So today, I'm excited to jump back into one of my favorite topics to talk about outside of love, and it's talking about love, but go ahead and throw up my, yeah, who do you say that I am? It is my favorite question that Jesus asked in the Bible, and there's so many good questions in Scripture, but I feel like this one unlocks everything. Your answer to who Jesus is determines who you are. I'm gonna have to.
Alright, so listen, your answer to who Jesus is determines who you are. This side still don't get it. Let me come over here y'all. Come on, help me out this morning.
Your response to the question that Jesus asked determines who you are. There we go, I like this side. I'm rolling with you all today. But what you're called to and what you walk in.
See, I hope today that we leave here with a little bit better understanding because Jesus He's not looking for, you ever been to a cave and you yell into it and it like echoes back. See, he's not just looking for an echo. He's not looking for what somebody else or who somebody else says that he is. He's saying, who do you say that I am?
See, there's so much packed into this that we're gonna jump into today, but I really hope that you leave today with the understanding that he's looking for a personal revelation of who you say the Father is. This isn't about barred beliefs, it's about bold revelation. This moment in Matthew 16, if you got your Bibles, go ahead and turn there. He's not asking for information.
He wants to know the revelation of who you say that he is. One amen. Sorry, we're gonna get there. See, I think a lot of times people are going off of what they've heard, what they see, but he's really asking.
Here's what I found. I'm not gonna go all the way into it, but I was driving into Western port the other day and I'm looking around and it's wild to look at some of the flooding that happened there. And I just felt a real heavy on my heart. Like he was asking, hey, who do you say that I am?
And in that moment, it really took me back because I realized that he wants us to connect with him in every situation in life. He wants us to have an understanding of who he is in the hardest times. He wants us to be able to grab a hold of that and make that our foundation in just every season of our lives. And so I began to ask him, God, share more with me because I know it's got to be hard for people that are going through a tragedy, that are going through a, okay, maybe you're not in a tragedy, but there's something going on in your life.
Everyone goes through seasons, everyone goes through hard times. What are you able to in the midst of the hard times, stand firm on the foundation and the revelation of who Jesus is to help you, help you continue to move forward. Because like I said, the revelation of him, we're gonna see unlocks a whole lot of things. So I'm excited.
Your answer to this question unlocks your identity, your authority, and your assignment. Let me bring it a little more into 2025 in everyone's opinion about Jesus. We have TikTok theologians, Instagram influencers, news media, politicians, listen, even AI. I'll say something about Jesus.
Some say he was a good teacher. Others say he was a myth. Some say he's about love but not truth. Some say he's outdated but I think it's interesting.
Jesus asked the disciples what culture is saying but then he pivots the focus to like a laser focus. Hey, forget the noise of everything. Who do you say that I am? Hey, forget everything that's going on around you.
Who do you say that I am? Because that's gonna change how you see everything. It's gonna change how you see yourself. Hey, it's gonna change how you see yourself.
It unlocks something inside of you. All right, y'all are gonna make me really work for it this morning. Sorry, I wanna start off by saying this. God show me something that his timing is so strategic.
See this moment happens in Matthew 16 right after Jesus fed thousands, walked on water, healed multitudes, and challenged Pharisees traditions. So he did all these great things, showed so much about who he is. Why now? That's this question.
See why I ask it at this point is what I asked. He said why now? Because he's shown, he's shown them and us his power. Can I get to raise hands?
Have God revealed himself to you before in your lives? Has he shown his power in your lives? Okay, but now what he's doing is asking for their perspective. He's asking you, who do you say that I am?
You've seen me show up. You've seen me do these great things. But who do you say that I am? You've seen my miracles.
Y'all just raised your hand. You've heard my teachings. But has it changed? Who I am to you?
Guys, I just want to say this. I don't know if you've seen it or not or you've heard it, but we've been having like healings happen in our church. People are getting healed. Things are happening.
God's moving. Like we're seeing these things. I feel like one of the questions God's bringing it to, hey, church, is it changing? Who he is to you?
Are you stepping into what you're seeing? You're seeing all of his power. Now when the question's asked, who am I? Who do you say that I am?
Are you stepping into that? Yeah, he's taking us somewhere. It's going to be good. If you got your Bible, starting a Matthew chapter 16, we're going to start in verse 13.
And I'm going to read to verse 20. And I'm reading out of the holy translation, the message translation. And it starts off verse 13 saying this. When Jesus arrived in the village of Caesarea Philippi, when Jesus arrived in the village of Caesarea Philippi, why do you think it says that?
Jesus is arriving somewhere. And I think it's important that we realize that after all of this stuff that we're talking about, he arrives to this place and he asks some of this question. Come on, y'all. He asks his disciples, what are people saying about who the Son of Man is?
They replied, some think he is John the Baptist, the baptizer, some say Elijah, some say Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets. He pressed them, how about you? Who do you say I am? Simon Peter said, you're the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.
Jesus came back, God bless you, Simon, Son of John. You didn't get the answer out of books or from teachers. You didn't get, let me go all the way back. Jesus came back, God bless you, Simon.
God bless you, Simon. You didn't get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on the secret of who I really am. Say I really want to know you.
Now I'm going to tell you who you are. Really are. Church, y'all better wake up this morning. Now I'm going to tell you who you are.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, you're clapping too low for this. Who you really are. I'm about to tell you who you are based on your understanding of who I am. Jesus, I'm going to tell you who you really are.
You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church. So say so. Expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able.
And I know you clap like that was all, but he says that's not all. You will have complete and free access to God's kingdom. Keys to open any and every door. No more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven.
A yes on earth is a yes in. We're getting there. Listen, a yes on earth is a yes in. Keys to open any and every door.
No more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is a yes in heaven. A no on earth is a no in heaven. He swore the disciples to secrecy.
He made them promise. They would tell no one that he was the Messiah. Father, I thank you for your word. God, I just thank you today for who you are.
I thank you that you give us the keys to the kingdom, Father. And that if it's a yes here on earth, it's a yes in heaven. And we just thank you for who you are, who you say we are, Father. And we love you and we honor you and let's jump in.
Where they were, when Jesus arrived in a village of Caesarea Philippi, see this isn't a random location church. I want you to understand it's at the base of Mount Herman. And then if I butcher these, it's okay. It's at the base of Iron's Mountain.
A tiring mountain range, hum to stay with me, hum to massive rock lifts, a well known place for idle worship, bail, pan, Caesar. This is believed by pagans to be where the gates of Hades were located, literally, a deep cave at the foot of a rock face where they believed spirits came and went from the underworld. I want you to just picture this. They're standing in front of a massive rock wall.
There's shrines carved of dead gods into it. This is a place where demonic, what's that one where? Demonic folklore, there you go. Pagan, religious confusion, pagan practices.
There's different things that are happening there. And Jesus stands there under a mountain of false identity and ask, who do you say I am? See, I need us to really sink in and let this hit deep for us to grab this revelation of him and what he's doing this moment. This is literally a city of competing gods and emperors.
And I think that Jesus chose this spiritually noisy location to ask the most important question of his ministry. Think of the busiest place that you could ever be in, the most tempting place you could ever be in. Did you hear what I said? It said that the gates of Hades is supposed to be, this is where this is at.
And all those miracles, all those things, everything's happening, and it gets to this place. And he asked this question. They really have me start to think, and like, wow, this is interesting, God, because this question rings true today in all of our lives. That it'll forever be able to ask that, and will forever be able to respond to that.
Because like I said earlier, there's a lot of stuff that's happening. There's a lot of things that's going on. And I think it's important to point out that this is also the last leg of Jesus' journey to the head to the cross. And he's asking the question, who do you say that I am?
He didn't ask in the prayer room. He asked in the middle of pressure, confusion, spiritual compromise. I think it's really neat to see that he didn't just teach with his words. He taught with his timing.
He taught with locations. And he did it in life moments. We watched him turn mountains into pulpits, storms into classrooms, and interruptions into illustrations. At a wedding, he showed power in the ordinary.
In a storm, he revealed peace and chaos. At a graveyard, he showed victory over death. At a well, he restored identity and shame. And now, here in Philippi, here he reveals himself as the Christ.
He used a place of false identities to ask about his true identity. He asked the right question in the most unexpected place. Because I believe sometimes the clearest revelation comes in the middle of the greatest confusion. See, Jesus knows that revelation means more when it comes in a place where you're tempted to doubt it.
Again, before I move forward, it says when they arrived at this place, when they arrived at this place, that's filled with pagan worship, the place where people came because they thought they could actually access the gates of Hades, hell, under world. And he stands there at that place to ask the people around him, who do you say I am? First point, public opinions can't power personal faith. He asks the disciples, what are people saying about who the Son of Man is?
They had theories about Jesus, prophet, teacher, miracle, not worker, but they didn't have truth. Even today, the world has opinions. See, Jesus isn't asking for you to repost what other people think. He's asking for your revelation.
Let me say it this way. Your faith won't last if it's based on someone else's revelation. You need to hear from heaven yourself. What do you say?
Jesus asks, who do you say that I am? See, other people's opinions don't build faith. Only revelation does. See, I think you can ride the wave of other people's opinion for a little while.
But Jesus asks in that place, I believe, the hardest challenging place because that's where it means the most. Anybody in here in a challenging time in their life or has been in one recently? I think if we could, as a church, as a body of Christ, begin to ask and answer this question in those times, the growth, the understanding of the revelation of who He is will give us access to things. One amen.
Listen, the revelation, you're in the hardest time, the hardest place, there's no ways, there's confusion. There's all kinds of things that's challenging you to connect with the Father. And if you can answer the question of who do you say He is that unlocks revelation of who you are, and if I understand who I am in a midst of a bad situation or a challenging time in my life, then what do you think I'm able to do? If I can connect with who I am, who He says I am, then I think we can walk through anything.
Because like I said, Jesus is asking this on his last leg of the journey, He's getting ready to prepare the disciples for what they're about to take on. You're not gonna be able to walk and maintain your identity of who you are and who Christ says you are. If you're writing somebody else's opinion of who He is. If you don't have your own.
If you're not understanding to where you get the reality of who He is in your life, deep down in you, to where you're able to say that, confess that. So He can reveal and unlock your identity. It's, there's too many people that are riding the wave of YouTubers and short sermon clips. And I'm not bashing them preaching the Word, I'm saying the believer takes that and runs with it.
And they don't have the revelation that they need based off of their revelation to go and look for themselves to say, this is, you're the Christ. This is who you are. He's saying who am I? Because what I found is in challenging situations, you can say He's the Christ in good times, but what about when something happens?
Can you still say, I know who you are? He's still a good God. We have clicades saying that we don't even believe. I serve a good God, just now, you know, just right now it's just the season I'm going through.
He's trying to get you to understand that in that season, who you say I am will unlock more of who you are. So you don't walk and stay in a place that you were never meant to stay, that you can stand at the gates of hell and it will not take you down. All right, he pressed them. How about you, who do you say I am?
Here's what's really happening. This isn't a theology quiz. I think it's a heavenly filter. He's drawn a line between borrowed faith and personal conviction.
He's inviting them in to not just say, here's what everybody's saying around me. Here's what they're all saying out there. But what do you say? Who do you say that I am?
He's trying to invite you into intimacy, into a deeper place. He's positioning his disciples. They're surrounded by false gods. What people believe was the gates of Hades.
Church, I keep saying this because I hope that you get it. I don't know if we understand when we're reading the scriptures and about this question that he's asking. I think we've just taken it on the surface level of, who do you say he is? When he's saying that, that thing alone.
I don't know about you, but I live my life as closest to the gates of Hades I possibly could have. One foot was even in it at one point in time. But the understanding of who he is, is saying that this revelation alone is gonna change everything. It should change everything.
If you're saying that you are the Christ and your life isn't changing, there's something disconnected there. There's something super disconnected there. And we gotta figure it out. Jesus knows.
If you got your notepad, write this down. Jesus knows. Revelation means more when it comes in a place where you're attempting to doubt it. I've said it three times.
Jesus knows revelation means more when it comes in a place where you're tempted to doubt it. Give me all a second. Next point, confusion. Confession unlocks calling.
Simon Peter said, you're the Christ, Messiah. This isn't a rehearsed answer. I believe he reveals through what scripture tells us, something that heaven dropped into his spirit. The word Christ means Messiah.
The anointed one sent to save and rule. I wanna keep saying this because I want you to understand it. When you recognize Jesus, whoa. For who he truly is, he reveals who you truly are.
Peter says you're Christ, Jesus says you're Peter. That unlocked his identity. It did unlock my voice. Peter speaks what heaven revealed and it unlocks.
Jesus blesses him, changes his name, reveals his purpose and promises authority. Revelation, identity, assignment. Confession of faith isn't just what saves you. It's what shapes you.
I think confession unlocks the supernatural. Romans 10, nine says, can you all hear me? Romans 10, nine. I'm all the way on.
Romans 10, nine. Listen, don't work either. Romans 10, nine says, if you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, you will be saved. So what did that just, what just happened there?
It says if you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth, you will be saved. So would it be safe to say there that a confession unlocks something supernatural? Confess with your heart, believe in your heart, confess with your mouth and you will be saved. So a confession in that moment unlocks salvation, unlocks something supernatural.
Confession unlocks the supernatural. This moment with Peter isn't just a turning point for him, it's a template for every believer. There's a deep connection happening here. Peter believes you are the Christ.
Peter confesses Jesus responds with identity, destiny and keys, just like salvation begins with confession, so does calling. When you confess, the supernatural unlocks. When we speak what heaven has revealed to our heart, believing gives you access, but confessing in faith gives you activation. When you confess through Jesus as he confirms who you are.
Guys, are you seeing the importance of in the moment in the confession? We say, and we talk about so much about the confession of faith. If we believe it, and we confess it, then something unlocks. Here it shows that Peter understood the revelation of Jesus confess it and his identity and purpose unlocked.
I don't know if you're seeing this or not, but if you're in here today, maybe you've confessed Christ. Maybe he's asking you the question, who do you say I am? And maybe today somebody is going to be unlocked and stepped into their purpose. They're God-given identity that you have now the keys to the kingdom.
Your confession becomes your foundation. On this rock, I will build my church in the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. See, this comes full circle. Jesus stands in front of the literal gates of Hades.
My church will overcome even this place. See, I want to say that the rock is not Peter the man. It's Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ. This is the foundation of the church, not performance, not personality, but revelation of Christ.
So, what should you all imagine if we will begin to be able to step in to all of this? That if the revelation of who he is in our confessions as a church, as a body together, began to step into this and he reveals an unlocked identity, the supernatural things of him and his nature together. If we step into that as a body, could you imagine what that would look like? A couple of people.
Sorry, we're gonna get there. If you begin to understand who he is, and you confess that and he unlocks that, could you imagine church? I'm so excited. Check this picture out.
So, this is the actual physical location of where they say that they were standing. It's that little cave out there to the far right side. You can see the little picture, or the little carved in things, shrines, if you will. And they believe that cave over there in the corner was the actual gates of Hades.
And I thought that was so interesting that Jesus stands there and asks that question to his disciples to let them know who they are and how powerful it is who they are. I know, guys, believe me, there's nothing super wild about what I'm saying. It's about what the scripture tells us, that the understanding of all of this, the revelation of who he is, that in this time that he can stand there, where it's probably crowded with people who are worshiping all those things. It's noisy, it's busy, like I said, and he asks his disciples in that place.
Hey, who do you say I am? At the literal gates of Hades. And the confession unlocks a whole lot of things. If you didn't know or not, in the middle of the craziest place of your life, if you'll confess Christ and understand who he is, he'll unlock your identity there.
You don't have to wait. You don't have to wait until you get on the other side. So then thanking. He said, hey, in a very place where all this is happening, right there is where I can work.
Right there, actually, I believe that there's so much happening here that it's his confession, Peter's confession, but I think at the same time, like I said, it's timing, it's location, it's all that, that he's asking this and that he's showing that, he's probably pointing and saying, hey, on this huge rock, the biggest rock formation in all of Israel, that's what they claim, you can fact check me. But the biggest rock formation on this rock, Peter's confession went on this rock, I'm gonna show you this rock where the gates of Hades is, where it's stationary, this rock, I'm gonna step in, I'm gonna build my church on that confession of who you are and we're gonna carry that around the world. That rock of the gates of Hades stationary, but the church is mobile. On this rock, you Peter, the rock, the confession of who you say I am, I'm gonna build on it and I'm gonna give you a visual so you can see it too.
Stand an air point, right there. Where they think hell has authority, I'm building something that hell can't stop. The confession, Peter himself, the literal rock. See, I think it was a prophetic picture that the church won't hide from hell, it'll advance against it.
What you confess in a place of confusion becomes your foundation in a place of power. What you confess in a place of confusion becomes your foundation in a place of power. The church is built on revelation, not reputation. See, he's not building the church on Peter's popularity but on his revelation.
See, I think many churches today are built on personalities, but Jesus is looking for people who've seen him for who he is. He builds on bold confessions. Revelation releases authority. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
Keys represent access and authority. When you know who Jesus is and who you are in him, you stop living like a victim and start walking in victory. See, you don't get the keys until you made the confession. I believe too many people are locked out of peace, purpose and power, not because Jesus don't love them, because they haven't answered the question yet.
Jesus now gives Peter authority because of clarity. Clarity about Christ leads to confidence in your calling. Access, responsibility, trust. Revelation 3.7 says this, what he opens no one can shut.
And what he shuts, no one can open. You don't get the keys till you know the king. The timing, the terrain, the tension. Jesus didn't teach like the Pharisees.
He didn't sit in a temple with scrolls. He used the world around him as a living classroom. Jesus teaches in the wild because faith has to work outside the temple. See, I think he waited until ministry success happened.
Religious tension was high, surrounded by false gods, standing there at the gates of hell like we talked about. The teaching had been heard, standing in the very place, people feared to ask this question. Who do you say I am? See, I think church, when we, as a body of believers, can confess in faith Christ in that place, and fill up high, standing in that place, we can carry him then into the world.
This wasn't just a moment of why Jesus asked there. He was marking him forever. Like I said, he taught everywhere storms. He even said that with coins, give to Caesar what is Caesar's.
Basically, give your soul to God. See, he didn't just talk about truth. He walked people into it. And I believe he's still teaching like this today.
See, don't miss the lesson because things look messy. That very storm might be your classroom. That tension might be the test. The place that looks godless might be the place.
He wants to give you the clearest revelation of who he is. See, he knew that the disciples couldn't follow him into the next season, until they settled who he really was. That's not just a tag follower of Christ and our bios. And if we do do that, what if Jesus clicked on your life story?
Would there be real connection? Church, you hear me? Would there be real connection? Or just public association?
Would it be really because we say, I know who you are? You're the Christ. I give you my love. You're the Christ.
That's why I'm tagging follower of Christ on my Facebook profile. Or would it be just for everyone to see that you're associated with him? Would your life show it? See, I don't think he just wants to be talked about.
I think he wants to be followed. I think he wants to be confessed because in the confession of faith, we just saw today that the supernatural things of God were unlocked. Identity, assignment. And only by revelation those things were allowed to happen.
And because of that, he was given them the keys to the kingdom. See, I think God wants to give us things. He wants to give us a lot of things. He wants to give us the keys.
But he wants us to know who he is. He wants us to know what those keys really unlock. They unlock heaven. You're carrying something special.
And if you understand that and understand who you are, and we began to walk with revelation of the Christ. Church, our life should be so different. And it should look so different. He's still asking in the middle of confusion at work where people are really challenging your faith.
Couple of people are gonna say, Amen. Shoe. In grief when God feels far in pressure, where the world tempts compromise, who do you say I am? This question will determine your next step, your authority, your purpose, and your foundation.
Jesus doesn't ask him, who's your pastor say he is? What your parents taught you who he was? What your favorite TikTok theologian says about him? He's asking you, sitting right here today.
Who do you say I am? I'm gonna get ready to close with if you wanna come up. If you've never made this confession. If you've echoed it, but never made it personal, your own.
And you need to settle that question today. Will you stand with me, Church? This is gonna be your moment. I hope you hear my heart today.
Don't let culture answer for you. Don't let fear answer for you. If your answer to who Jesus is, hasn't changed how you live, it might be time to answer again. Church, we can settle it, confess it, and own it today.
Who do you say that he is? Church, who do you say that he is? I believe that in every moment of our life he stands before us with an opportunity for us to answer who is he? Come on, Church, do you know who he is?
I want you to pitch it right now to Father asking you, hey, who do you say that I am? I don't wanna know what they think or what they said or what someone told you years ago or what you read five minutes ago. He said it needs to be your faith alone, it needs to be your confession, it needs to be you. It calls out to say you're the Christ because all of your purpose, your identity, everything comes from that place alone.
You can't come from anybody else.