Nothing to Fear: Living Boldly with the Keys to Heaven

Devotional

Day 1: Nothing Can Separate Us from the Love of Christ

In Christ, believers have nothing to fear—no condemnation, no enemy, no suffering can separate them from God’s love. The assurance of God’s unwavering love is not based on circumstances or feelings, but on the finished work of Jesus, who took our condemnation and intercedes for us. Even in the midst of trials, distress, or persecution, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. This truth should ignite excitement and passion for God’s purposes, freeing us from the distractions and anxieties of this world. [26:29]

Romans 8:31-39 (ESV)
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Reflection: What is one fear or anxiety you are holding onto today that you need to surrender to the truth that nothing can separate you from God’s love in Christ?

Day 2: Jesus Is the Only Key to the Kingdom

The only way to the Father is through Jesus Christ—He is the key to the kingdom of heaven, not our works, traditions, or religious status. Having Jesus means having access to all that God promises, and with Him, we are entrusted with the message of the gospel to share with others. It is not about what we do or how often we attend church, but about knowing and loving Jesus as Lord. If you have Him, you have everything you need; if not, you have nothing to share and everything to fear. [33:34]

Matthew 16:18-19 (ESV)
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Reflection: Do you truly know Jesus as the key to the kingdom, or have you been relying on your own efforts or religious activity for your sense of security with God?

Day 3: The Gospel Requires Repentance and Belief

The gospel is not about accepting a needy Savior, but about recognizing our desperate need for Jesus, who suffered, died, and was raised for our salvation. We must repent, believe, and be transformed by this truth, not watering it down or reshaping it to fit our preferences. The call is to embrace the full message of the gospel, including the necessity of Christ’s suffering and resurrection, and to let that truth change us from the inside out. [39:28]

Matthew 16:21 (ESV)
From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.

Reflection: In what ways have you tried to make the gospel more comfortable or palatable for yourself or others, and how can you return to the true call to repent and believe?

Day 4: Suffering Is the Pathway to New Life

Following Jesus means embracing a path that includes suffering, trials, and self-denial, but through these, God brings resurrection and transformation. The way of the Savior is not to bypass hardship, but to trust that God uses suffering to produce steadfastness, maturity, and new life in us and others. Instead of wasting energy on trivial pursuits or complaining about difficulties, we are called to pour our hearts out for the broken, trust the process, and let God’s purpose be accomplished through our trials. [48:55]

James 1:2-4 (ESV)
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Reflection: Think of a current trial or hardship—how might God be using this season to bring about new life or growth in you or someone else?

Day 5: Deny Yourself, Take Up Your Cross, and Follow Jesus

The call of Christ is to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him, living not for our own gain but for His glory and the sake of others knowing Him. True life is found not in chasing after trophies, accolades, or comfort, but in losing our lives for Jesus’ sake and investing in what is eternal. At the end of our days, may our legacy be not about our achievements, but about how we pointed others to Jesus, the only key to the kingdom of heaven. [56:39]

Matthew 16:24-26 (ESV)
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to deny yourself and take up your cross today, so that Christ might be magnified in you?

Sermon Summary

Today’s gathering was a call to remember what truly matters in the life of a believer: the unshakable hope and purpose found in Jesus Christ. We began by celebrating the ways God is at work in our church and community, from outreach events to the ongoing work of building up the next generation. But all of these activities are only meaningful if they are centered on Christ and His gospel. The heart of our time together was a deep dive into Matthew 16 and Romans 8, where we are reminded that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. No trial, no suffering, no persecution, not even death itself can undo what Christ has accomplished for us.

This truth should ignite a passion and urgency in us. If God is for us, who can be against us? We are not called to live in fear or to be distracted by the trivial pursuits of this world. Instead, we are called to live with boldness, knowing that we have been given the keys to the kingdom—not because of anything we have done, but because of who Jesus is and what He has done. The gospel is not a watered-down invitation to accept a needy Savior; it is the proclamation that Jesus is King, and we desperately need Him. He is the only way, the truth, and the life.

Yet, even as we affirm these truths, we are warned by Peter’s example. One moment, Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ; the next, he tries to rebuke Jesus for speaking of suffering and death. We, too, can fall into the trap of wanting a comfortable, easy path, forgetting that the way of Christ is a way of the cross. Suffering, sacrifice, and self-denial are not detours—they are the very road to resurrection and new life.

The call is clear: deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus. Don’t waste your life chasing after things that will not last. Instead, pour your life out for the sake of the gospel, for the sake of others knowing Christ. Let the Great Commission be your mission, not your omission. At the end of our days, may it be said not how great we were, but how great our Savior is.

Key Takeaways

1. Nothing Can Separate Us from Christ’s Love The assurance that nothing—no suffering, no persecution, not even death—can separate us from the love of God in Christ is the foundation for fearless living. This is not a license for complacency, but a call to live with boldness and joy, knowing that our security is anchored in Christ’s finished work. When fear and anxiety threaten to overwhelm, remember that your standing before God is unshakable because of Jesus. [26:03]
2. The Keys to the Kingdom Are Found in Christ Alone Access to God’s kingdom is not about religious performance, church attendance, or good works. It is about knowing and trusting Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God. If you have Christ, you have everything you need; without Him, you have nothing. This truth should humble us and embolden us to share the gospel, for we hold the keys that open the door to eternal life for others. [33:18]
3. The Gospel Demands More Than Sincerity—It Demands Surrender It is easy to reduce the gospel to a matter of sincerity or to imagine Jesus as a needy Savior waiting for our acceptance. But the gospel is a call to repentance, faith, and transformation. Jesus is King, and we need Him for every breath and every step. True faith is not about affirming Jesus on our terms, but surrendering to Him on His. [37:36]
4. Suffering Is the Pathway to Resurrection Life The way of Jesus is not a shortcut around suffering, but a journey through it. Just as Christ had to suffer, die, and rise again, so too are we called to embrace the cross in our own lives. Trials, persecution, and hardship are not signs of God’s absence, but opportunities for deeper faith and greater fruitfulness. The resurrection hope is only found on the other side of the cross. [49:05]
5. The Great Commission Must Not Become the Great Omission It is possible to be busy with church activities and yet miss the heart of Christ’s mission. We are called to make disciples, to go, to give, to pray, and to pour ourselves out for the lost and the broken. If we are not intentional about the gospel, we risk becoming gospel stoppers rather than gospel sharers. Let your life be spent for what matters most: making Jesus known to the ends of the earth. [53:00]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:11] - Offering and Announcements
[03:02] - Fall Festival: Engaging the Community
[04:27] - Upcoming Events and Opportunities
[06:58] - Youth Retreat and Guest Welcome
[08:08] - Prayer for the Church and Community
[10:52] - Worship: Christ Be Magnified
[22:39] - The Church’s Foundation: Matthew 16
[24:14] - No Fear for Those in Christ
[31:15] - The Keys to the Kingdom
[36:52] - The Truth and Cost of the Gospel
[41:07] - The Messiah Must Suffer and Rise
[45:17] - The Danger of Missing the Mission
[49:05] - Suffering and Resurrection Life
[55:17] - Deny Yourself and Take Up Your Cross
[58:22] - Don’t Waste Your Life: Living for Christ
[62:25] - William Carey: A Life Poured Out
[64:53] - What Will You Live For?
[65:42] - Closing Prayer and Invitation
[72:13] - Discipleship Groups and Dismissal

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 16:13-28 (ESV) — > 13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
>
> 21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
>
> 24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

- Romans 8:31-39 (ESV)
> 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Observation Questions

In Matthew 16, what does Peter confess about Jesus, and how does Jesus respond to that confession?
According to Romans 8:31-39, what are some of the things Paul says cannot separate us from the love of God in Christ?
What does Jesus say is required of anyone who wants to follow Him in Matthew 16:24-25?
In the sermon, what example is given of someone who both gets it right and then immediately gets it wrong in their response to Jesus? ([42:31])

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus rebukes Peter so strongly after Peter tries to stop Him from talking about suffering and death? What does this reveal about the difference between God’s plan and our own desires? ([42:31])
The sermon says, “Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.” How should this truth affect the way a believer faces fear, suffering, or persecution? ([26:03])
The pastor said, “The gospel is not a watered-down invitation to accept a needy Savior; it is the proclamation that Jesus is King, and we desperately need Him.” What’s the difference between these two views of the gospel, and why does it matter? ([37:36])
What does it mean that “the way of Christ is a way of the cross”? How does this challenge the idea that following Jesus should be easy or comfortable? ([49:05])

Application Questions

The sermon challenged us not to waste our lives on things that don’t last. What is one “trivial pursuit” in your life that might be distracting you from living for Christ? What would it look like to let go of it or put it in its proper place? ([27:01])
When fear or anxiety threatens to overwhelm you, what practical steps can you take to remember and rest in the truth that nothing can separate you from Christ’s love? ([26:03])
The pastor said, “If you have Christ, you have everything you need; without Him, you have nothing.” How does this truth affect the way you view your own religious activity, good works, or church involvement? ([33:18])
Peter wanted a comfortable, victorious Messiah, not a suffering one. Are there ways you find yourself wanting a “comfortable” Christianity? How might God be calling you to embrace sacrifice or self-denial for the sake of the gospel? ([42:31])
Jesus says, “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me.” What is one area of your life where you sense God is asking you to deny yourself or take up your cross? What would obedience look like this week? ([55:17])
The sermon warned against letting the Great Commission become the “Great Omission.” Who is one person in your life who needs to hear about Jesus? What is one step you can take this week to move toward sharing the gospel with them? ([53:00])
At the end of your life, what do you hope people will say about you? How can you live now so that your life points more to Jesus than to yourself? ([01:03:50])

Sermon Clips

You are the church. And the gates of hell cannot prevail against his bride. So nothing can stop the church of the living God. That's great stuff and good news. Stuff that we shouldn't be depressed or upset or sad about as we come this morning, but that we should be encouraged and excited and on fire for. [00:23:36] (31 seconds) #ChurchUnstoppable

Those in Christ have nothing. No condemnation. No enemy loud against us has any charge. So God, let us live lives that are urgent, excited, and passionate for the things that we love. The things of God. And let us give up the trivial pursuit of things of this world that are temporal. Because those things bog us down, distress us, make us angry, and distract us. There is nothing that can separate us from your love. [00:26:57] (58 seconds) #NoCondemnationInChrist

If you're in the midst of your trial or in the midst of your suffering or in the midst of your distress, tribulation, those things are just temporary. He even says, all the day long for those who are being slaughtered, sheep who are slaughtered, realizing in the culture of the day, if they mark themselves with Christianity and Jesus, they were marking themselves for slaughter. So he's addressing a crowd that realizes and understands what persecution is. We don't understand it. There is a church today that understands it. [00:29:05] (41 seconds) #FaithInPersecution

Peter is a perfect example of how sincere-hearted people, coupled with man's thinking, can often lead to a disaster. I've heard some very well-meaning people who would profess Christ, say that, the dumbest things you've ever heard. Almost as to try to rebuke Jesus. Almost to try to contain the gospel. [00:44:20] (24 seconds) #HumanErrorDivineGrace

If we could get serious and come pour our hearts out for the broken of this community, come pour our hearts out for the brokenness in our state and country, for our world, and truly get focused in and realize that the way of the Savior is a path of suffering that leads to the resurrection and new life. If we could hold on to it and see life change and see things transform in us, that you have been crucified with Christ and you no longer live, but Christ who lives within you. That you don't live for yourselves anymore, but you live for Christ. [00:47:29] (56 seconds) #SufferingLeadsToNewLife

The only way to get to new life is to go through suffering. That's what he's saying. They wanted to bypass it. Jesus, march in there and kill all the bad people and then put us in charge. That's what we want secretly. But he says, no, we're going to go through there and suffer. We're going to go through there and because we suffer, new life is going to come to people because we're going to, work hard and we're going to give of our lives. Like, do you realize that is the point of the gospel? [00:49:00] (43 seconds) #SufferingPrecedesResurrection

Instead of the great commission, to us it becomes the great omission. We stand with our foot in our mouth. We say we're about God. We say we're about building His kingdom. And yet, we care nothing of the people around us or to the ends of the earth knowing Jesus. We become lazy, apathetic, selfish. We're crying. We're whining. We're not missionaries. We're not gospel sharers. We're gospel stoppers. [00:53:08] (34 seconds) #GreatCommissionNotOmission

You will never have enough in this life. Hear me. You never will. You will always be in the corner somewhere crying because you ain't got enough. It ain't work out your way. And you're going to throw up your hands. What now? if you're in Christ, there is no condemnation for you anymore. And Jesus goes, we come, we give our lives, we deny it, we pick up our cross. And then he says, for whomever, whoever would save his life, will what? Lose it. You lose control. Like, it ain't my control anymore. You get it, Jesus. Take control. But whoever loses his life for my sake, will what? Find it. [00:59:42] (57 seconds) #LoseLifeToFindIt

What are you living your life for? See, I love you. And I, I, I, I want to talk about you at your funeral. But more importantly, I want to talk about the Savior whom you loved and whom you served. Because that's the key to heaven. That's the key to the kingdom. You hear me? That's, that's the key to what we live our life for. [01:03:33] (29 seconds) #LifeForTheSavior

There's a lot of things that we do in this life that are really good things, but they don't matter compared to the glory of Jesus Christ. Will you live your life? Just just move it an inch towards Christ this morning. If you don't know him, come give your life to him. Trust him and repent and love him as Lord and Savior. If you do, do you know him and you haven't been living your life towards him? Move an inch. Move a foot. Move closer to the goodness of his glory. [01:05:05] (30 seconds) #LiveTowardsChrist

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