Ryan's Journal

Pastor Brian Greene, Matthew 16:17-19, "Activation Through Identification." The main application is to be part of a church, but the right church, whichever one it might be.

Peter is given a new name as God opens him up to the truth of who Jesus Christ is. More than that, he's given new purpose (the rock upon which the church will be built) and new authority (the keys to heaven's gates). We can be a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17) and have new purpose and authority, too, but not without first God opening us up to it. That's only the beginning.

Peter's next step is to identify Christ, and from that point on (even though he fails rather spectacularly in the next couple of verses), he's on his way - he's activated for God's work. We have to identify the pastoral leadership in our lives, the Christ, too, before we can be activated.

Man, do I ever know that truth. I've been longing for more for such a long time, and I know I'm home with PT now. I'm intensely excited to be a part of what God's doing in my church and in my life. Next week I officially become a (temporary) member.

On a side note, the rest of the sermons for the next three months are going to be on Esther. I was very surprised by that announcement because I'd just been thinking this morning how it would be nice to be able to prepare for sermons by reading ahead - but that didn't seem to be the way PT worked. And it wasn't, until now - this is the first time the pastor has ever gone into a series.

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