September 3, 2023

A41: The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year A (2023)

Jim Somerville

Jim Somerville, pastor of Richmond’s First Baptist Church and Co-Founder of A Sermon for Every Sunday, preaches a sermon from Matthew 16:21-28 called “From Solid Rock to Stumbling Block.” Somerville says that if Peter had been in a freshman religion class, he would have been the student who was always raising his hand. When Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter had an answer, and Jesus praised him, but six verses later Jesus rebuked him in the strongest possible terms: “Get behind me, Satan!” What happened? Somerville claims that what flung Peter from the inner circle to the farthest extreme was his thinking. What about you? Are you thinking the things of God, or the things of men?

Manuscript available: click HERE