Episode Overview

Title: CROSS TO COMMISSION | "I Did It Anyway" | Matthew 26:69–75
Speaker: Lonnell Williams, Executive Pastor, 2819 Church
Date: December 15, 2025
Text: Matthew 26:69–75 – Peter’s Denial
Theme:
This message explores Peter’s denial of Jesus, addressing the tension between conviction and comfort, the cycles of compromise and fear, and the overwhelming reach of grace in restoration. Pastor Williams challenges listeners with hard truths about self-recognition, vulnerability, and the transformative interruption of God’s mercy.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Opening Encouragement & Context

• [00:00] Lonnell Williams begins with a word of hope for the year’s end—God still has time to fulfill His promises.
• Reintroduces himself and explains Pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell is taking a well-earned break.
• Stresses the importance of consistency: "It doesn't matter who mounts the stage...because He used a donkey."
• Urges listeners to be open as the series in Matthew 26 concludes.

2. Reading the Text & Message Title

• [03:10] Full reading of Matthew 26:69–75 (Peter’s denial).
• Message title: "I Did It Anyway"—both confessional and confronting.

3. Compromise Begins with Distance

• [07:40]
  • Peter’s Position: Peter is "sitting outside in the courtyard," not next to Jesus, not involved, just watching.
  • Distance as the first step: “Compromise will always begin with distance.”
    • "He wanted proximity without identification. He wanted to be close enough to care, but far enough to be safe."
  • Comfort vs. Conviction:
    • "Comfortable is the enemy of conviction."
    • "Warmth is not the same as safety, and comfort is not the same as calling."
  • Memorable Quote:
    • "Proximity without commitment is just religious tourism." (~11:40)
  • Personal challenge: Are you sitting by the wrong fire? Are you too comfortable to be convicted?

4. The Fear Factor: Denial is Motivated by Fear

• [17:05]
  • The first accusation is by a servant girl, not a soldier or leader—insignificant in human eyes, but her question unravels Peter.
    • "The threat was not a sword, it was an association."
    • "Peter did not deny Jesus to save his life. He denied Jesus to avoid embarrassment." (~20:10)
  • Modern parallel: Many deny Jesus for fear of being "canceled" or unpopular, not for physical safety.
  • Christianity becomes “aesthetics” and “branding” when comfort and approval are prioritized over faithfulness.
    • "We are not denying Jesus with our mouth. We are denying him with our ambiguity." (~22:50)

5. Slippery Slope: Sin Escalates if Unchecked

• [27:10]

  • Peter tries to escape further confrontation by moving to the entrance, but “distance does not delete conviction, it only delays it."

  • Each denial is deeper:

    1. First: Deflection ("I do not know what you mean")
    2. Second: With an oath ("I swear to God, I don’t know the man")
    3. Third: Cursing himself if he's lying.

  • Memorable Quote:

    • "He took the tongue God created for worship and weaponized it for self-preservation." (~29:12)

  • Sin progresses in stages—from lying to invoking God’s name, to ultimately denouncing relationship.

6. The “Accent” of Believers: Transformation Is Noticeable

• [37:16]

  • Even when Peter tries to blend in, his Galilean accent exposes him.

  • "If you’ve ever been with Jesus, you should have an accent..."

    • One’s transformation should be evident even without explicit statements.
    • Challenges listeners: Would anyone suspect from your “accent” (your lifestyle, habits) you are a follower of Jesus?

  • Quote:

    • "You cannot hide transformation. If you’ve been with Jesus, it’ll show up." (~40:10)
    • "If there is no accent, there is no evidence."

7. Grace’s Intervention: The Rooster’s Crow

• [46:05]

  • The rooster crows right after Peter’s final denial—not at denial one or two, but exactly when Peter crosses the line he swore he’d never cross.

  • Memorable Quote:

    • "We don’t get to choose when God confronts us, but He always confronts us at the right time." (~46:40)
    • "Grace refuses to let you become who sin was trying to turn you into." (~48:30)

  • The "rooster" is not judgment but divine interruption—God’s mercy breaking destructive momentum.

8. Conviction versus Condemnation—Pathway to Restoration

• [50:28]

  • Peter’s realization doesn’t end in tragedy, but in repentance:

  • The text says he "wept bitterly" (deep, soul-rending sorrow).

    • "When was the last time you wept over your compromise?"

  • The difference between remorse and repentance:

    • Remorse: "I got caught."
    • Repentance: "I was wrong."
    • Remorse leads to shame; repentance leads to restoration.

  • Quote:

    • "Peter disowned Jesus in public, but Jesus never disowned Peter in private." (~53:00)

9. God’s Redemption—Failure Is Not Final

• [54:21]

  • Jesus predicted Peter’s denial, but still called and restored him.

  • Restoration is a process—Peter journeyed from failure to preaching boldly (e.g., Acts 2).

  • God turns failures into testimonies; He recycles, He doesn’t waste.

  • Quote:

    • "God still trusts redeemed voices."

  • Message for those stuck in regret: "How long are you going to punish yourself for something Jesus already forgave?"

10. Closing Moments: Invitation & Worship

• [58:55]
  • Pastor Lonnell vulnerably shares his own journey—struggles, shame, and the reassurance that "God's grace is sufficient."
  • Calls listeners to repentance and surrender—assures that “the same Jesus who restored Peter is waiting to restore you.”
  • "Some of us are at a place where you have been beating yourself up for the choices of compromise... This sermon—God sent me this message—to be the rooster crow in your life." (~58:55)
  • Invites those ready for restoration to lift their hands as a sign of surrender and turning to God.
  • Congregational worship: “God, you are my everything.” The moment is soaked in reflection, conviction, and rejoicing for new and renewed faith decisions.

Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• "Compromise will always begin with distance." (09:15, Lonnell Williams)
• "Proximity without commitment is just religious tourism." (11:40, Lonnell Williams)
• "Peter did not deny Jesus to save his life. He denied Jesus to avoid embarrassment." (20:10, Lonnell Williams)
• "We are not denying Jesus with our mouth. We are denying him with our ambiguity." (22:50, Lonnell Williams)
• "He took the tongue God created for worship and weaponized it for self-preservation." (29:12, Lonnell Williams)
• "If you've ever been with Jesus, you should have an accent." (37:19, Lonnell Williams)
• "Dry eyes and a dirty conscience don't go together." (50:50, Lonnell Williams)
• "Peter disowned Jesus in public, but Jesus never disowned Peter in private." (53:00, Lonnell Williams)
• "God still trusts redeemed voices." (54:21, Lonnell Williams)
• "How long are you going to punish yourself for something Jesus already forgave?" (57:22, Lonnell Williams)
• "This sermon...is the rooster crow in your life." (58:55, Lonnell Williams)

Significant Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | Details | |-----------|---------------------------------------|---------| | 00:00 | Opening Encouragement & Context | Hope for year’s end, speaker introduction | | 03:10 | Reading Matthew 26:69–75 | Text of Peter’s denial read in full | | 07:40 | Compromise & Distance | Analysis of Peter’s posture and warning | | 17:05 | The Fear Factor | How fear, not physical threat, led to denial | | 27:10 | Sin Escalates | Each denial intensifies; geographical movement | | 37:16 | The Accent of Believers | Galilean accent exposes Peter; life evidence | | 46:05 | The Rooster Crows: Grace’s Timing | Divine interruption; mercy breaks sin’s flow | | 50:28 | Conviction & Restoration | Peter’s bitter weeping; pathway to healing | | 54:21 | God’s Redemption | Failure isn’t final, journey to restoration | | 58:55 | Closing Worship & Call to Repentance | Reflective surrender, congregation’s response |

Tone & Style

Lonnell Williams delivers his message with passion, candor, and urgency. He skillfully interweaves scriptural exegesis, honest personal anecdotes, cultural parallels, and rhetorical questions. His tone shifts from confrontational (“Y’all, I know I’m preaching better than y’all talking!”) to nurturing as he reassures listeners of God's grace and restoration.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This message is a soul-searching call to self-examination and renewed faithfulness. Pastor Williams frames Peter’s story not as one of shameful failure, but as the beginning of transformation interrupted by mercy. He repeatedly brings the focus back to practical living: Are you drifting into compromise through comfort? Is your life marked by clear evidence you’ve been with Jesus? And above all—do you believe grace still covers your worst moments?

Listeners will leave convicted, challenged, but ultimately hopeful that no denial or failure is too great for God’s restorative grace.