SPEAKER_00: The Holy Gospel according to St.
SPEAKER_00: Matthew, the 16th chapter.
SPEAKER_00: Now, when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do people say that the Son of Man is?
SPEAKER_00: And they said, Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.
SPEAKER_00: He said to them, But who do you say that I am?
SPEAKER_00: Simon Peter answered, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.
SPEAKER_00: And Jesus answered him, Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my father in heaven.
SPEAKER_00: And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
SPEAKER_00: 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.
SPEAKER_00: Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
SPEAKER_00: The Gospel of the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: You may be seated.
SPEAKER_00: Grace and peace to you from God and our Savior Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: So, for the last few months, many of you have been asking me after I end my time here at ULDLC what will happen and where will I end up?
SPEAKER_00: Well, in case you missed this week's newsletter, I am pleased to say that I have accepted a call with Resurrection Lutheran Church in Horsham, which is only about 10 minutes from here.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
SPEAKER_00: It is exciting to have finally accepted a call and to begin living into the role I've been preparing for these last few years.
SPEAKER_00: While I am excitedly planning for all the celebrations to come, including my ordination, which you should all put on your calendars, I am quite nervous.
SPEAKER_00: You see, despite preparing for years, I worry about being able to serve in the calling God has given me.
SPEAKER_00: I keep anxiously asking myself, what will happen if I mess up?
SPEAKER_00: What if something goes wrong and I don't know how to handle it?
SPEAKER_00: What if I'm not good enough?
SPEAKER_00: Have you ever felt this way before?
SPEAKER_00: Worried if you were good enough for a role you have been preparing for, or one that was just set before you?
SPEAKER_00: Maybe you have been worried at work, questioning if you really have the skills to fulfill your role.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe it was in becoming a new parent, grandparent, or in making a new friend, worrying if your life is put together enough to support someone in theirs.
SPEAKER_00: Or maybe it was here at church, being asked to be on counsel or in a ministry, wondering if your faith is strong enough to serve God.
SPEAKER_00: We all have things we worry about.
SPEAKER_00: With jobs we need to afford our lives, friends and family we care for, and all the responsibilities we take on.
SPEAKER_00: It feels like the weight of the world is on our shoulders.
SPEAKER_00: It is easy for us to compare ourselves to those around us who seem like they have their life perfectly together.
SPEAKER_00: Especially with social media nowadays, we see people curate the best versions of themselves to post online for public consumption.
SPEAKER_00: With all the responsibilities we take on in life, it's no wonder we doubt ourselves and our abilities.
SPEAKER_00: What if we fail?
SPEAKER_00: What if we mess up?
SPEAKER_00: What if we aren't good enough?
SPEAKER_00: In today's gospel reading, we see Jesus questioning the disciples as to who he is.
SPEAKER_00: First, Jesus asks who the people in the community say he is.
SPEAKER_00: They respond with Elijah and Jeremiah, prophets in the Jewish tradition, as well as John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Then Jesus turns the question to his disciples, asking them who they say he is.
SPEAKER_00: If you remember our gospel from two weeks ago, we saw Peter walking on the sea, and upon safely returning to the boat, all of the disciples proclaimed Jesus to be the Son of God.
SPEAKER_00: What is interesting here, though, is that not all of the disciples were able to repeat this answer, this truth.
SPEAKER_00: They have learned about Jesus before.
SPEAKER_00: Only Simon Peter can.
SPEAKER_00: Only he says that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus blesses Simon Peter, saying that God has revealed this truth to him.
SPEAKER_00: Then Jesus renames him, changing his name from Peter to, from Simon to Peter, which roughly translates to rock, and states that he will build his church on that rock, on Peter.
SPEAKER_00: While this text has historically been debated over what rock Jesus builds his church on, either Peter as a person or Peter's testimony, Peter is clearly chosen for some sort of leadership role here.
SPEAKER_00: God gave him knowledge and clarity as to Jesus' identity, that Jesus is the Son of the living God.
SPEAKER_00: You would think that this means Peter was perfectly qualified to be a leader, to be given the responsibility to serve God in faith and obedience and to proclaim the gospel.
SPEAKER_00: He is a saint remembered in the church even thousands of years later.
SPEAKER_00: So he must have been uniquely qualified for the role, right?
SPEAKER_00: Well, again, from our gospel two weeks ago, we see Peter boldly stepping out in faith to Jesus on the stormy sea, trusting Jesus' command to come to him.
SPEAKER_00: Yet when Peter sees the storm around him, he gets scared and falls into the sea.
SPEAKER_00: His fear got the best of him.
SPEAKER_00: Next week, we will hear Jesus foretelling his suffering and death.
SPEAKER_00: When Peter, honestly concerned for Jesus' safety, admonishes this, saying that this must never happen, Jesus rebukes Peter, calling him Satan and hindering the work that must happen.
SPEAKER_00: Peter really must have messed up here to have been called Satan.
SPEAKER_00: Finally, at the Last Supper, Jesus tells the disciples that they will all fall away and deny knowing Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Peter denies this statement, promising to die before ever denying to know Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: And yet, later that night, Peter denies having ever known Jesus three separate times, and once he realizes his failing, wept bitterly.
SPEAKER_00: Despite all of this, despite knowing Peter will have moments of weakness, doubt, and denial, God still calls Peter.
SPEAKER_00: Though imperfect, Peter is the one who proclaims that Jesus is the Son of the living God.
SPEAKER_00: While Peter's faith and works may be what we focus on, it is not Peter's own internal knowledge or strength that make him a foundational rock in the church.
SPEAKER_00: But it is God that matters.
SPEAKER_00: We are imperfect disciples like Peter, often doubting, getting distracted, making unwise choices.
SPEAKER_00: But it is not our abilities that matter, but the sheer fact that God calls us.
SPEAKER_00: God will give us what we need in each and every moment to fulfill the call we have been given.
SPEAKER_00: Skills to be a loyal friend and family member, gifts that may lead us to a job to serve others, and a faith that will help us trust in God's promises and love.
SPEAKER_00: As Peter did 2,000 years ago, we too can proclaim the living God who is among us now, constantly reaching out to us, showing us that Jesus is here and wants us to come to Him.
SPEAKER_00: While we will fail at this proclamation at times, God will pick up the pieces and find a new way forward.
SPEAKER_00: No matter what, God still chooses us, her beloved children, to serve.
SPEAKER_00: In all God's wisdom and diversity, we are not called to the same place.
SPEAKER_00: Peter may have been called out as an initial leader of the church, but the other disciples' roles were important too.
SPEAKER_00: We see this in our reading from Paul's letter to the Romans.
SPEAKER_00: God has given us all different gifts, different ways to serve.
SPEAKER_00: Paul says some people are given gifts of prophecy, ministering, teaching, encouragement, sincerity, diligence, and compassion.
SPEAKER_00: And these are just some of the gifts.
SPEAKER_00: There are countless others that God gives us to serve the church in its proclamation, as well as the whole world.
SPEAKER_00: What are the gifts God has given you?
SPEAKER_00: While we are imperfect disciples questioning if we can even do the work set before us, God's work does not depend on us.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus was with Peter a long time ago, and Jesus continues to abide with us and his church now.
SPEAKER_00: We have been welcomed by God into the work of the church and in service to others.
SPEAKER_00: God has given us everything we need, the gifts, the strength, everything that is necessary to sustain us in our unique callings.
SPEAKER_00: We will mess up, but Jesus has promised that not even Hades, not even death, can overcome his work of love, peace, justice, and mercy in the world.
SPEAKER_00: In these moments, God will lift us back up and welcome us again into the work they have called us to.
SPEAKER_00: But like Peter, we are the rocks that Jesus chooses.
SPEAKER_00: On our own, it is impossible to build any sort of foundation.
SPEAKER_00: But when God brings us all together into one great structure, we are formed into a true and solid foundation that can withstand all manner of hardships, mess-ups, and failings.
SPEAKER_00: With God, our wonderful Creator, we are given what we need to proclaim the good news of Christ to all the world.
SPEAKER_00: My friends, as we navigate all the concerns and responsibilities of this world, may God continue to bless us with wisdom, strength, and all manner of gifts to serve each other in the world God made.
SPEAKER_00: May God lift us up when we make mistakes, when we fail, and continue to invite us back into the work she has called us and enabled us to do.
SPEAKER_00: And finally, may God give us the faith to trust in the loving and ever abiding presence of Christ among us, no matter what fears and doubts come our way.
SPEAKER_00: We may not be the perfect rocks, but we are the ones God has chosen.
SPEAKER_00: Thanks be to God for that.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.