WHAT’S IN THE NAME

happy New Year folks it is great to see

you and to be here with you all this

morning I am so grateful that we could

be gathered together in this house and I

am grateful because we are beginning a

brand new collection of conversations

that we are kicking off this new year

with that we are calling the Renaissance

now the Renaissance is me being a little

bit a little bit artsy here but let me

just explain a couple things behind it

the Renaissance uh is really a

collection and it is a discussion that

is describing and detailing it is

fixated and focused on the idea of

Revival and renewal and revitalization

in a people does that sound good and so

the Renaissance is obviously uh

something that I've kind of stolen from

a famed period of time in human history

I think all of us are probably to some

degree aware that uh the Renaissance was

a period of time in human history where

there was a lot

Revival and renewal this revitalization

of art and literature that ended up

influencing culture predominantly in

areas of Europe and it was something

where we saw that it spanned quite a bit

of time from the 14th to the 16th

centuries depending on which art majors

uh that are unemployed are talking about

it and so uh you see that there's a lot

of different things that are going on

I'm joking if you if you're an art major

we're not hiring and so I just want you

to know uh we're grateful you're here

but uh what we know is that the reality

is that it it spanned this period of

time where we saw that there was a lot

of different things that were taking

place but namely there were these

artists and there were these works of

art that were coming out of this time

that were like kind of crazy that are

still loved and beloved and celebrated

to this day and so it was during that

period of time where you saw an artist

stepping onto the scene like Caravaggio

and Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo

and Donatello and the rest of the

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and uh it's

it's where you saw that there were works

of art that were uh showing up many of

which some of you have probably seen at

some point or another in your life that

are just captivating to not only the

mind but the heart you're just like what

is this doing to me when you see things

like the statue of David and the cinee

chapel and the creation of Adam and the

Mona Lisa or the painting of The Last

Supper there are these incredible things

that came out of that time frame uh but

we saw that it was not only that there

were crazy things like these incredible

works of art and literature that were

shaping culture but even uh things like

theorizing and philosophizing if you

will that you would see people like

Renee Dart and you would see uh people

like Galileo and makavelli and even the

fame Bible translators like Tindale that

were stepping onto the scene where there

was so much enthusiasm that was shaping

a people in a radical way through these

different things that were happening in

their city and in their culture but uh

while all of that's great I I really

want to kind of distill this idea down

not to just just the time frame but the

word renaissance renaissance literally

is defined as Revival or renewed

interest in something and the something

leaves a whole lot of creative Liberty

and for me I believe it's what he wants

to do in and through this people in 2025

in us as a church and so what's

beautiful even if you look at the

Renaissance period of history is that

while there was a lot of transformation

that was happening in art and liter and

culture uh it it didn't just stick to

those particular things and not even

just theorizing and philosophizing but

rather what you would see is that the

Renaissance was a period of time where

there was a whole lot of Revival and

renewed interest in religion and

religious reform that you would see at

that particular time there was Revival

and renewed interest in the church you

see Martin Luther and the boys were

starting the Reformation right like

everybody was excited about what we now

know to be protestantism and so there

was all of this craziness going on that

ended being a beautiful work of art that

God was doing in the tapestry in the

fabric of people in human history and so

the beautiful thing that we see is that

it wasn't just it was that it was a

change in the ideation of of people it

wasn't just like these are cool ideas we

should give it a shot but rather there

was an identification shift in a people

and so we believe that's where the Lord

is taking us going into this year and

Beyond and we're excited about it and we

believe you're going to be uh excited

about it too if I don't drop my Bible

here uh in Matthew chapter 16 Matthew

Matthew 16 · chapter mention Matthew 16 · chapter mention

chapter 16 we're going to be in verses

13 through 20 are you all excited for

the new year are we excited that God is

alive and active uh that his word is

what we are about uh there are people

that are in here that are neish uh

newish folks we love you we are grateful

for you it is important to me that you

hear this we are a Bible believing

Church uh we are a people that are going

to go through the scriptures a verse at

a time exegetically to the absolute best

of our ability every single week we

believe that this is what we need to

hear from the word of God that God has

given to us we're not here to listen to

humans do their best to sound very nice

and sweet but rather we want to hear the

difficult and the encouraging truths

that God offers in his word and so

that's where we're going to be today in

Matthew Chapter 16: 13 yall ready for

the word

it says this when Jesus came to the

region of cesaria Philippi he asked his

disciples who do people say that the son

of man is they replied ah you know some

some say John the Baptist some Elijah so

Jeremiah one of the

prophets but you he asked them who do

you say that I am Simon Peter answered

uh you're the Messiah you're the son of

the Living God Jesus responded blessed

are you Simon son of Jonah because Flesh

and Blood did not reveal the this to you

but my Father in heaven and I also say

to you that you are Peter and on this

rock I will build my church and the

gates of Hades will not overpower it I

will give you the keys to the kingdom of

heaven whatever you bind on Earth will

have been bound in heaven and whatever

you loose on Earth will have been loosed

in heaven then he gave the disciples

orders to tell no one that he was the

Messiah will you pray with

me uh Lord I'm grateful for every single

human that is in this place right now uh

and that is also tuning in online Lord I

ask that you would um Captivate Us with

the idea of

new that that while there's not a whole

lot of difference between December 31

and January 1 U at the same time there

is it's a turning of the calendar it's

it's it's a flipping of the page Lord

things that that are meaningful to you

and we see it in your word and so Lord

would we be captivated by the idea of uh

new wine skins of you doing a new thing

of you giving us a fresh start and maybe

even today just a fresh encounter Lord

that we would start this year in a way

to where hearts are lit Ablaze with the

glory of who you are and that we would

feel the weight of that in this place

but also have a thrill and excitement

about us as we follow you wherever you

might call

us Jesus we love you we praise you and

we thank you ask these things in your

name

amen uh well I'm sure everybody in here

remembers the historic and the meteoric

rise of the famed band The Cory men

right uh you know Len Gary John low Ron

Rod Davis

uh okay um the guys that named their

band they named their band after Cory

Bank High School that'll be the day in

spite of all danger okay okay I thought

we'd have more Cory Bank this is this is

interesting uh this is a problem I

really don't know where to go from here

um okay

um does anyone have another illustration

for this thing uh okay uh fine anybody

know the

Beatles oh okay there we go The Beatles

you know uh little guys like Paul

McCartney and George Harrison Ringo Star

John Lennon that sound familiar uh that

Nam their band not after the insect the

beetle but the actually a play on words

b e a t not b t l e right they had um

albums that um evil secular people

listen to but I of course don't you know

things like Sergeant Pepper Lonely

Hearts Club Band and Abby Road and

Rubber Soul and revolver and other

things that I've never listened to I can

just name them very quickly off the top

of my head and so things that you people

listen to uh you you're familiar with

this right uh I figured we might have a

few more people that were a little bit

more familiar with a band that is often

described as being the greatest band of

all time and so uh it's interesting

anybody in here that is a real did

anyone know who the Cory men were just

out of curiosity did anybody know all

right thank you for not giving it up I

would have had to kick you out uh so uh

what we

know what we know is that any real

Beatles fan is aware of the fact that

July the 6th 1957 was the day when Paul

met John which I thought was interesting

by the way if you Google when Paul met

John it's not going to bring up like you

know the gospels it's going to bring up

the Beatles And so uh our world has gone

astray folks and so what you need to

know is that July the 6th 1957 is the

day that Paul met John that we see Paul

McCartney on that day was accompanying a

friend of his named Ivan vau to St

Peter's Church in Liverpool specifically

in Walton and as Paul McCartney was

following his friend Ivan vaugh to St

Peters the idea is that they wanted to

go and listen to his friends band The

Corey men that were being being led by

some unknown guy named John

Lenin and on that day Paul met John and

a couple of weeks later John was like

that is a gifted guy I think he should

join our band and so he invited him to

join the band and when Paul ended up

joining the band nothing stayed the same

when Paul joined the band other people

didn't like that Paul joined the band

because Paul was letting everybody know

hey this is cute what you guys are doing

but you should take this way more

serious

he let them know hey my father actually

was a musician made a career out of this

like you too can be an individual that

is a part of something that's not just

kind of like a cute hobby we could be I

don't know the greatest band of all time

and so he decided in that moment to make

sure that they had an awareness about

them but also that they would go into

the things that they were doing with a

lot more structure and a lot more

preparation to the point where he was

even getting on to people about their

clothing uh it was funny there was one

former band member like can you imagine

being a former band member who missed

out on the Beatles there was a former

band member who the Lord still loves

that said this he said this guy had us

going from checked shirts to Smart white

jackets and bootlace ties and three

years later we see that their identity

started to shift in a major way in 1958

they played about five different sets

together as the Corey men and during

that time George Harrison joined the

band big deal and then we saw from that

point in 1959 they played even fewer

sets they they played a couple of

different sets at Liverpool's Caspa

coffee Club but outside of that it

started to fizzle and Fade to where

there were only three guys left Paul

McCartney George Harrison John lennin

and they became the Beatles in

1960 and I'm saying that to you because

I think there's something substantial in

a name

change the Corey men ended up being an

absolutely pivotal Foundation peace to

what the Beatles would build on it was a

great opening chapter but there was more

to come a greater chapter that would

happen as the Cory men ended up becoming

the Beatles and that's significant to us

here today because the reality is God is

in the business of changing names and he

doesn't do so flippantly but there's

deep meaning and purpose a deep

identification that happens with an

individual when we see that take place

in the scriptures and we see it happen

often with Abram to Abraham Sarai to

Sarah with Jacob to Israel and I could

go on and on and on with others that

would be significant and less

significant but I think the most

significant one that we probably end up

seeing taken place in scripture is when

Jesus will change Simon's name to Peter

as we just read here and what we see is

that it begins in verse 13 of Matthew

Matthew 16 · chapter mention

chapter 16 and it says when Jesus came

to the region of cesaria Philippi he

asked his disciples who do people say

that the son of man is now Jesus had

been spending a lot of his time home

based in the region of Galilee and now

they end up traversing 25 Mi North to

the region of cesaria Philippi and

that's critical because in Galilee it

was a p uh primarily and predominantly

Jewish region but now going 25 miles

north to cesaria Philippi would have

brought them to a much more Gentile

heavy uh piece of territory and so what

ended up happening is that Jesus is

whisking his disciples away to have a

pivotal conversation with them and as

he's doing this he's bringing them North

away from this territory where there's

these increasing crowds and population

that are all of a sudden having some

opposition towards Jesus and those that

are following him and so they move from

that region that's a little bit closer

to Jerusalem and they go to cesaria

Philippi and Jesus is going to get them

to a place where they have to answer a

couple substantial questions that are

going to change everything from this

moment and so we see that Jesus begins

with the first question and he says who

do people say that the son of man is son

of man is a moniker uh and it's it's a

significant one son of man is

encompassing a lot of different things

it's Jesus Humanity his humility his

deity and even fulfilled prophecy right

and so we see that it's saying that this

is the Eternal Son of God the second

person of the godhead the Trinity we see

that that this is God dwelling Among Us

in the flesh this is who Daniel is

prophesying about if you go all the way

back to what it is that Daniel wrote in

the Book of Daniel that you see that

this has been just forever in the making

that we see that the Messiah is here but

Jesus wanted to know who is it that

people are saying he is and so Jesus is

saying who do people say that the son of

man is and that's not something that the

disciples would have been like who's he

talking about like he's referred to

himself as the son of man multiple times

and so Jesus is kicking off this first

question in order to get them to a

deeper much more personal one and so we

see in Matthew 16: 13 and 14 it says

when Jesus came to the region of cesaria

Philippi he asked his disciples who do

people say that the son of man is and

they replied some say John the Baptist

others Elijah and still Jeremiah one of

the prophets now Jesus is being confused

with a lot of different people right and

the important thing to recognize is that

Jesus is making enough noise where he is

to where there's a lot of speculation

about who is this guy and even Herod

Antipas who carried out the order to

have John the Baptist killed beheaded

put his head on a plate is wondering is

this John the Baptist like

resurrected like like can I just not get

rid of this guy and then others were

like no no no there there are people

that are saying that he's he's Elijah or

a form of Elijah and they were

associating Jesus with the ministry of

Elijah because they both had a lot of

Miracles and so people were like he he

must be a type he must be a resurrected

form of him and then others were like no

no no it's it's Jeremiah because he's

preaching with this power and authority

and yet at the same time he he's like

mingling it with stuff that we don't

like like like suffering and servitude

and all these other things that are

garbage and so people didn't know who he

was and I just love the idea of Jesus

taking like all of these 20-year-old

guys away from everything that they know

they're bringing him 25 miles north and

then he sits them down in this region

and he's like all right who do people

say that I am and they're just like ah

do we tell him like you know I mean like

he's like what is Jerusalem TMZ saying

about me what are they perpetuating out

there what's the word on the street

y'all and they're like I don't know like

this that like John the Baptist Eli do

we Elijah saying all sorts of stuff and

and and Jesus is like that's that's

great that's great I I asked you this to

ask you a deeper

question who do you say that I am

and and Jesus isn't

asking this question

because he's got like this ignorance

about himself right he's he's not asking

because he's looking for a flattering

remark you ever been talking to someone

it's like they're begging you to

compliment them and you're like I

actually want to say terrible things

about you because I'm so sick of this

they're just like I just feel so ugly I

don't know what it is man am I fat like

what's going on she's like no yeah you

are you are stop saying that please stop

he's not doing that he's not trying to

bait them into some kind of compliment

or anything like that but he's not

unsure or insecure but rather they have

reached a critical juncture in the

ministry and the life of Jesus at this

point and he's going to eliminate any

and all existing confusion about his

identity who he is and what he's come to

do and so he says hey who do people say

that I am and then he asks the question

who do you say that I am and it's

important because Jesus Jesus knows that

many of the disciples were aware of who

he is and if they weren't vocal about it

they did understand on some level this

is the Messiah we know that and yet at

the same time there were some differing

opinions and ideas about who the Messiah

would be and there was something that

had happened among the Jewish people

where a traditional thought of who the

Messiah should be took over what the

scriptures actually say the Messiah will

be and so what ended up happening is

that there were a lot of people that

believed that the Messiah was going to

be a political leader that was going to

live them from the hands of Oppression

out from underneath the oppression that

Rome had been inflicting upon the Jewish

people and that the Messiah was going to

rule and Reign Over them as a sovereign

state as they entered into this

flourishing and this Prosperity but what

we see here is that the scriptures don't

testify to that and rather there was

going to be suffering involved with the

Messiah Jesus wants to ask the questions

to make sure that he can get a good

measure of their faith but he's also

going to start to muster their strength

because this isn't a game anymore

this this this isn't fun anymore like

initially it's like you want to come and

follow me you want to see a blind guy

see you want to see the de like and

they're just like this is fun like all

of the words and the works that Jesus

has done to this point have revealed

that he's the

Messiah and

now it's that his death burial and

Resurrection are going to verify that

he's the Messiah but you've got to get

to a point where you believe that or

what's about to happen is going to break

you do you have any idea who I am and so

what we see Happening Here is that it

would go on and we would see that Jesus

is saying who do you say that I am and

I'm bringing this up at naum and I'm

going to continue to bring it up because

you got to understand that question when

Jesus says who do you say that I am he's

not just asking them he's asking

you who do you say that he

is who do you say

that Jesus is because not to be

dramatic but your answer to that

question is the hinge upon which your

Eternal Destiny

swings everyone thinks I'm

significant Jesus saying everyone thinks

that I'm like more than just a normal

guy people are saying all sorts of

things do you hear all the things do you

hear what everyone's saying get it out

get it out good is that all you think I

am or do you think think that there's

something more do you have a differing

inkling from what the crowds and the

people are

saying because Jesus Christ is not just

a historical figure to be studied he's

the son of the Living God to be

worshiped not just a kind guy to be

complimented but the Christ the son of

the Living God and we see that it's

Peter that is going to make sure that

everybody hears that that's exactly who

he is look it's interesting it says here

Simon Peter answered you're the Messiah

you're the son of the living Living God

and Jesus said blessed are you Simon son

of Jonah Flesh and Blood didn't reveal

this to you but my Father in Heaven

Jesus will ask them a question and then

Peter per the norm is kind of the

spokesperson for the group which I

always just find funny because he's the

loosest cannon and angriest craziest guy

there is which gives me so much

hope you know why would you choose me

because I'm going to put people around

you that can go stop it

Peter's the spokesperson for the group

and he's specific

right he says you're the Christ you're

the Messiah you're the son of the Living

God I'm I'm I'm interchanging Christ and

Messiah because your scriptures might

translate it you're the Christ son of

the Living God Christ is just the Greek

equivalent of the Hebrew Messiah and

then he says son of the Living God

significant because Jews would often

refer to God in a very specific way he's

the Living God which is to say he's he

he he's not in the lineage of your dead

Idols that you

worship he he he he he's he's not all of

your little G Gods he's Lord of creation

all things living breathing watching

over us here that he's with us in this

moment he he he's not your

401k he he he's he's not the things that

you put your hope in he he's not the

things that are are should like

competing for your worship he is the

ultimate person upon which you should

trust above all is the Living

God and Jesus Will Reveal how this was

revealed to Simon calls him

blessed and I think it's significant to

understand that when Jesus calls him

blessed he calls him blessed and that's

something that you see in the old and

the New Testament is just being favor

and recognition from God in a moment

about what's just taking place whether

it's battling through suffering or

whether it's just bestowing blessing

upon an individual that you can be

blessed under a myriad of circumstances

and we see that that happens in the

scriptures but the other thing that we

need to understand is that uh it's not

like some special blessing and

benediction is given to Peter that

nobody else ever receives but rather we

see that this is something that Jesus is

going to make commentary about his

confession and yet at the same time the

the blessing doesn't extend to something

that is a lot more special for peter

than it would be for anybody else

we see here that Jesus said Simon son of

son of Jonah uh which is just anytime a

full name is used you know that

something significant is about to happen

afterwards right like if you remember

growing up if your mom said your full

name my my

word if my dad said my full

name you might not see tomorrow right

you know like it's just if someone hey

hey Lucas John was on what what right

like all of a sudden something serious

is about to go down and so we see here

Jesus saying listen up listen up Flesh

and Blood didn't reveal this to you my

Father in Heaven hey it's God Who

removed the veil do you know that

anything significant that you do in your

life ultimately God gets the glory for

it it it it can't be something that is

attributed to you thank you for your

faithful obedience but the Lord is the

one who did this and he's the one who's

going to get the credit and is going to

get the glory and so Jesus is saying to

him in this moment good job Peter but

can I tell you you didn't come up with

this by your own Brilliance and Faith

but it is God in his kindness who

allowed this to be revealed to you that

we all might know says blessed are you

Simon son of Jonah because Flesh and

Blood didn't reveal this to you but my

Father in heaven and I also say to you

that you are Peter and on this rock I

will build my church and the gates of

Hades will not overpower it uh Jesus now

does something really significant

and I I don't think we should Brush by

it right

like he just changed his

name I I see Austin here I just can't

imagine if I were to be like Austin

thanks for being here today you are now

Rick Rick it's good to see you he'd be

like whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa wh why am

I rick because it means good hair like

no I mean like what are we doing what

are we

doing why what's going on this is going

to be a

linguistic and an intrinsic battle

within Peter uh and I think it's

important for us to to follow this to

the best of our ability what I'm about

to say is not uh because I hope that you

guys think I'm like studious and smart

but rather I think it's important for us

to understand that when something's

happening in the word it's not

flippant it's not like we just uh or

theologians just decide if this means

this because that's going to help it

make sense no this is rooted In

etymology when he changes his name that

name can be traced back to words that

mean something and so Peter and this

isn't going to be your favorite part of

the message but pretend that it is uh

Peter in English is the transliteration

of the Greek word Petros p t r

oos Petrus is translated from the

Aramaic word Kea Kea is transliterated

into Greek and it's keus which is how we

arrive at our English understanding of

that word cus great great thanks guys

and so Jesus changes his

name from Simon to sephus Peter which

means

Rock and then Jesus says and Upon This

Rock I will build my church now the

subject of much debate for centuries and

centuries there's really three schools

of thought that happen here when Jesus

changes his name as to what what is it

that Jesus has just done in this moment

there are some that believe that when

Jesus says Peter calling him Rock and

then he says and Upon This Rock I will

build my chur church that Jesus is now

linking Peter with being the foundation

of the church there there are some that

believe that but the reality is uh while

Jesus uses Peter as as a spokesperson

and he definitely has significant

leadership in the church uh the reality

is uh it's Peter who would later go on

to write in First Peter that Jesus

Christ is the Cornerstone so it would be

a little bit weird for Jesus to say

you're the foundation and then Peter to

be like no I'm not you are that doesn't

make

sense but then there's another school of

thought and I think this is the

flimsiest one people are

we we'll say Well when he says when

Peter says you're the Christ you're the

son of the Living God Jesus is saying

upon that rock upon what you just said

upon the faith that you just mustered up

I will build my church but that that

doesn't make a whole lot of sense either

why would Jesus Say Hey I want to name

you rock and oh what you just said's a

rock and so now we just got rocks Galore

and we're going to build on that it's

like no that doesn't that doesn't make

sense like now we're playing with rocks

it it it doesn't it doesn't work and

then there there's really the Third Way

of understanding it and I think it's the

most helpful one and I think it's the

truest one and I think it's what Jesus

is getting after here uh Jesus changes

his name to sephus Peter means

Rock but then Jesus says and Upon This

Rock I will build my church and what's

interesting is that there's a

differentiation in the translation of

that noun stick with me Jesus names

Peter Petrus it's the masculine version

of that noun p e t r o s

that means a stone that can be easily

moved or

thrown you might say a living

Stone but then Jesus says something

different when he says and Upon This

Rock he uses the feminine version of

that noun p t r

as which means a massive rock or a cliff

there's two differing rocks that are

happening here Jesus is saying Peter you

are a rock but he's saying on this

rock on the foundation that is Jesus

Christ is upon which the church is going

to be built he's saying hey I'm the

Cornerstone Jesus will say two chapters

later and Peter will agree with him in

First Peter and say Jesus Christ is the

Cornerstone can I tell you nothing in

the church is being built on anything

other than the foundation that is the

person of Jesus Christ he's the

foundation and so we

see that he says I say to you you're

Peter and on this rock I will build my

church and the gates of Hades will not

overpower it I'll give you the keys to

the kingdom of heaven and whatever you

bind on Earth will have been bound in

heaven and whatever you loose on Earth

will have been loosed in heaven uh Gates

and Hades has a pretty simple uh

explanation Gates Hades death Darkness

are the ways that they're often

understood and so Jesus is just saying

what's really good news I'm saying he's

just saying like it's not significant

Jesus is

saying Darkness the devil and those who

who do his bidding are not going to

Prevail against my church a't that good

news here today uh that that none of

those things are going to

Prevail and then he says and I'll give

you the keys to the kingdom he says I'll

give you the keys to the kingdom Keys

unlock doors that's free right that's

geez unlock doors my pastor was on one

today right like uh uh they also shocker

unlock doors and so lock and

unlock and what's interesting is that

Peter will unlock

doors for people to hear the gospel

often and Jesus Will Empower other

disciples with an empowering uh message

to go forth and do similar things but he

uses this specific phrase often times if

you look back in history anytime Peter

is painted anywhere he'll have keys in

his hands uh and he's white and so uh

what you'll see is that

Peter is given the keys to the kingdom

and he will unlock the doors of the

Gospel to many people

right act

chapter 2 he preaches at Pentecost 3,000

people hear the gospel and become a part

of the church right you see in Acts

Acts 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8 that the Samaritans are like

we've heard of this good news but then

we we don't know who the holy spirit is

what's a Holy Spirit and he's like you

don't know the Holy Spirit and he prays

that there would be people that receive

the holy spirit in Acts chapter 10 Peter

Acts 10 · chapter mention

receives a vision from God and we see

that all the Four Corners are laid down

and we see that there are all of these

different animals and the Lord says to

Peter get up and eat there are things

that Jewish individuals are not supposed

to eat in order to M kosher and yet the

reality is God was showing him in this

moment hey I'm bringing both Jew and

Gentile into my kingdom and into my

family and we see that in Acts chapter

Acts 10 · chapter mention

10 he would end up going and he would

meet with Cornelius who's a centurion a

Roman guard and he would end up

proclaiming the good news to him and

baptizing his whole family that he's

unlocking the doors for both Jew and

Gentile to hear the gospel and that's

good news because most of us in here are

Gentiles and so we find ourselves in

this place where Peter is unlocking the

doors and then he says something

interesting he says whatever ever you

bind and

loose will have been bound and

loose Jesus used the metaphor bind and

loose here um and it's something that

rabbis would often use uh rabbis would

use the term binding and loosing and

that it would often be used to describe

things that are being forbidden or

permitted uh and and so in in

traditional law right there there were

lots of intricacies and things that

aren't even like tertiary issues that

would be elevated to primary issues

which I know people today know nothing

about but hypothetically speaking it's

possible where all of a sudden you would

see that uh Jewish people would would be

struggling to interpret the law in

specific instances um anybody in here

have a dog love your dog I love my dog

more than most people right I've said

this before I'm not going to go through

it today I'll do it later but what what

we find is that um you can't touch a

corpse and remain clean and so often

times people would be like hey my dog

just died died inside my house it didn't

die outside my house does that make me

clean and they would bind and loose they

would say that's forbidden or that's

permitted they they would do things like

that like real intricate things to

describe what's being forbidden what's

being permitted and so Jesus uses this

language but he does so in a really

specific way I need us to hear this he

says that it will have been you might

read a translation that can be sometimes

a little bit unfortunate in the way that

it's interpreted some people reading it

says whatever you bind on Earth will be

bound in heaven but this translation

that I'm reading specifically and on

purpose says whatever you bind on Earth

will have been bound in heaven whatever

you loose on Earth will have been loosed

in heaven why is that significant

because some people act like they're God

and they are determining Heavenly policy

and they're saying hey whatever I bind

and loose on Earth what that's happening

in heaven I'm bending God's will to

whatever I say things should be and

that's not what's being instructed here

it's not that Peter is enacting Heavenly

policy he's falling in line with the

Heavenly plan that what we see happening

is God is just letting us know that when

the apostles write Doctrine when they

write these letters the things that you

are saying to the people here that is

the reality of what heaven has allowed

and is going forth does that make sense

it's not that you're determining things

it's that they've been determined but

you have a unique role right now in the

kingdom and we see that Peter's not

exclusive in that calling we see that it

will happen with other Apostles

too Jesus asks a really critical

question he says who do people say that

the son of man is and then he says who

do you say that I

am and Peter says you're the Christ

you're the Messiah you're the son of the

Living God and that is

significant because what you see is that

when Peter acknowledges who Jesus is he

changes his name and can I tell you the

same thing is true of us when you start

to acknowledge who Jesus is that's when

he'll start to change you that when you

start to know Jesus true identity that's

when he'll start to change your identity

that you will see that he does something

significant in changing Peter's name he

says hey

Simon you're now Peter and it's not just

that Peter was like it's not that Jesus

was like you know I just like Peter more

than Simon I don't know it's it's it's

rooted in something more than that Simon

comes from a verb that means shifting

sand or Blown Away With the

Wind Peter means rock or rocky

that's

insane Peter's like the loosest cannon

imaginable and he's calling him

solid I mean this is a guy that steps

out of a boat he's like doing a Princess

Diana wave to the disciples who didn't

make it and then he

sinks it's like he has these high highs

and these low lows this is the guy that

when Jesus is about to be arrested

Peter's like not on my watch get rid of

your ear dude like in Jesus like stop it

stop it quit cutting guys ear ears off

healing ears on his way to the cross

that mean it's like he's a certifiable

mess do you understand taking the guy

from shifting sand to Solid Rock doesn't

make

sense and then he'll go on to lead the

church and it's this guy who's going to

write things with his own pen under the

power of the Holy Spirit like you guys

need to be sober minded and

self-controlled I'm like you need to or

what are you talking

about how how do you take something

someone that is so

unstable and make them solid because

when Jesus wants to do something new he

does not need everything that you think

should be there to be there it's by his

power and strength that he can take

something that you didn't think was

possible and make it completely

new and I'm saying that to you today

because we believe that's what God wants

to do with

us if you've been at this church for any

length of

time then then you've probably heard

Isaiah 43: 18 and 19

cited uh a

lot and

it's do not remember the former things

of old behold do you not perceive it I'm

making a way in the wilderness and

streams rivers in the

desert and that's God saying I'm going

to do something radical and remarkable

in and through you and we see that Jesus

does something radical and remarkable in

and through Peter The Impossible but in

order to see that change come to

fruition he changes his

name and I say that to you today because

we have been wondering for a long time

hey what is this thing that God wants to

do do do the leaders in the room sense

it we we've we've sensed

it and as we've been sensing it we've

been trying to be sensitive to the

spirit of God and recognize God does

want to do something remarkable in here

but it's going to require some change

and so I'm I'm thrilled to announce to

you today that we believe that the Lord

is calling us to move away and change

the name LifeBridge Church to the name

key church as we go into later 2025

[Applause]

some people like change some people hate

change some people are clapping and some

people are like hey pause just listen to

me for a couple minutes okay promise you

I'm with

you I I have

been living and pastoring in Orlando for

uh five years feels like 50 but it's

been

five and that's really not a slight it

just this place has always felt like

home to us

and I the the Lord dropped a verse on me

that I I just have not been able to

shake the whole

time Matthew 11:28 Jesus says come to me

Matthew 11:28

all who are weary and burdened and I

will give you

rest what a beautiful

mandate for the people of God to be able

to continue the beautiful mission of

God he says reach the

world but retreat with the one who

called you to reach

it and we believe that that's what God

has called us to do and we have wondered

how can we have vision for where we're

going in a mission that we're carrying

in a word and some of you have heard me

say this before but let me just say it

again for those of you that haven't

heard it a key is a noun it's a thing

it's a Concrete stone or metal platform

that's lying alongside of or projecting

into the water for the loading and the

unloading of ships a key is also often

referred to as a landing

place when ships have been navigating

difficult Seas as people do they will

sail into a harbor and they will land at

a key and a key is the stabilizing Force

where a ship can come in and find rest

and you offload old cargo and crew and

onboard new cargo and crew and then send

that ship back out with new Mission

Vision and

purpose and we

believe God has strategically placed

this church here so that Jesus Christ

can be known and that people would

recognize he's the key in your life we

believe that this is a physical

realization of something that has much

more spiritual significance which is

what it's this that In Christ Alone will

you find the stabilizer of your

souls in Christ alone as you've been

navigating the difficulties of this life

anybody in here gone through some

difficult stuff where you're going hey I

need somewhere to

land and we're here to say there's

someone you need to land in the arms and

who's waiting on

you it's it's not just that In Christ

Alone he's the stabilizer of your souls

but it's In Christ Alone can you offload

old cargo and crew and onboard new cargo

and crew some of y'all need to get rid

of some friends and influences and

things in your life and be onboarded

with new friends and influences and

things in your life so that your wearied

and burdened souls can find refreshed

and renewed strength in Christ alone but

it's not just a place where you can find

comfort and

rest but he will send you back out with

new Mission Vision and purpose one that

is aligned with his that we might reach

a broken world for the story of God and

for the glory of God and bring them into

it and so listen I real

realize that a a change can be a

lot but we have wrestled with this I I

got to tell you this I I sobbed all

morning

sobbed when I saw certain

people I mean Greg H's here I mean Greg

Hy watched me ugly cry this morning I I

mean like I don't cry pretty or I don't

cry pretty I can't even think I'm so

messed up

I have had two things in my life that

I've ever felt this clear on ever in my

life that I needed to marry

Lindsay otherwise I would be doing I

would either be preaching or doing

prison ministry from inside the

prison and this name that

it feels like obedience to us it's a

step of

obedience and I believe God wants to do

incredible things through it I'm letting

you know on January 5th we won't even

change the name formally till September

7th why because I I I know it's hard to

digest for some but there's also a lot

that needs to go into

it some people can be like is that it is

that the big news just a name change

it's not that there's so much more that

goes along with it I don't know if you

know this we have a space problem which

by the way I'd like to let you know

there is room at the 8:30 I I know God's

not up at 8:30 but I just and and I

don't preach the 8:30 cuz I'm not going

to make it either uh I'm kidding I'm

there but I'm but I'm I'm I'm about 37%

there and so but it's still great it's

it's kind of like I'm missing my frontal

lobe it's fantastic and so and you're

like well what is this then I know just

just think about it just think about it

because we got a parking problem I know

none of you have ever been frustrated

with our parking here and you love it

and it's not a big deal and you're just

like here and like want to worship with

us afterward and you don't care and you

don't bother I know it's awesome but we

feel like we should fix

it don't clap Don't

Clap we also are aware of the fact that

we have like a space issue

I I shouldn't say that but we have a

space issue

right we got a space problem we're going

to fix that we're committed to it the

Elder team is committed to it I promise

you as we add more people to that team

and as we continue forward with that

Miss

Men's Ministry has been something that

we've just flat not done well enough

here and there have been some really

faithful guys that have made sure that

it's not completely died and just want

to publicly say thank you to those guys

but can I also let you know like women's

ministry is thriving

here and okay I get it yeah I get it

like

okay and we we can do better so listen I

mean guys on February the 21st we're

going after the hearts and the minds and

The Souls of men in our city and on

February 21st at 6 p.m. we're going to

have an event here and there's going to

be more information that comes out about

that and we're excited for that there

are things that we're going to get

better at that key church is going to do

really well that we just never did well

as LifeBridge church but we're going to

give it some time to digest have

conversations with you but I just want

you to know have agonized over this in

prayer and believe this is where the

Lord is leading us so if you have any

love or trust of me then just know

that's where we're going and we're

excited about it and I hope that you

share in that excitement and so I want

to

I want to pray because the 11:30 starts

in 11 minutes and our parking

Situation's bad so let me

pray yeah 11:45 yeah I don't

know Brandon Boyd figur it out please

Jesus thank

you thank you for these people thank you

for this place thank you for um how

you're knitting us together and God

calling us to more uh Lord I pray for

every heart in here some that are

excited some that

are interested uh in in all that's

taking place but Lord would you continue

to call us out onto Waters that are

challenging and that are glorifying to

you Jesus we love you we praise you we

thank you we ask it in your name amen