Easter 2026 || Victory Church

I am an instrument of exaltation I was born to lift your name above all names You hear the melody of all creation But there's a song of praise that only I can Who else is worthy? Who else is worthy? There is no one, only you Jesus Who else is worthy? Who else is worthy? There is no one, only you Jesus You are the infinite God of the angels Yet you chose to make my heart your dwelling place You healed my brokenness and showed me your glory So I have songs of praise, not even angels sing Who else is worthy? Who else is worthy? There is no one, only you Jesus Who else is worthy? Who else is worthy? There is no one, only you Jesus Who else is worthy? Who else is worthy? There is no one, only you Jesus Who else is worthy? Who else is worthy? There is no one, only you Jesus There is no one like you Jesus You alone are worthy You alone are holy God You are, oh we bless your mighty name There is no one like you Lord So we sing the name of God, anointed one Who was and is and is to come You're seated on the throne above Holy, holy Righteous one who shed his blood You prove to us the Father's love Jesus Christ be lifted up Holy, holy Name of God, anointed one Who was and is and is to come You're seated on the throne above Holy, holy Righteous one who shed his blood You prove to us the Father's love Jesus Christ be lifted up Holy, holy Name of God, anointed one Who was and is and is to come You're seated on the throne above Holy, holy Righteous one who shed his blood You prove to us the Father's love Jesus Christ be lifted up Who else is worthy? Who else is worthy? There is no one, only you Jesus

Who else is worthy? Who else is worthy? Who else is worthy? There is no one, only you Jesus There is no one, there is no one, only you Jesus There is no one, only you Jesus ♪ Jesus, who else is worthy ♪ ♪ Who else is worthy, come on lift it up ♪ ♪ There is no one, only you Jesus ♪ ♪ Who else is worthy, who else is worthy, yeah ♪ ♪ There is no one, only you Jesus, no one else is worthy ♪ ♪ There is no one, only you Jesus, no one else is worthy ♪ ♪ Only you Jesus ♪ ♪ Jesus paid it all, all to Him alone ♪ ♪ My all, sin had left a crimson stain ♪ ♪ He washed it white as snow ♪ ♪ Oh Jesus paid it all, all to Him alone ♪ ♪ My all, sin had left a crimson stain ♪ ♪ He washed it white as snow ♪ ♪ He washed it white as snow ♪ ♪ He washed it white as snow ♪ Amen. And so Lord, we love you. We are so grateful that you washed us white as snow. That the blood that you shed over 2000 years ago, it didn't dry up there, but it continues to flow day after day after day, covering season after season, moment after moment. We will forever honor you. We will forever praise you. You are worthy, you are worthy, you are worthy.

Thank you, Jesus. And it's in your name we pray, amen. Amen. A child is born, a son is given. The government will rest on his shoulders and he will be called wonderful councilor, mighty God, everlasting father, the prince of peace. The word of Isaiah, a prophecy spoken, telling of one who would come. But who is he? Who is this son of man? Is he the son of God or merely a prophet of an old religion? Behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He is the way, the truth, the life, the light that bears the name above every name. Jesus the Christ, shepherd to the broken, healer to the sick, deliverer to the captive, friend to the sinner. He calmed the storm and walked upon it. He faced the grave and walked out of it. He conquered hell and walked right through it. Who is this son? Who is this king? The Lord, strong and mighty. But yet, a suffering servant, a lamb that was slain, who picked up a cross and walked a road paved with suffering, a man of sorrows, crowned, not with glory, but thorns, a cruciferous savior, nailed to a tree as an innocent man. He purchased our pardon by shedding his holy blood, and he did so because, for God so loved the world, the only begotten Son, slain, yet still standing, risen and alive forevermore, the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the Lion of Judah, still roars.

The reign of this kingdom will never end. Who is this Jesus? The Christ, fully God, fully man, the Word made flesh, Jesus. And throughout history, one question asked still echoes, not what the crowd say, not what the critics say. Who do you say I am? I know you heard a lot of things. There's been a lot of talking. But what I want to know today, who do you say I am? Some say you're a pirate. Some say you're a luscious ghost. Some say you're a teacher from a kingdom they don't know. Some say you're a healer. Some say you're the hope. Some say you're a dealer of intoxicating hope. Who do you, who do you, who do you say I am? Who do you, who do you, who do you say I am? Who do you, who do you, who do you say I am? Who do you, who do you, who do you? They say you're defiled. Friends of thugs and thieves. Don't you know our record? Living is the least we can do. They say you're a rebel, but they never are. We see a revolution, but the road must fall. Who do you, who do you, who do you say I am? Who do you, who do you, who do you say I am? Say I am. Say I am. Who do you say I am? Who do you, who do you, who do you say I am? I've seen you resurrect a little girl with your own hands. I watched you walk upon the waters and invite me in. I was with you on the mountain when we heard the voice of God. I know who you are. I know who you are. I know who you are. I know who you are. Jesus, you are the Christ, our Messiah, the Son of the living God. This is the confession of Peter at Caesarea Philippi. He says, you are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. If you actually rewind three years before this moment, when Peter first met Jesus, if you know the story, Peter wasn't actually Peter, his name was Simon. And Simon comes from this guy's name

in the book of Genesis, his name's Simeon. And Simeon was violent. And he was inconsistent. In fact, that's the two primary attributes about Simeon. He's violent and he's inconsistent. And that is Simon's namesake, violent and inconsistent. And when Jesus meets this Simon, he pulls the classic Jesus move, right? Like he says, hey, your name will now mean Peter. No longer Simon, now you're Peter and Peter means rock. So imagine with Peter, no longer Simon, now you're Peter and Peter means rock. So imagine with me, just imagine with me just for a moment, meeting somebody and pretty much the first words out of their mouth are this, like, hey, your name, don't get too used to it because you're about to become somebody else. Because Simon was a fisherman in Galilee, kind of running the family business. But when Jesus sees Simon, he sees someone more. Come on, everybody say more. He sees someone more than a violent, inconsistent fisherman. He sees a peacemaking, reliable rock. And from that moment, fast forward three years back to this moment at Caesarea Philippi there in Northern Israel. And Jesus asks a very powerful question. You just heard it sung, but this is what the scripture says in Matthew 16. It says, who do people say the son of man is?

He's talking about himself. And he gets a bunch of different responses from the disciples, right? Like they're the ones with their ears to the ground and they say, hey, well, some people are saying you're John the Baptist, like the ghost, like come back, John had already been killed. They say other people are like, you're Elijah, come back from heaven to prepare the way for the Messiah, but not the Messiah. Other people are just saying, hey, you're just this new prophet, like a really good teacher on the scene. And in fact, if you ask Google, because I did, it would say Jesus is a first century Jewish teacher and preacher from Nazareth who is the central figure of Christianity. Wow, how clean and safe and sanitized is that? In fact, if you ask chat, chat would say people today believe Jesus was a good teacher, a prophet, a moral example, a revolutionary, a myth or a spiritual leader. In other words, Jesus is kind of whatever you want him to be. In fact, Jesus is everything except for God. And that's who people say Jesus is. But in that same moment, Jesus then turns the tables and ask an infinitely more powerful question. It's actually a question I believe that he's gonna begin asking every single one of us over the next few minutes.

He says, but what about you? Who do you say I am? Okay, it just got real, right? Because it's no longer hypothetical. It's no longer like out there. This is no longer like a philosophical, like this is no longer a social survey. This is the fiery eyes of Jesus looking right inside your soul saying, what do you say about me? Who do you say I am? And I'm here today to tell you, spoiler alert, there's only one right answer to that question. Only one answer that fully satisfies the truth of who Jesus was and who Jesus still is today. And out of all places that it could have come from, it comes from Peter, Simon, Peter, Simon, Peter. Who is he today? And he answered the question and he said, you're the Messiah, the son of the living God. And Messiah, what that actually means, it means anointed one. And what would happen in that time is whenever a king or a prophet would come into office, they would take all this oil and pour it over his head. It was a demarcation line. It was saying like, hey, you've become something. Hey, the spirit of God, the oil represented like God himself is upon you to do something crazy good.

And the Jews at that time, they were waiting for a Messiah to come and set them free. He says, you're the Messiah. Then he says, you're the son of the living God. And if you're confused about that, that doesn't mean that God had a baby. What Peter's actually saying that day, he's saying you are divinity. Somehow you are God in the flesh right in front of me. So Simon Peter looks at Jesus that day and he says, who do I say you are? I'll say you're the one that we've been waiting for our entire lives. You're the prophet, the priest, and the king who's gonna come and set us free. You're somehow Emmanuel God with us and it's changing everything. It's already changing my life. I can't even imagine what you're about to do next. And Jesus responds to him in this beautiful way. I love this. He says, you are blessed Simon son of Jonah because you didn't learn this from any human. My father in heaven has revealed this to you. In other words, Peter, you just sounded a lot smarter than you actually are. Because I know you, you're a fisherman. You ain't got all that together. And what he's saying is this, the father just showed you something about me

that you couldn't have come to in your own intelligence. And John 6, 44, Jesus says it another way. He says, no one can come to the son unless the father draws him. And what that means is this today, guys, is that if you've come to the place of saying Jesus is God, congratulations. That means God spoke to you. That means the creator of heaven and earth has spoken to you and you heard it and you responded in faith. And in that moment, you became much smarter than you actually are. Nobody can come to the son unless the father draws him. And then Jesus goes on past this moment when Peter has just made this big profession. He says this, now I say to you that you are Peter and upon this rock, I will build my church and the powers of hell will never conquer it. And here's the idea. Here's actually what's happening in this moment. When they first met, Jesus says, hey, you're no longer gonna be this violent, inconsistent man. You're no longer gonna be the Simon. I'm actually today beginning to transform you into Peter who's gonna be a rock. But here's what we have to know. And I think you could accept this. Peter had never actually felt like the rock, right? He was always like an act first, act second, act third,

act fourth, fifth through 10th, and then think about it last, right? Like if you've ever been there before, he was the guy who like on family feud like tries to answer the question before it's ever even been asked and gets it wrong every single, like this is Peter, every, see, like he's just, he speaks faster than his mind can process. Until this moment. That's because Jesus had spoken about who Simon would become one day. And here at Caesarea Philippi, you actually see that happening before your very eyes. Simon is becoming Peter. The violent, inconsistent man is transforming before our eyes into this reliable leader, rock. Simon had been called Peter, but this was the moment he started becoming Peter. I mean, come on guys, think about it. It is, it's gotta be the highlight of Peter's life, right? Like you just had divine revelation, stepped out in faith, said something that nobody else had said ever before in the history of mankind. And then basically Jesus in front of all your friends is like, good job, Peter, awesome. I mean, you have arrived. Like when Jesus is giving you compliments in front of your friends, you have arrived.

That's about as good as it gets. The only problem is the story's not over. In the next verse, it says, from then on, Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the leaders and the priests and teachers of the religious law and that he would be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Now guys, think about it. This is Peter's time to shine. I mean, two verses ago, he just hit a home run. I mean, two verses ago, like this is like 30 seconds ago. He just hit a home run. Come on, Peter, show up, be the rock, be the leader, be the guy who Jesus said that you were gonna be, be the guy. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. Never, Lord, this shall never happen to you. He's basically saying, Jesus, you're wrong. You got it wrong. That's not how things are gonna play out. You need to let me lead you for a minute. And Jesus looks at Peter and famously says that line, get behind me, Satan. Say, not today, Satan. I mean, come on guys, think about that. How do you go from rock to Satan so fast? Peter goes from hero to villain in two verses. Peter, one moment walking on water,

the next moment sinking, drowning. One moment proclaiming Jesus is the Messiah. The next moment, get behind me, Satan. What's going on? Come on. Anybody ever felt like Peter? One moment you're on top of the world, the next moment you're at the bottom of the dog pile. One moment you're riding success, the next moment you feel like you've never done anything right in your life. You say you'll never do it again, and then you do it again, and then you do it again. This is Peter. And what's happening is the old Simon keeps trying to raise his ugly head back up again. And that's why I'd say it like this, to understand Peter is to understand us. Am I Simon today, or am I Peter today? Am I who I used to be today, or am I who Jesus says I am today? A few months later, Jesus and his disciples come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. And the greatest way he could do it, he teaches them to love each other by washing their feet. And then he breaks the bread, he pours the cup, and mysteriously he says, this is my body broken for you, this is my blood shed for you.

And he tells them plainly, he says, tonight is the night that I go to the cross. And Peter, again, he blurts out, not on my watch. I'm ready to die for you. Jesus looks at him, he's like, Peter, Peter, Peter. He says, die for me? I'll tell you the truth, Peter, before the rooster crows, you will actually deny me three times. Say you don't even know me. You're not gonna die for me, you're actually gonna deny me. They end the meal, they walk through the night, they end up in the garden of Gethsemane, they end up in the garden of Gethsemane to pray. Soldiers come to arrest Jesus, Peter pulls out a sword, starts swinging it, cuts a guy's ear off. We always highlight this, you don't aim for the ear. Peter's trying to draw blood. Why? Because he says, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die for Jesus, I'm gonna die with you, I'm gonna do this. Why? Because he's still got some Simon in there. Violent and inconsistent, unpredictable. And Jesus stops the violence. And he says this, he heals the man's ear, which I love that. And he says, don't you think I could call down 12 legions of angels to protect me? Quick math, that's 72,000 angels. And he says this, but then how would the scriptures

be fulfilled that say it must happen this way? After this, all the disciples run away, including Peter. Jesus is all alone. They tie him up like a criminal. And they march him through the night. Out of the garden of Gethsemane, down through the Kidron Valley, up through the streets, the temples on the right. Not long before this, he had said, tear that thing down and three days later, it's gonna come back. They twist and turn through the streets of Jerusalem and walk this set of stairs up to the high priest house, Kyphos. I've walked those stairs, they're still there. Same stairs, 2000 years later. And he says, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die with you, three days later. And I'm just telling you, you can feel the weight in the air still. Peter gets an ounce of courage back and he starts following at a distance. He's confused, he's wondering what's gonna happen to Jesus, questioning what should he do next? So in that courtyard, while Jesus is inside, he sits down with the servants and the soldiers and they warm their hands around a charcoal fire. He sits down and stills his hands and another couple of people take up with him as he's praying in that holy cup

before they have Jesus's word. It's really beautiful, I think he just feels like he has that promise of Arivette to follow Jesus and Lord in his life. That was his last prayer. Coming back through the street to theид to the city of Galilee. Do you know him? Clearly you don't belong. Why are you looking on? Are you with him? Do you know him? No! You're not gonna hide with us Betrayal is obvious You were with him You said you would die with him Well, here's the last chance you get Don't you know him? Don't you love him? No, I don't know him I never knew him I swear on God, he's a stranger to me No, I don't know him I never knew him I swear on God, he means nothing to me You were there! I saw you with him! No You were with Jesus!

No Yes! No Yes, you were! No! What do you want from me? Yes, I'm from Galilee I don't know the man Don't ask me again A curse on me if I'm lying What do I need to say? I've never heard his name I don't know the man Don't ask me again His rival is not Messiah I don't know him I never knew him I swear on God, he's a stranger to me No, I don't know him I never loved him I swear on God, he means nothing to me This is the confession of Peter in the courtyard of the high priest A curse on me if I'm lying I don't know that guy If you just put yourself there for a second, I just think I think Peter's in survival mode So around a charcoal fire He denies Jesus, not once, not twice, but three times And suddenly, Jesus' promise rings true As the rooster cries out, he says, before the rooster even crows

You can deny me three times Failure I said I'd never do it And I did it Luke actually captures a detail in his gospel that nobody else captures He says When Peter denied that third time Says the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter I can't even imagine that Maybe I can To disappoint Jesus like that Overwhelming grief, disappointment, rage, regret Just weeps and he runs away And I know what he's thinking He's thinking, what is wrong with me? In broad daylight at Caesarea Philippi I scream out You're the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God Jesus had asked, who do you say that I am? And I was so clear about it. I was so bold about it. I was so confident about it. But here, here in the nighttime, when a girl asked me, who is he? You gotta know him. I deny him three times. I cower, I shrink back. Simon, violent, inconsistent, raises his ugly head again. And Peter, strong, reliable rock, vanishes. Can you imagine the shame?

Peter runs away, weeping. And what follows for Jesus, if you know the story, is horrific. In fact, it's actually excruciating. It's of the cross. That's where we get that word from. He's blindfolded, mocked, beaten, marched back and forth from the priest courts to the Roman courts, to these courts, to this guy, to that guy, to that guy, and ultimately found guilty of blasphemy and sentenced to death by the government. Whipped until his ribs were visible, unrecognizable, sent to the cross, given a purple robe, ripped off his back, crown of thorns pressed into his skull, beard ripped out, carrying the cross beam that he would die on. Innocent. Innocent. Innocent. That makes sense. How is that even possible? And that's why Jesus had told his disciples that it had to happen, that his death would somehow give them life, that somehow, for the first time in the history of the world, that this would be the time that death didn't have the final say.

But they couldn't understand it right now. It didn't make any sense. This was just devastating. So with his mom there, a few other women and one disciple, John, everybody else had left. Only one disciple there. Only one of your friends is there. Jesus hangs pinned to the cross, beaten, bloody, and suffocating. And it's there in that place that the sins of the world are placed upon Jesus. My sins, your sins, their sins. After he breathes his final breath, they take him off the cross, they wrap him in linen, and they put him in a grave. And 800 years before Jesus was ever even born, Isaiah 53 foretold this moment. He was despised and rejected by mankind. A man of suffering and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces, he was despised and we held him in low esteem too. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was placed on him and by his wounds, we are healed. We all like sheep have gone astray.

Each of us has turned to our own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open up his mouth to defend himself. By oppression and judgment, he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living. For the transgression of my people, he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer. And the Lord makes his life an offering for sin. He will see his offspring and prolong his days. And the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. And after he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied. By his knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many and he will bear their sins. But right now, Peter didn't know that. All he knows is Jesus is dead. And part of me can't even imagine what Peter's thinking in that moment when he hears the news. It's because he had been holding out hope this entire time that somehow it will work out.

I don't know about you guys, I'm like that. I have this optimist, somehow it's gonna work out. Somehow Jesus isn't gonna die. Somehow I'm gonna be able to have that conversation with him. Somehow I'm gonna be able to say I'm sorry. Somehow I'm just gonna be like, maybe can I make it up to you? Can I do something? Can we just start again? But Jesus is dead. The guilt, guilt, can you imagine the guilt? Maybe you can. I know I can. Maybe you had a moment of fear, maybe a moment of weakness and you did something that you still regret today. And you felt like you could never make it back up to God and you feel like, now everything's lost. You feel like trash is thrown away. I can never crawl out of this hole of shame. Ever again. And go with me guys, that's where Peter is. He's saying, Jesus called me Peter. He called me rock. And I stood there at Caesarea Philippi and I said the thing. And like 10 minutes later, he rebukes me. And now here I am. And I'm Simon, once again, violent and inconsistent.

And he's not here to make me Peter again, which means I'm gonna be Simon forever. But thank God, the story is not over. And as dark as it may look sometimes, a lot can change in three days. And that Sunday, the disciples are hiding behind a locked door because they just know that what happened to Jesus is about to happen to them. Their whole world is upside down. They don't even know where the puzzle pieces fit anymore. And then Mary burst into the room and she says, I've seen Jesus. And they're like, what are you talking about, woman? She says, he's alive. And everybody's debating it. And Peter and John are like, well, I stopped debating it. Let's just have a race, let's run. And they get there and at the very least, she's right. The tomb is empty, but they don't know, is he actually alive? Like, what is that? And if he is alive, is that even possible that death wouldn't have the final say? Later, they're back hiding in that same room again, trying to work things out. And then Jesus walks through the wall in classic Jesus fashion. And they see him and they talk to him and he walked through the wall, yet he still ate. I don't know the physics of that.

And they touch his wounds. And in that moment, it all begins to make sense that he did have to die to give them life, one ultimate sacrifice to pay for the sins of the world. And then he rose again to prove that he actually had authority over sin, hell, death, and the grave. It's blowing their mind. They don't even know what to think. But there was still this one glaring issue left unresolved. Peter, or should we say Simon? I don't know. He still felt like Simon. He hasn't had his one-on-one with Jesus yet. So Jesus knew what he had to do. I think I need to make some breakfast. Peter and a few of the disciples, Jesus disappeared again. So they go back to Galilee. They go back to fishing. They go back to their old life. They literally don't know what they're gonna do next. Maybe it had been a while since they fished because they were terrible at it and they were catching nothing. Been out all night. And then all of a sudden, early in the morning, they hear this voice from the shore. And he says this. He says, throw your nets on the right side of the boat.

And they, come on, they roll their eyes. Come on, like, it's fine. Just do it. Just do it, bro. Just get them off our back. So they throw the nets on the right side. And all of a sudden, the net is so full that like the boat starts sinking and they can't even pull it in. And then John has this aha moment. He's like, wait a second. I remember one other time that this happened. And he looks up and then he looks at Peter and he says, Peter, it's the Lord. And in Peter, classic Peter fashion, he just jumps out of the boat and just starts swimming. Act first, think a year later. Like he just starts swimming, swimming, swimming, swimming, swimming. He swims a hundred yards back in the shore. And I just have to imagine the scene soaking wet, covered in sand, just like, out of breath. And they're just staring at each other. And John 21 tells us that Jesus, just the detail, had fish cooking over a charcoal fire. So they sit down and finally say the words that need to be said. And it's so good to see you, Peter. It's really, really good to see you, too. And to see you here.

The sea brings back so many good memories for me. Do you remember when I first called you here? What did I say would happen if you followed me? Of course, that you would make me fishers of men. I still think that's pretty clever. Everyone is talking about you. Oh? Some people are saying that you're still dead and that we store your body to keep the movement going. Some are saying that you are the Messiah. They're asking what is next. Most people don't know what to believe. And I, I don't really know how to explain it either. After everything I've seen with you, this is, what do you believe? What do you believe? I mean, you are sitting right here. I'm here. So what's next? I was really hoping that you would tell us. We don't know what to do now. Is that why you came back to Galilee? I guess it just made sense to come back here to who I was before. I never thought that there was anything that could make me run away. But when the soldiers came, I got so scared and caught up in the moment that I didn't even really mean to. I mean, I was just trying to stay close

and people started recognizing me and asking questions. And I was alone and afraid and I didn't want to die. And I just, so I came in. The fish. The family business going on again. Because I need money. I needed something, anything to feel like it. And I guess I'm so sorry. And I wish I could go back and do things differently and be different. And I know you can never forgive me for what I did and I get it because I don't forgive me either. But now you're here. Peter. And I just don't. Peter, stop. That didn't surprise me. What? I've never met you. I know who you are, who you really are. And I know who you're becoming. Your failures don't scare me because I can see your heart. I don't even know what's in my heart right now. That's why I'm here. I probably messed up. And if I'm honest, I don't even recognize the person that I've become. I don't know if I have the strength to follow you anymore. I'm not asking for your strength. I never was.

When you called me Peter, then upon this rock, you would build your church. And how can I do that now after denying you? After failing? I forgive you. I forgive you. Peter, do you love me? Lord, like family. Then tell the people who I am, who I really am. Peter, do you love me? Yes, Lord, like a brother. And care for my people the way that I have cared for you. Peter, do you love me? Do you love me? Jesus, you know everything. You know that I love you with all that I have. Then lead my people. Do you remember that night at sea when you stepped out of the boat? You were the one who moved. You were the one willing to trust me. You walked on the water. And sank. Yes, but what happened next? You sank. Exactly. That's who you are. Not the one who sank, but the one who stepped out. The one who believed. The one willing to follow when no one else would. Now, following me doesn't mean that you will never sink again, but it does mean that you will never sink alone. I'm not building my church on your perfection,

but on your testimony that I'm the one who saves. I'm calling you to me again. This time, just not out of a boat, but with your whole life. Your past is forgiven. What you did is not who you are. The Peter I know is the one who leaves everything behind to follow me. The one who jumps out of a boat when no one else would. The one willing to confess to the world who I am. No matter what it cost him. And that confession, that is the rock on which I will build my church. And that is, that's you. That's what's in your heart. And it's gonna cost you everything. To follow me anyway. To follow me anyway. Lord, I love you. Through your eyes of grace. And is it this easy to come back to you and feel how you love me and I love you too. I love you. I love you. I love you. You know I do. Jesus, I love you. If I was honest, I thought we were done. But you came and found me when I tried to run. You didn't accuse me.

You opened your arms. You rewrote my story and gave me a song. I love you. I love you. You know I do. Jesus, I love you. ♪♪♪ ♪♪ You are the Christ. You are the Lord. ♪♪ ♪♪ Risen Messiah. You are the Son of God. ♪♪ ♪♪ You are the Lamb. You are the King. Risen Messiah. ♪♪ ♪♪ You are the Son of God. You are the Christ. You are the Lord. Risen Messiah. ♪♪ ♪♪ You are the Son of God. You are the Lamb. You are the King. Risen Messiah. ♪♪ ♪♪ You are the Son of God. You are the Son of God. You are the Son of God. ♪♪ ♪♪ I love you. I love you. You know I do. Jesus, I love you. ♪♪ ♪♪ This is the confession of Peter on the beach. Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you. You see, I actually think that Peter's been avoiding this conversation. I think Peter's been avoiding talking to Jesus because he figures he already knows what Jesus is going to say. Right? Like, Peter, you were my guy, but you messed up beyond repair. I can't even repair this, so you just go your way, and I'll go my way. And I think, in Peter's mind, by leaving Galilee, in essence, he's giving them both a way out. Right? He's saying, like, now Jesus doesn't have to say it, and I don't have to hear it. Can we be honest for a second? Is that why some of us aren't praying? Because I don't want him to have to say it, and I don't want me to have to hear what I know lies in store for me. But Jesus defies all odds. He pursues Peter. He goes to Galilee to find Peter, which, by the way, was not on the way. Galilee is out of the way. Jesus is on mission to bring Peter back. Can I say it like this? For God so loved Peter that he sent his only son to bring him back. And they sit around a charcoal fire, and they have breakfast.

And it played out much like you just saw. Jesus asked Peter, do you love me? And Peter's like, yes, Lord, you know I love you. And Jesus asks again, Peter, not really, do you love me? He's like, yes, Jesus, I love you. He says, Peter, do you love me? Lord, you would know if I'm lying. You know all things. Yes, I love you. Question, question, question. Why is Jesus pressing so hard down on this? Okay, here's the real question. How many times did Peter betray Jesus? Three times. How many times did Jesus ask Peter if he loved him? And I love you for every denial. Peter denied Jesus, remember that detail in the courtyard of the high priest, where did he deny him? The detail of the story around a charcoal fire. Where does Jesus restore Peter? Around a charcoal fire. What's happening right here, Jesus is saying, Peter, we're gonna deal with this. But I'm not gonna deal with it the way you thought I was gonna deal with it. I didn't chase you down to reject you. I actually chased you down to restore you. And here's what it's gonna look like. Here's what it's gonna look like. We're not gonna ignore what happened, but we're also not going to be destroyed by what happened. And what we're gonna do, we're gonna go back to that sin, and we're gonna sit right where it happened. And for every betrayal, I need you to know that I saw it, I bled for it, and I forgive it.

Peter, right now, this is the problem. You think that your actions have disqualified you, but I'm here to let you know that the calling is still there. And what's about to happen is, if I can be honest, it's not even really that I need to hear that you love me, you need to hear that you still love me. So say it, say it again. Say it one more time. And I need you to look in my eyes and see the love that I have for you. I need you to see the look on my face when you tell me that you love me and you need to know that I believe you. And here's the deal, Peter, now that I've restored you, go and restore the others who've done the same thing you've done. Because here's the deal, guys, Peter's not the only one to deny Jesus. Peter's not the only one to betray Jesus. Peter isn't the only one who's ever turned his back on Jesus, the truth is, we've all done it. And Peter did it for reputation. Judas did it for money. I've seen other people do it for relationships, but the bottom line is we've all done it. And that's why when I see this story play out, I get a little emotional because I'm Simon. I'm Simon.

I'm Simon, I'm the inconsistent one. I'm the violent one. I'm the one who says one thing and then turns around and does something different. I'm the one who said that I would never do it again. And I didn't just do it again. I did it again and again and again. I'm the one who encounters the frailty of my flesh and feels disqualified. And I'm the one who's had tears in my eyes with my hands lifted high saying, Jesus, it hurts to say it, I love you. Is there still a little part of me? I don't know. Do you still love me? The question isn't whether or not I love you. The question is whether you love me. And I know what I'm saying when I say I love you. I know I'm saying behind those words, I'm saying here I am again for the thousandth time. And all I can do is fall back on your grace because I cannot save myself. I need you. I need you to forgive me again. I need you to wash me all over again. I need you to make me clean again. I need to know that you love me again. And I need to know that you haven't given up on me again. That's all in that I love you, Jesus. And if you've ever felt like Simon again and again

and again, maybe you need to hear a few verses today. Romans 5.8, that God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. He did not wait until we had it all together. While we were still his enemies, he died for us. And since we have now been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's condemnation. Colossians 2.13, you were dead because of your sins. I felt dead. I don't know about you, but you were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ for he forgave us all of our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. Finally, Galatians 2.20, my old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. And that day on the beach, I believe this, I believe that Peter received that. He stopped being two people. That day on the beach with Jesus, Simon died. Simon had been crucified with Christ. And then the living Jesus came to live within this new man named Peter.

So he could live as Jesus said he was, no longer Simon, now Peter. And what the testimony of scripture says from this day forward, yeah, yeah, yeah. He still had a little bit of that thing in him that would pop up every once in a while. But the testimony of his life, that he was Peter, the rock, reliable, the leader by the grace of God, not in his own strength, but by Christ living within him, all because of Jesus. And here's the good news. There's always a way back to Jesus. See, Peter thought that he was too far gone, but with Jesus, nobody's ever too far gone, too far away, too lost. He's the God that loves us. He's the God that pursues us. He's the God that loves you. He's the God that pursues you. He's the God who knows your name. He knows who he's forming you into being. And the question right now is the same question that Jesus asked so many years ago. Who do you say I am? And each one of us has to give an answer for ourselves. And maybe you would say, hey, he's a good man. Bad news, a good man can't save you. Some of you would say, well, he's a good teacher. Well, guys, a good teacher can't enlighten you

to somehow arrive in heaven. Some of you would even say, well, he's a good prophet. Let's be honest. A good prophet can only point you towards the way. But Jesus says, I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. No one comes to the Father except by me. And the good news today is this, through his death, his burial, and praise God on the third day, Easter morning, his resurrection, he has made a way for you to be forgiven, to be born again, to become a child of God, to have a fresh start, to become a friend of God, to live forever. So the question is this, who do you say he is? And if your answer is God, the Savior, who's becoming my Savior, the King who's becoming my King, the Lord who's becoming my Lord, then congratulations, because nobody can come to the Son unless the Father draws them, which means God's talking to you right now, which means you're on holy ground. Yes, it is. Today is the day that the old you can die and the new you can be born again, and you can become a brand new living person for the glory of God.

Or maybe here's the deal, maybe you've already answered that question. Maybe you're pretty clear on who Jesus is, but if you're honest, your faith has just kind of grown stale because maybe Jesus is the God of your youth or maybe the God of your parents. Maybe you actually followed Jesus for a while, but you strayed and you had a Simon moment and you just never recovered. And maybe you're still feeling today like there's some things in your life that disqualify you from God's love. The good news is this, let me be a herald for a second. The good news is this, there's nothing about your sin that is too strong that the blood of Jesus cannot be stronger and conquer it, abolish it, erase it, remove it from your life as far as the East is from the West. Good news, because of Jesus, God is not sitting around in heaven thinking about how you messed up. No, the blood of Jesus has erased that from you. Or one more group, maybe it's just been a while since you dared to say, Jesus, I love you. Let me tell you guys like Peter, you need to hear yourself say it. And praise God. I'm here to tell you that there's always a way back to Jesus.

And I believe that the way back for you can start right here, right now. Let's bow our heads, let's pray. Father, we thank you for the power of the cross and the victory of the resurrection. God, we thank you this Easter that the tomb is empty and Jesus is alive. And because he lives, now we have unending hope. Thank you that no matter how far we have strayed, you never forgot us, that even when we failed you, you never failed us. Thank you that there is always a way back to you. And today, God, we heard the truth, that you're the Lord, you're the Savior, you're the Son of the living God. But right now, we've got to answer that question for ourselves, who is Jesus? And right now, Lord, there are hearts in this room answering that question with faith. Thank you for drawing us to Jesus. We feel you at work. Even right now. So family, if today is the day, you're making what we would call the good confession, that Jesus is God and your Savior, maybe for the first time, or you're coming back to home to God through him. I'm just gonna ask you to do me a favor. Would you raise your hand? Would you say that's me?

That's me, I'm coming to Jesus for the first time, thank you. Maybe you say, I've had my Simon moment, but it's time for me to come home. You put your hands down. Would you repeat after me, and we're gonna pray this together in faith, and believers around you guys, we're gonna pray all this together. Say, Jesus, I confess with Peter that you're the Savior of the world, the Son of God who went to the cross for my sins, and you rose again, and right now I repent, and I turn from my old life, and I turn to you. Be my Savior, be my Lord, be my King for the rest of my life. I give you everything because you gave everything for me. I give you my shame, I give you my sin, and I give you my hopes and my dreams. I want your will for my life from this day forward, and right now I am forgiven, I am made new, I'm a child of God, all because of Jesus. So thank you for salvation, thank you for Easter, thank you for resurrection, thank you for restoring my faith today. Restore my calling to, restore my joy today. Jesus, I love you. Just let that sink in, Jesus, I love you. One more time, Jesus, I love you. In Jesus' name we pray, amen, amen. Come on, can we celebrate that?

Can we celebrate now? You may not know this scripture, but there's actually a portion of scripture that says that whenever even one person comes to faith in Jesus, all of heaven throws a party. Like that's how your God feels about you. This isn't a boring, stale, old religion. No, this is vibrant, this is party, this is grace, this is new life. All right, hey, we're gonna do one more thing, and then we're just gonna blow the roof off of this place and worship, okay, before we go today. I need every single person to do me a favor. There it is, you already see it up on the screen. All right, so here's the deal. Whether you have been in Victory for about an hour or you've been here for 20 years, I need you to do me a favor. Okay, young, old, no matter how you got here, however long you've been here, snap that QR code. You can tap the button on the seat back pocket in front of you. If you're online, you can go to connecttovictory.com. And on the other side of that, you're gonna see this screen right here, okay? So if you were here in the room, in the building, you are in Norcross. If you're with us online, you are online. Make sure you check that. And here's what really matters.

We'd love to know what's going on in your life with Jesus right now, okay? So here's what I say. Some of you just said, for the very first time of your life, I'm becoming a Christian. Like Jesus isn't just a good man or a good teacher. No, he's my God, not just God, he's my God. For the first time of your life. If you actually said that, you were just born again. Death died and life is here forever. Some of you would say, hey, I had that Simon thing and I'm coming back home today. We would call that you're rededicating your life to Jesus. Many of us would say, hey, I'm already a follower of Jesus. I'm in it to win it, man. These last two are super important too though. One of them would say, hey, I'm curious. In other words, like I'm not quite there, but you got me thinking. Okay, awesome. Just be honest, okay? Here's the last one that I would really love for you to be honest about is you would just say, hey, thanks for the invite, but I'm not ready. Awesome. I'm just glad you're here. Come on, guys, are we glad? Come on, are we glad? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm just glad you're here, okay?

All right, some of you, here's one of our favorite things to do is actually meet with people, just like one-on-ones in cafe, you know, during the week or on the weekend, that sort of thing. So if you'd like to have that, let us know. You know, we know it's a big church and so we love making big church feel small and we'd love to have a conversation with you. The last one is this, would you like some more resources as you consider your next step? So when you click submit right there, if you had the one or if you said, hey, I just came to faith in Jesus, you're gonna see something like this, or you'll see some version of this on the other side of that. So we believe that water baptism is the next step after coming to faith in Jesus. We have what we call a foundations course, which is if you're new to faith or just wanna grow in your faith, this is a great place to check out. If you don't know where to like start reading in the Bible, that's your devotional, or if you would like to have that conversation, let us know right there. Okay, so just, again, just start filling that thing out. All right, do me the favor, fill that thing out

and submit on the button. Okay, awesome. Hey, let's do this, guys. Let's stand up to our feet. I love this, okay? So we're not just gonna like pray like a dry prayer and say, amen. What we're actually gonna do is we're going to stand up on our feet and we're gonna sing one more song. And I can say it, can I say it like this? We're gonna worship. We're not just gonna sing a song. Singing a song is what we're going to do, but the posture of our heart is worship. What it's saying is it's adoration, it's affection. This song is your Jesus, I love you. Jesus, I love you. Jesus, I love you. This is your song of saying that right here. And what we're gonna do, we're gonna take this posture of worshiping on this Easter like the tomb really is empty and like Jesus really is alive and let gratitude just pour out of us. Come on, let's lift up our voices together, amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

Amen. Amen. Somebody lift up your praise in this room if you know you've been saved. Amen. Amen. Amen. We love you, we love you. Amen. You're so worthy of our praise. Amen. Amen. Amen. Nobody like you, Lord. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. You woke me up this morning and my cup is overflowing. You have blessed me and I know it. So I owe you my praise. You're the author of my story when I thought that it was over but your mercy kept me going. So I owe you my praise. Let's sing it together. Praises, oh Lord you deserve. Oh Lord you deserve all my praises. Oh Lord you deserve.

Only you deserve all my praise. We bless your name today, Lord. Hallelujah. See I know I'm far from finished but your grace is still sufficient. Yeah. And that's what makes the difference. So I owe you my praise. Now I'm standing here forgiven knowing life is worth the living. You're the God of new beginnings. So I owe you my praise. We lift praises. Oh Lord you deserve. Oh Lord you deserve all my praises. Only you deserve. Only you deserve it. You deserve my praises. Oh Lord you deserve. We give you praise. You deserve my praises. We give you praises. Oh Lord you deserve. Only you deserve all my praises. So we gladly give it to you now, you deserve it all, hallelujah, somebody say When I think of all you've done, when I think of all you've brought me through When I think about your love, I can never say no, thank you When I think of all you've done, when I think of all you've brought me through When I think about your love, so amazing, unconditional When I think of all you've done, how you kept me, how you covered me up

When I think about your love, I can never say no, so we lift our hands and say For the ways that you have made, for the praise that you have paid For your mercy, that's why I am, that's why I am For the ways that you have made, for the praise that you have paid For your mercy, that's why I am, that's why I am For the ways that you have made, for the praise that you have paid For your mercy, that's why I am, that's why I am We give you praises, oh Lord you deserve We lift you to the heavens, we give you honor, we give you praise We give you praises, oh Lord you deserve We give you praises, oh Lord you deserve When I think of all you've done, when I think of all you've brought me through When I think about your love, I can never say no Thank you Lord, thank you Lord, thank you Lord, thank you minister, thank you Savior You are the only Lord Somebody lift your voice to the world Hallelujah, hallelujah, you're worthy Lord, that's why I am For waking me up this morning, stood on me on my way You put food on my table, you saved me, you saved me God That's why I am, that's why I am Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah Hosanna to your name So worthy, we give you praises, oh Lord you deserve Only you deserve all my praises, where would I be without you Lord You deserve praises, oh Lord you deserve And only you deserve all my praises Hallelujah, hallelujah, you're worthy Lord, that's why I am And we'd love to continue to create some things in the future that will bless you So send us a letter and we hope to hear from you soon