1. What keys did Jesus talk about giving to us this morning? Jesus said I give you the Keys to Kingdom of Heaven. Now talk about important keys! Jesus here talks about handing over to us the keys that unlock the Kingdom of Heaven. Now when you think about the Kingdom of Heaven, what do you think about? Most people think the Kingdom of Heaven is only a place we go when we die. But that is only half of what the Kingdom of Heaven is and what Jesus saw it to be. For Jesus teaches that the Kingdom of Heaven is a Kingdom that is both of this world -and- of the world to come. Yes, the Kingdom of Heaven is not just something in the hereafter but also the here and now. For according to our Lord, the Kingdom of Heaven, is any place where God's will is done. We pray: "Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." This means that whenever or wherever God's will is done, even on earth as in Heaven, there, the Kingdom exists. So, the keys Christ speaks of today are keys that unlock the Kingdom of Heaven, both in this life and in the life to come.

2. And these keys Christ gives to us. We are the key holders. We, the Church in the world, believers in Christ, disciples of the Lord are the holders of the Keys to the Kingdom. (Aside) Now long ago, and even to this day there has been a disagreement as to whom these keys belong and who is the Key Holder. Roman Catholics say the keys were given to Peter, not to the whole body of believers. Peter was the first bishop of Rome and his successors took another title: Pope. And so strict Roman Catholics believe only the Popes, who had the Keys passed down through generations from Peter, are the rightful Key Holders of Kingdom. But not so with us. We believe in giving the keys to Peter after he confessed Jesus to be the son of God, Jesus was saying all who confess Jesus as Lord become Holders of the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.

3. And oh what a responsibility this is. But what does this mean, really? What does it mean that we have been given the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven? Well I have thought long and hard about this very question. And the answer is one that should cause us to shiver in our boots because of the awesome responsibility Christ gives us with these Keys. For in giving us the Keys of the Kingdom, Christ has given us the power and authority to unlock the doors that lead to God's Kingdom and lock all the doors that do not. For what do keys do? Keys unlock things and keys lock things. If we then hold Keys to God's Kingdom, we hold that which unlocks or locks which doors a person must take to enter that Kingdom. For think of this very carefully. In making us the Key Holders of the Kingdom of Heaven, Christ has given to us the awesome responsibility of showing people in this world what ways are open and lead to God's Kingdom and what ways are closed and do not. For it is a truth that not every path, not every road, not every way, not every gate leads to God's Kingdom. Some do. Some do not. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said this, that not every path leads to life. Only the straight and narrow path leads there. Conversely, there are other, broad paths and wide gates that lead to destruction. And so it is, in giving us the Keys to His Kingdom, Jesus has given to us the awesome responsibility and authority to show people the right gates and guide this world down the right path. He has entrusted to us His Keys so that we might lock the gates that lead to destruction and unlock the gates that lead to life.

4. Now something very essential needs to be said here. And that is, in giving us the Keys of the Kingdom, Christ is not giving us the power and authority to judge "who" will be admitted and "who" will be excluded in God's Kingdom. That is a wrong interpretation of being given the Keys to the Kingdom. No, Christ does not give us the authority to lock one person out and let another in. For only Christ and Christ alone has the power to judge any person's soul. And judge us all He will one day. Rather what we are given is the authority to preach and teach and proclaim to all people in this world what is the right way and what is the wrong way in the eyes of God. We are called upon by Christ to use the authority He has given us to let people know which doors should be locked because they lead to evil and which doors should be unlocked because they lead to good. And we must take this responsibility seriously. For woe to us if we lock a door that Christ wants open. And woe to us if we unlock a door that Christ says should be closed.

5. Let me give an example of what being a Key Holder of God's Kingdom means in practical terms. You know that as your minister, I spend all my time in holy meditation and prayer. Well, I was in holy meditation one day watching the Oprah Winfrey show on TV. And you know what the topic of the program was? "One night stands." Yes, a whole hour was devoted to people who go to bars and parties, meet strangers and wind up in bed with them. And you know it was quite an entertaining show with people laughing and joking about jumping in bed and having sex with multiple strangers. But you know in all the time I watched, what disturbed me? I was disturbed that not once did anyone ever speak up and identify this behavior as wrong. Now I am sure there were people in the audience who were Christians. But not one of them spoke up to say that this promiscuous behavior is a door that does not lead to a good and right life. Yes, not one Christian stood up and used their Keys. That is, not one said this door should be locked because it does not lead us into the Kingdom of Heaven.

C. We are Key Holders of the Kingdom of Heaven. And I believe that we as Christians have a solemn responsibility to use the Keys Christ has given us. That is, we have the responsibility to let people know what is right and what is wrong, what is moral and what is immoral, what doors lead to Heaven's Kingdom and what doors do not. For in giving us the Keys of the Kingdom, Christ is counting on us to lock the broad gates that lead to hell and unlock the narrow gates that lead to Heaven. Let us therefore, be faithful and responsible Key Holders, so that many here on earth may enter the Kingdom of Heaven now and forever. Amen.