WELCOME
Communion Worship Service
Good morning First Baptist. We welcome you to worship this morning. Be sure to remember your brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the week as you pray for them, and as the Holy Spirit brings their faces to your mind. Be sure to also connect with them in the ways that are possible. And if you have any questions or would like to talk to someone, please don’t hesitate to contact the church through the church telephone and leave a message. (519-733-4144)
Songs
Call to Worship
Come, let us celebrate the goodness of God. Because He has blessed us with a great love. Let us come to this time, letting go of our worries. And prepared to praise God. Come, now is the time to worship. We come rejoicing, for God is so good to us.
Songs
Prayer
CONFESSION:
We come this day, rejoicing, in the presence of the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. At his birth the angels proclaimed his name to be Emmanuel, God with us.
Today in this place, in this time of worship, may we truly feel the power and presence of Jesus Christ in our lives. May our hearts and spirits be warmed and challenged to proclaim with our lives, “Christ is Lord!”
Father, we have trouble believing in a King in our lives.
Yet, this day we are called to recognize Jesus Christ as the King of our lives, our sovereign ruler. His kingdom is based on the laws of love; loving God as God has truly loved us and loving our neighbour as we ourselves want to be loved. That love extends beyond the borders of our lives, into a world in which there is fear and alienation, hunger and disease, hopelessness and darkness.
Jesus, our sovereign ruler, our friend, our Master and guide has asked us to reach out to feed the hungry; give drink to the thirsty; clothe the naked, visit the sick and those imprisoned; welcome the stranger.
These words are not unfamiliar to us, yet somehow, we have treated them as nice words but not an active part of our life of faith.
Forgive us, Lord, for the meagerness of our faith and the weakness of our witness. Rule our lives again with your powerful love, that we might truly be worthy disciples of yours. Help us to find the forgiveness which you have given to us and to do your will. Amen
WORDS OF ASSURANCE
Even though we have often failed to do as our Lord Jesus has asked, yet there is eternal forgiveness and a chance to again follow his ways. Be assured, dear friends, that the love of Jesus Christ will never leave you.
Resurrecting Hope
Do You Love Me?
Today's Message: Pastor David Page
Welcome back to worship this morning. What an honour it is to gather together once again in light of the resurrection life offered to us in Christ. We continue to leave the cross of Easter in our Sanctuary for this message series, On Easter Sunday we began this new series called Resurrecting Hope. A truth that I have come to rely upon in my journey is that Life’s greatest challenges are best faced when we have the hope of Jesus’ power and presence living within us.
Recall that we looked at Mary’s journey to the tomb on that first Easter morning – there she was met with surprise as she did not find Jesus’ lifeless body, but instead, she saw Him face-to-face alive and well.
His resurrection filled her with hope once again and changed everything. Following Mary’s encounter with Christ, there were others who saw Him as well, and today we want to show you some of those encounters because in each, there is this moment of discovery; discovery that the love of Jesus can restore our hope eve after great disappointment.
Story: I used to be in the corporate marketplace – travelling across Canada almost weekly. As a young husband and father, I believed I was doing it right—providing, working hard, giving my family the life they deserved. But one moment changed the way I saw it all.
Our daughter had been practicing for weeks for a dance competition. As she prepared, she’d ask us to watch her rehearse, twirling and smiling, excited for the big day. I promised I’d be there. I marked it on my calendar. I arranged flights coming back from western Canada. But then, the week of the recital, work called—another last, another meeting I “couldn’t miss.”
I tried to rationalize it. “She’s young,” I thought. “There will be other competitions.” But when I returned home, she didn’t greet me with her usual energy. Instead, she handed me a medal she had won from the competition and whispered, “You weren’t there.”
That broke me.
In that instant, I realized I had been prioritizing everything but what truly mattered. I wasn’t just missing events—I was missing memories, trust, presence. No job, no client, no success was worth the look in her eyes that day.
One of the greatest challenges that each one of us face in life is how to handle relationships. Learning to apologize and to forgive are some of the most difficult tasks that we undertake. When we experience brokenness between husbands and wives, parents and children, or between friends, it can rob us of our hope for what that relationship could look like in the future.
Now, what does this have to do with the resurrection of Jesus and Easter? The story of Jesus’ resurrection speaks to these challenges in life as well. As Jesus was being arrested and crucified, almost all of His closest friends deserted Him. In fearing for their own lives, they turned their backs on Him.
READ John 18:15-17, 25-27
Scripture Reading: John 18:15-17, 25-27; 21:1-9, 15-19
John 18:15-17 – Peter Denies Jesus
15 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. 16 But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in. 17 Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?”
He said, “I am not.”
John 18:25-27 – Peter Denies Twice More
25 Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?”
He denied it and said, “I am not!”
26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” 27 Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.
John 21:1-9 – Breakfast by the Sea
After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”
They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”
They answered Him, “No.”
6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.
7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. 9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread.
John 21:15-19 – Jesus Restores Peter
15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”
And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. 18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”
Peter, one of the closest to Jesus, betrays Jesus by denying that he even knows who He is. Now think about this. After three years of ministry alongside Jesus, Peter, when it matters most, it would seem, refuses to remain loyal and he denies any connection to Christ. Three different times Peter is questioned about his connection; each time he draws further away from Jesus-he doesn’t want anyone to make this connection between he and Jesus.
OUR LIVES CAN BE CONFIRMATION OR DENIAL OF OUR CONNECTION TO JESUS
This morning, in this room, there are more than likely many of us who can think back over the past weeks, months, or years and point to thoughts, words, and actions that hurt the heart of God, and the hearts of those around us. Like Peter, many of us time and time again live as if we don’t know who Jesus is. We break trust, we speak harshly, and we hold contempt in our hearts. Even in my life and ministry within the Church this can be a reality.
As author and speaker Brennan Manning once said:
“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”
Our lives, yours and mine as well, can be confirmation or denial of our connection to Jesus. We must ask ourselves, what do our lives say about our connection to Jesus? Maybe today you have left a trail of destruction. Perhaps you have a history of broken relationships that has left you without hope that it could ever change. The good news is that Peter’s story does not end with his denial, and our story does not have to, either.
READ John 21:1-3
Following Peter’s denials and Jesus’ ultimate death, the Bible says that Peter and the others go back to fishing. These verses give us one of the first post-resurrection appearances of Jesus to His followers. Many of the men whom Jesus had invited to follow Him during His ministry had a background as fishermen. They had left their nets because they believed Jesus was going to make them fishers of men, that He would lead them into restoring the world to the way God first intended. But after their leader had been killed, they decided to go back to what they had always done. Fishing. Not only would that fishing trip have been somber as they mourned the loss of their friend and their desertion, but verse 3 tells us that their nets were empty as well.
READ John 21:4-9
To the disciples’ surprise, Jesus shows up on the shore of the lake where they are fishing. They do not recognize Him, much like Mary at the tomb. The beautiful thing about this story is that Jesus is the one who initiates the restored relationships. He comes to the shoreline and calls out to the boat. As soon as the disciples recognize that it is Jesus who told them to fish on the other side of their boat and miraculously provides a great catch, Peter leaps into the water to swim to shore.
JESUS’ GRACE RESTORES OUR HOPE
Why does Peter respond so drastically? So quickly? Here is why I think he wastes no time in leaving the boat: Peter is filled with hope that his relationship with Jesus can be restored. I am afraid some of us this morning feel that we have made too many mistakes to be forgiven. Some of us have lost hope that God could ever love us. This morning, I want to invite you to see that the Saviour has come to the shoreline of your life and is offering you grace.
STORY: The late preacher Charles Spurgeon told of an evening when he was riding home after a hard day’s work. He felt weary and depressed when as suddenly as a lightning flash he thought of 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” He said, “I should think it is, Lord,” and burst out laughing. He said that it seemed to make unbelief so absurd. It was as though some little fish, being very thirsty, was troubled about drinking the river dry, and the river said, “Drink away, little fish, my stream is sufficient for thee.” Or a man way up on a mountain saying to himself, “I fear I shall exhaust all the oxygen in the atmosphere.” But the earth might say, “Breathe away, oh man, and fill thy lungs ever; my atmosphere is sufficient for thee.” (Excerpt from Streams In The Desert – Charles Cowman)
The miracle of Easter is that because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, all of our broken relationships can be restored. All of our mistakes and shortcomings can be covered by God’s grace. It is more than enough to fill us with hope once again, abundantly more! It is sufficient for us; but it is not something that we can do on our own. You see, it is when we recognize that Jesus has pursued us and called out to us that we are prompted, just like Peter, to jump out of our boat and to respond with our lives.
As Peter arrives at the shore, there is a fire burning and Jesus is cooking some fish over the coals.
Close your eyes with me for a moment. Can you imagine Jesus’ loving smile as He welcomes the man who so recently had denied Him to that little fire on the beach.
READ John 21:15-19
After they had finished eating along the shore, Jesus begins a conversation that may have started a bit uncomfortably. Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?” Certainly, this is being asked because, not long before this, Peter had given every indication that he did not love Jesus.
In the Greek, we get an even deeper look into the conversation between Peter and Jesus. There are generally four words used for “love” in Greek. Each word is nuanced in one way or another. When Jesus asks if Peter loves Him, He says do you “agape” Me? The word agape is the kind of love that is selfless and sacrificial. It is the way the biblical authors write about the death of Jesus. Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him like that – “Simon, son of John, do you love me…”
Peter responds by saying, yes, of course I love you, but he uses a different Greek word for love that is “phileo.” Phileo is a brotherly love. It is affection for another, but it is not the same as agape.
Jesus asks this question three times and Peter responds all three times. With each question, Jesus is resurrecting Peter’s hope in Peter that their relationship can be restored. Each one of the three questions is a reversal of the three denials from the chapters before, and here’s what Peter is learning:
LOVE FOR JESUS IS PROVEN BY A LIFE FOR JESUS
Peter responds to each invitation from Jesus to restored relationship by answering as honestly as he can about his love. Jesus loves sacrificially, in “agape,” but the best Peter can do is love conditionally, in “phileo.” Jesus accepts Peter at this level.
During this conversation, Jesus’ invitation ends each time with a call to action. He says, “Feed my sheep.” Essentially, Jesus is giving Peter the opportunity to demonstrate his love for Jesus by serving others. The Bible tells us that Peter did indeed remain true to this call – he ends up giving his life to serve the Church and feed Jesus’ ”sheep.”
Peter’s love for Jesus is ultimately proven in his life for Jesus. Some years later, Peter too will be crucified by the Roman emperor Nero.
My favourite thing about this conversation on the shore is how Jesus finishes the discussion. He invites Peter, as He did in the very beginning, to follow Him.
Now, if you don’t catch anything I’m sharing with you this morning, please catch this; this is a very important truth for us to see this morning. Every one of us is invited to follow Jesus initially. We are invited to trust Him with our lives and become His followers. But you might be thinking, what happens when I blow it? What happens when I do what Peter did? What happens when our lives are not a conformation of our connection to Jesus? What happens when we fail to remain faithful?
Here’s what happens: Jesus invites you to breakfast. The invitation remains exactly the same: to follow Him once again.
Church, this morning, Jesus’ question to you is this: Do you love me?
If the answer is yes, then we must live like it—in how we love others and serve the world. If the answer is no, by how we are living, hope is not lost. Through confession of sin and an honest repentance, we can allow the grace of God to wash over us, and our hearts can be filled or refilled with hope in Him.
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
From the first day of Advent, so long ago, we have come full circle to the celebration of the Reign of Christ. We have witnessed the wonderful birth, the great healing moments, the teachings that have sustained people throughout the centuries. We cried in sorrow at the Crucifixion and rejoiced with absolute joy on the sunrise of Easter when Jesus conquered our greatest fear, death. We celebrated the great good news of the disciples as they risked everything to finally proclaim the good news to all people. Now on this Sunday, we invite Jesus to enter our hearts.
Sovereign Lord Jesus, come into our hearts today and take your reign. Remind us that your kingdom is a kingdom of hope and light, in which there is no darkness, fear, or sadness. You have called us to be the Kingdom people, living our lives in the knowledge that peace, justice, and hope are not only possible, but can actually be the ruling factor of the world, for those who follow you. There are many who do not acknowledge your presence and your name, O Lord. But in your infinite love and mercy, you have acknowledged and claimed them. Help us to be the kind of disciples that welcome everyone with the words of kindness, that offer acts of mercy and peace to all in need, to proclaim Christ risen and glorified. As we have brought before you, O Lord, the names of people and situations needing your healing and comforting touch, may we also open our hearts for that same healing and comfort. Remind us that we are never out of your grace and mercy. We know that you will give us the strength and wisdom to be true disciples, and we celebrate and honour you, now and forever. AMEN.
Communion
Opening Reflection: What Jesus did for us is the ultimate expression Love. It’s what gives us hope – this table is that burning pile of coals on the beach.
The bread represents His body, broken for us—taking on all the pain, struggles, and burdens we could never carry on our own.
The cup represents His blood, poured out to create a new covenant, this new promise with us wiping away our sins and restoring our relationship with God.
Communion isn’t just a ritual; it’s a reminder of what Jesus has done for us and an invitation for us to respond and remember. As we take the bread and the cup, don’t only remember His love but also commit to sharing that love with others—in our everyday normal boring lives.
Scripture Reading: (Matthew 26:26-28)
“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body. Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’”
The Bread: The bread represents the body of Christ, broken for us. It is a symbol of His willingness to take on our humanity, to experience suffering, and to bear the weight of our struggles. Just as physical bread sustains our bodies, Jesus—the Bread of Life—nourishes our souls and gives us strength. When we partake of the bread, we acknowledge that Christ’s sacrifice was not just for the world in general but for each of us personally. He was wounded so that we might be healed, broken so that we might be made whole.
The Cup: The cup represents the blood of Christ, poured out for the forgiveness of our sins. In the Old Testament, the blood of sacrifices was necessary for atonement, but Jesus became the ultimate and final sacrifice. His blood signifies the new covenant—a promise of redemption, renewal, and eternal life. It cleanses us from sin and restores our relationship with God.
As we drink, remember the depth of His love and His call for us to extend that love to each other.
Take the Elements Now
Song
Benediction
Go now in peace. Bring the good news of God’s eternal love, the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit to all you meet. Go in peace. AMEN.