of the country to the health of my body. You do what God allows you to do but, what me worry? With Christ as head? When I and all things are led by Jesus. No way! Since we are led by Jesus, it’s a wonderful life!

But not the best life. There it is again. Two things God tells us as facts that seem to contradict but both are true. Life in this world is wonderful when we realized how much we are loved, how much has been lavished on us and that we are led. But it is not our best life. There is still sin, hurt, loss, disappointment and pain. So hold on to your fork. One of our members long since in heaven repeated that story every time we visited. He wanted to be buried with a fork in his hand. Why? As his mom would clear the dishes from the supper table she would tell the kids, “Hold on to your fork, the best is yet to come.” She meant dessert. He was looking forward to heaven. Because of Jesus, you and I get to as well. Then our wonderful life will get perfectly better. Amen.