The following sermon is by John MacArthur, pastor, author, and Bible teacher with Grace to You.

If you've never contacted Grace to you, we want to send you a free booklet by John called How to Prepare for Christ's Return.

The Bible says to fix your hope on the Lord's return, but until Christ comes back, how should you spend your days?

This booklet answers that important question.

Request your free copy of How to Prepare for Christ's return by writing to prepare at gty.org.

That's prepare at gty.org. This offer is good in North America and Europe through December 2025.

And now unleashing God's truth one verse at a time.

Here is Grace to you Bible teacher John MacArthur.

Open your Bible to Matthew Chapter 16.

Matthew chapter 16.

This is an incredible chapter for many reasons, some of which will unfold

to us as we look together at it. But I want to put it in your mind, starting with verse 13,

Matthew 16, 13. It's a very understandable narrative.

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he was asking his disciples,

who do people say that the Son of Man is?

And they said, some say John the Baptist and others Elijah, but still others, Jeremiah, or one

of the prophets. He said to them, but who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered, you are

the Christ, the son of the living God. And Jesus said to him, blessed are you Simon Bar Jonah, son of Jonah, because flesh and blood

did not reveal this to you, but my father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter.

And upon this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.

And he warned the disciples that they should tell no one that he was the Christ or the Messiah.

...