1 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:09,240 I do invite you to the Gospel of Mark, chapter 16, Excuse me, 2 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:13,080 chapter 14, beginning in verse 66. 3 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:16,680 Just place your hand there. We're not going to read just 4 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:20,840 yet. Mark 1466. 5 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:25,600 Before we read this passage, I want to briefly address, well, 6 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:30,720 maybe weighing heavy on some hearts this afternoon. 7 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:34,760 Some of you may have heard the recent news of a prominent 8 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:39,480 American evangelical preacher who recently admitted to an 9 00:00:39,480 --> 00:00:42,400 inappropriate relationship with a woman who is not his wife. 10 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:48,120 And it is always gut wrenching to learn of a well respected 11 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:53,880 minister who sins in a manner that disqualifies them from 12 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:58,960 ministry. And the heartbreak goes beyond 13 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:02,920 the fact that such people cannot serve in a certain capacity, 14 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:06,640 doesn't it? We have to keep in mind the 15 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:14,880 testimony of the Gospel, the spouses, the children, the local 16 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:23,360 church, fellow ministers, close friends, and the broader 17 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:27,600 Christian community that is impacted by such a fall. 18 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:33,320 And this should lead us to pray not only for those who sin 19 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:39,480 grievously as leaders, but also for those who are feeling the 20 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:45,840 effects of that sin. And as I was exploring some 21 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:49,840 articles and engaging with some individuals about this incident, 22 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:52,200 you know, you just want to know as many details as possible, not 23 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:56,600 to satisfy curiosity, but just so that there are more answers 24 00:01:56,600 --> 00:02:04,760 than questions, I stumbled upon another fallen pastor's comments 25 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:08,919 about the situation. Now, I've heard of this 26 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:12,440 individual when I first became a believer. 27 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:17,680 And I remember, though I didn't follow his ministry, hearing 28 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:22,880 about how he succumbed to sexual immorality around the time when 29 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:26,160 his church was experiencing explosive growth and his 30 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:30,400 influence was broadening out nationally. 31 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:34,920 It was a sad, it was a sad thing to hear. 32 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:40,360 But he was reflecting upon the aftermath of his own fallen in 33 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:44,200 his comments, and especially with the recent news that 34 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:46,120 shocked thousands. He had said something that I 35 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:47,880 believe is helpful for us to hear. 36 00:02:48,920 --> 00:02:53,000 And it'll be very sobering. He said the following. 37 00:02:53,920 --> 00:03:04,040 You are capable of falling in a way that seems unthinkable to 38 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:08,320 you right now. Meditate on that. 39 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:20,560 You and I are capable, not destined, but capable of falling 40 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:26,040 in a way that is unthinkable to you right now. 41 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:34,600 That sat with me for a few days, and it didn't take very long for 42 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:39,680 a variety of biblical examples and illustrations to surface and 43 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:42,560 confirm a very powerful statement. 44 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:46,960 And I know I asked you to turn with me to Mark 14, but for a 45 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:50,440 moment, let's go to 1st Kings because I want to just show you 46 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:58,480 what you may think is a predictable example, but it's 47 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:03,360 nonetheless instructive for us. In First Kings 11, verse four, I 48 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:08,440 want you to see specific detail noting Solomon's fall, his 49 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:13,800 greatest fall. In First Kings 11, verse 4. 50 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:18,920 It says here, for when Solomon was old, his wives turned away 51 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:23,000 his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to 52 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:27,040 the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. 53 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:29,880 I want you to notice the first few words of this verse. 54 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:38,920 For when Solomon was old, Solomon was old when he 55 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:40,840 experienced his greatest downfall. 56 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:46,440 And we often assume that it is only the young who are ensnared 57 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:53,520 by lust. That is not the case. 58 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:57,600 What this reminds us is that all temptation, including sexual 59 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:01,160 temptation, arises in every season of life. 60 00:05:03,280 --> 00:05:08,640 And this also tells us that age does not promise wisdom. 61 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:16,480 Experience in life does not guarantee prudence or 62 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:18,760 discretion. It should, but it's not 63 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:27,880 automatic For when Solomon was old, and this is no less true 64 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:30,680 for those who have accomplished great things for God like 65 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:34,920 Solomon did. There is a tendency for those 66 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:38,480 who have glorified the Lord in remarkable ways to let their 67 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:46,400 guard down after some time and to not be convinced, as they 68 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:49,640 once were, of their dependence on the Lord to sustain them, 69 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:51,920 empower them, guide them, shield them. 70 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:57,520 For some reason, a strange deception persuades servants of 71 00:05:57,520 --> 00:06:00,880 God, especially after great feats of obedience. 72 00:06:03,280 --> 00:06:07,320 So I want to let you know that victories and testimonies of the 73 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:12,960 past do not prepare you for temptations that await tomorrow. 74 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:19,960 There is only one thing, at least a main thing, that will 75 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:24,640 equip you to be ready for unforeseen allurements and 76 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:29,040 enticements the days ahead. One thing, one thing. 77 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:33,800 Daily devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. 78 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:38,720 I want you to look back at this verse with me first. 79 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:43,160 Kings 11/4, The word heart appears not once, not twice, 80 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:45,520 three times. Look at it again from when 81 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:48,360 Solomon was old. His wife's turned away his heart 82 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:51,560 after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord 83 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:54,760 his God, as was the heart of David, his father. 84 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:56,720 Do you think that's coincidence? That's not coincidence, that's 85 00:06:56,720 --> 00:07:01,360 strategic. What is the Holy Spirit trying 86 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:05,120 to convey? That downfalls begin in the 87 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:09,360 heart? Before there is any external 88 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:13,320 humiliation, there is unchallenged internal 89 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:19,800 deterioration. Before there is any public 90 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:24,000 scandal, Know this for certain. There is always significant 91 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:30,400 private neglect. So as long as we know how to 92 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:34,760 guard our hearts, we will know Christ's honoring character for 93 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:36,880 the long haul. We will. 94 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:42,960 Longevity is possible. It's possible to be old and be 95 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:49,800 vibrant and holy and consistent. And I don't bring all this up 96 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:53,520 because it brings me pleasure. And I'm not bringing this up to 97 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:58,360 you because I feel like venting. I bring this up to you because I 98 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:01,160 want you to recognize God's Providence with me. 99 00:08:01,960 --> 00:08:05,520 Because in our study of Mark, we have now arrived to a text that 100 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:09,600 examines the lowest point of another disciple's life, and 101 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:15,280 that is Peter the Apostle. What we're going to read in a 102 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:20,600 moment here is Peter, in a sense, doing something that he 103 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:27,320 thought he would never do, falling in an unthinkable way. 104 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:33,679 So let's read from Mark 1466 down to the end of this chapter 105 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:40,960 together before we zoom in. And as Peter was below in the 106 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:44,240 courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came. 107 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:47,920 And seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and 108 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:51,640 said, You also were with the Nazarene Jesus. 109 00:08:52,680 --> 00:08:55,840 But he denied it, saying, I neither know nor understand what 110 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:59,320 you mean. And he went out into the 111 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:03,840 gateway, and the rooster crowed, and the servant girl saw him, 112 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:07,400 and began again to say to the bystanders, This man is one of 113 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:10,480 them. But again he denied it. 114 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:14,400 And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, 115 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:18,160 certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean. 116 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:23,600 But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, I do 117 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:26,720 not know this man of whom you speak. 118 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:32,400 And immediately the rooster crowed a second time, and Peter 119 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:35,800 remembered how Jesus had said to him before. 120 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:39,760 The rooster crows twice. You will deny me three times. 121 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:46,680 And he broke down and wept. There's so many things, so many 122 00:09:46,680 --> 00:09:50,440 ways of approaching this text. But there's a clear theme, is 123 00:09:50,440 --> 00:09:57,640 there not temptation? And even with that theme, there 124 00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:00,800 are so many points to draw out from Peter's example. 125 00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:06,480 But for the sake of time, I'm going to talk about 3 things I 126 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:11,840 want to look with you at 3 Truths about Temptation from 127 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:15,240 Peter's denial. Our brother prayed so 128 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:17,920 beautifully, but I want us to pray again before we come to 129 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:21,320 this text. We do trust You, Lord Jesus, 130 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:26,880 that You have something to say to us through Your Word. 131 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:29,960 So by Your Spirit, guide us every step of the way. 132 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:36,720 Lord, empower our hearts, our minds, empower this voice so 133 00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:40,000 that Your word would not just be explained the way it should, but 134 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:43,600 delivered in a way that glorifies You and benefits Your 135 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:46,880 people. We look to You trusting that we 136 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:55,360 will leave here refreshed, equipped, ready to endure and 137 00:10:55,360 --> 00:11:01,200 bring glory to Your name in Jesus name, Amen. 3 truths about 138 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:07,000 temptation drawn from Peter's denial and the first one is 139 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:09,960 found in the 1st 2 verses of our main text. 140 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:19,760 Temptation is ever present. Temptation is ever present. 141 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:23,040 The the impression that we get from Peter's posture before 142 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:27,920 these waves of temptation ambushed him is that he was 143 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:31,440 unsuspecting. Look again here what Mark tells 144 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:34,040 us, it tells us that Peter in verse 66 was below in the 145 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:37,000 courtyard, one of the servants, girl, the high priest came and 146 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:42,320 seeing Peter warming himself. So he's cold and significantly 147 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:44,840 he's physically cold, not realizing that spiritually he's 148 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:51,160 also cold, but he's warming himself. 149 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:56,280 And Matthew actually tells us what is preoccupying Peter from 150 00:11:56,280 --> 00:11:58,840 within. So you don't have to turn there, 151 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:01,960 but let me read this to you from Matthew 26, verse 58. 152 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:06,160 And Peter was following him at a distance as far as the courtyard 153 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:09,440 of the high priest. And going inside, he sat with 154 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:13,640 the guards to see the end. The end of what? 155 00:12:13,640 --> 00:12:19,160 The end of the matter of Christ. So Peter has a mixture of things 156 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:21,840 going on. He's afraid, He's actually 157 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:25,480 petrified, but he also is curious, and he wants to know 158 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:27,240 what's going to happen to his master. 159 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:32,600 And so he's really here busy trying to blend in so that 160 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:35,840 nobody identifies him as a disciple, but also wanting to 161 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:40,720 see what's going to happen to the rabbi, my rabbi, my Lord the 162 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:45,320 Christ. And as he is doing this, this is 163 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:47,160 the portrait that we have of him. 164 00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:53,440 A Peter seems to look innocent, but actually this is concerning 165 00:12:55,560 --> 00:12:58,280 not only because he planted himself in a very compromising 166 00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:02,400 crowd, but also because he heard something Jesus told them about 167 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:07,480 this very night. And it's strange how he is 168 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:11,440 acting this way in light of what he was told by Jesus. 169 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:17,400 Go back to Mark 14, verse 30. Earlier that evening, Jesus 170 00:13:17,760 --> 00:13:22,440 predicted something, says here, Mark 1430. 171 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:28,520 And Jesus said to him, truly, I tell you this very night before 172 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:33,480 the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times, pause. 173 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:37,320 I want you to put yourself in Peter's shoes now, and I want 174 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:42,120 you to imagine Jesus Christ looking at you in the eye and 175 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:49,680 telling you this night, before this night is over, you're going 176 00:13:49,680 --> 00:13:55,840 to deny me three times. Jesus never lies. 177 00:13:57,760 --> 00:14:00,640 He never exaggerates. He's always right. 178 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:07,560 How would you respond to that declaration? 179 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:11,520 What would you do throughout that evening? 180 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:18,520 How would you posture yourself? The obvious answer, you're going 181 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:21,560 to pray. You're going to pray a lot that 182 00:14:21,560 --> 00:14:23,800 Peter pray. He failed to pray. 183 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:27,640 And more than just pray. I'm sure you would be on high 184 00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:34,200 alert, extremely cautious, deeply discerning. 185 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:39,120 And the impression that we get of Peter is that he's none of 186 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:46,400 those things. He's cold, he's anxious, he's 187 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:52,360 scared, he's curious, but he is not mindful of what Jesus warned 188 00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:55,880 him about. And though the warning is unique 189 00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:59,360 to Peter, it carries universal application. 190 00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:06,760 Temptation is ever present. Temptation is not courteous, 191 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:10,560 it's not considerate, it's not compassionate. 192 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:15,800 It doesn't. It doesn't concern and take any 193 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:17,760 regard of your surroundings, it doesn't care about your 194 00:15:17,760 --> 00:15:21,320 circumstances, It's not sensitive to your feelings. 195 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:24,560 Temptation intrudes on your thoughts even amidst other 196 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:28,680 distractions, and it certainly does not care about your 197 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:35,880 spiritual condition. It's invasive, it's rude, it's 198 00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:38,600 surprising. Hey, some of you, as I'm 199 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:40,960 preaching right now, may be tempted in one way or another. 200 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:48,200 It's very possible Peter was many things, but he was not 201 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:52,760 aware of his vulnerability. And many of you know that I am 202 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:55,480 personally passionate about the doctrine of the fear of the 203 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:56,880 Lord. And the reason for that is 204 00:15:56,880 --> 00:16:00,520 because, one, I made an impact on my life, but because there's 205 00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:04,360 also so many instructions regarding it and rewards 206 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:07,360 attached to it. And if you're a person here who 207 00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:10,360 believes that the fear of the Lord is relevant, which it is 208 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:14,320 for you and I as Christians, then this verse that I'm going 209 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:17,920 to bring to you, I believe is one of the most important 210 00:16:17,960 --> 00:16:20,320 understandings of the fear of the Lord, at least in 211 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:23,120 experiencing it for all that it has to offer. 212 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:27,680 Turn with me to Proverbs 23 and look at what the Holy Spirit 213 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:40,030 says in verse 17. The Spirit says, let not your 214 00:16:40,030 --> 00:16:46,790 heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord. 3 very 215 00:16:46,790 --> 00:16:54,840 important words all the day. Do you know what this teaches 216 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:56,640 me? It's possible to walk in the 217 00:16:56,640 --> 00:17:04,160 fear of the Lord sometimes. It's possible to be inconsistent 218 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:09,319 in how you perceive God. So what does the Holy Spirit 219 00:17:09,319 --> 00:17:10,839 say? Fear the Lord. 220 00:17:10,839 --> 00:17:11,920 OK, good. No, no, no. 221 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:16,839 Fear the Lord all the day. What does that look like 222 00:17:16,839 --> 00:17:18,440 practically? Here's what it looks like 223 00:17:18,440 --> 00:17:21,960 practically. It looks like you being aware of 224 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:27,240 God and being in awe of God beyond a 2 hour service on a 225 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:33,320 Sunday. So when you're home alone, be 226 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:36,240 aware of God and be in awe of God. 227 00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:39,520 When you go out with your friends to the heart of the 228 00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:44,800 city, be aware of God. Be in awe of God. 229 00:17:45,800 --> 00:17:48,960 When you go to work and you know that you're going to be 230 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:54,120 surrounded by godless people, be aware of God. 231 00:17:55,480 --> 00:17:59,360 Be in awe of God when you're in your living room with your 232 00:17:59,360 --> 00:18:02,920 family looking for something to kind of watch together. 233 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:09,480 Be aware of God. Be in awe of God. 234 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:14,360 When you're on your phone and you have a specific kind of 235 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:19,320 screen that doesn't allow others to see what you're texting or 236 00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:24,520 browsing, be aware of God. Be an of God. 237 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:28,120 When you're texting somebody, be aware of God. 238 00:18:28,840 --> 00:18:34,320 Be an of God. Fear the Lord all the day. 239 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:38,600 And there are many blessings that will flow from that frame 240 00:18:38,600 --> 00:18:41,120 of mind if you so choose to adopt it. 241 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:43,600 And one of them is mentioned in the very next verse. 242 00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:48,400 Look at it. Surely there is a future and 243 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:52,000 your hope will not be cut off. Do you want a bright future? 244 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:54,800 Who doesn't? Who doesn't want a bright 245 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:57,120 future? There's something very wrong if 246 00:18:57,120 --> 00:18:59,440 you don't want a bright future. Well, if you want a bright 247 00:18:59,440 --> 00:19:03,160 future, then you must choose to fear the Lord all the day, every 248 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:07,920 day. And if temptation is ever 249 00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:11,000 present, then may our awareness and awe of God be the same 250 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:15,160 again. I mentioned how there's so many 251 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:19,000 points about temptation that we can draw out from this. 252 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:22,080 One of them that I didn't include is how temptation is 253 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:23,840 persistent. But let me mention it here. 254 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:26,920 Do you see the pattern? Do you see that how after Peter 255 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:30,520 denied Christ the first time, temptation was not satisfied? 256 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:34,960 Came again. And it came again. 257 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:37,640 And notice what happens to Peter's denials. 258 00:19:37,640 --> 00:19:40,400 They get more intense by the time you come to the third 259 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:42,360 denial. He what verse 71, he began to 260 00:19:42,360 --> 00:19:44,320 invoke a curse on himself and to swear. 261 00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:50,160 And we kind of have our a preconceived notion of how Peter 262 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:52,480 denied Jesus. But notice how he denies him in 263 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:56,000 verse 71. I do not know this man of whom 264 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:58,200 you speak. Not only does he say I'm not 265 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:00,360 associated with him, he's like, I don't even know who's Jesus, 266 00:20:00,360 --> 00:20:04,120 who Jesus of Nazareth. I don't know who you're talking 267 00:20:04,120 --> 00:20:09,520 about. So temptation is, listen, 268 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:12,240 temptation is not a sin. What you do with temptation 269 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:14,160 determines if it's a sin or if it's a victory. 270 00:20:15,360 --> 00:20:20,680 But temptation is persistent and it's not satisfied and you just 271 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:25,560 slipping here and there. Temptation wants you dead. 272 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:31,600 It wants to kill your testimony. It wants to kill your marriage. 273 00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:33,680 It wants to kill your relationship with your children. 274 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:36,120 It wants to kill your finances. It wants to kill your body. 275 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:41,440 It wants to absolutely crush you to find powder. 276 00:20:46,120 --> 00:20:51,720 So the antidote, at least one of them to guarding your heart from 277 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:55,880 surprising temptations that just spring up in your mind all of a 278 00:20:55,880 --> 00:20:58,880 sudden and there's nothing even around you that would stimulate 279 00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:03,600 such thoughts or ideas, is to walk in the fear of the Lord, 280 00:21:03,600 --> 00:21:07,240 which can be simply summarized as an awareness of God all but 281 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:13,280 just more than that, in awe of God, Temptation is ever present. 282 00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:18,800 The second thing we learned from this in verse 68 is that 283 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:22,280 temptation is conquerable. Look at verse 68. 284 00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:26,160 But he denied it, saying, I neither know nor understand what 285 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:28,320 you mean. And he went out into the 286 00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:33,640 gateway, and the rooster crowed. Now listen, temptation may catch 287 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:35,320 you off guard. It may be unsuspecting, but 288 00:21:35,320 --> 00:21:38,360 there are things that we can do to minimize its frequency and 289 00:21:38,360 --> 00:21:40,880 its intensity. And we learned last week that 290 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:43,960 how when Peter chose to follow Jesus, he did so in a very 291 00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:47,400 tricky manner. He did so at a distance, which 292 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:52,280 led him to stand with guards and those who opposed Christ and not 293 00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:54,200 just stand. What did he end up doing? 294 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:57,960 He sat with them. He got comfortable with them. 295 00:21:58,640 --> 00:22:02,160 And so as much as this was not the best place for him to be, we 296 00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:05,080 concluded that you have to also remember He chose to be there. 297 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:12,600 You're familiar with the flesh enough to understand that in 298 00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:15,680 order to overcome temptation, you have to avoid compromising 299 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:23,360 conversations, seducing situations, any opportunity for 300 00:22:23,360 --> 00:22:26,240 the flesh to flare up. We have been given the 301 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:32,000 responsibility to be very aware of what we are doing, cautiously 302 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:36,600 or even accidentally that might position us to be weak. 303 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:39,720 Peter was not in the right place yet. 304 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:44,080 We also know that despite your efforts to try to exterminate 305 00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:49,440 any external influences, it does not completely delete the 306 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:53,280 possibility of temptation harassing you. 307 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:57,800 Stick a man on an island with no computer, no iPhones, no people, 308 00:22:57,800 --> 00:22:59,160 he'll still no temptation. Why? 309 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:01,320 Because this flesh, this is heart. 310 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:05,440 And that may make you feel hopeless, but it shouldn't. 311 00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:08,880 It shouldn't because there is a promise that God has given us. 312 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:12,600 And I rate this promise as probably one of the greatest in 313 00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:15,800 all of Scripture. This is one of those that I I 314 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:17,520 would encourage you to actually memorize. 315 00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:20,560 It's not a difficult verse, but does it really help? 316 00:23:21,360 --> 00:23:27,200 Is it useful to wield as you are facing temptation of any kind? 317 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:30,920 It's what Paul said in First Corinthians 10/13. 318 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:38,200 And he says so gloriously, no temptation has overtaken you. 319 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:43,640 That is not common to man. God is faithful and He will not 320 00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:48,240 let you be tempted beyond your own ability, but with the 321 00:23:48,360 --> 00:23:53,640 temptation He will what provide a way of escape that you may be 322 00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:58,640 able to endure it. I'm tempted to just memorize 323 00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:00,560 that with you right now and call it a day today. 324 00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:05,920 Look at this verse again. You understand its implications. 325 00:24:06,640 --> 00:24:10,800 No temptation has overtaken. That is not common to man 1st, 326 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:15,280 no matter how extreme or unique your situation may be, we are 327 00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:20,600 not allowed to ever excuse ourselves to give into it as 328 00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:23,320 though nobody else ever experienced it. 329 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:30,360 No matter again, how personal. Maybe it's not unique. 330 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:33,200 Others have also experienced something similar. 331 00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:38,600 But with that also, God promises each of us to never allow 332 00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:43,320 temptation to become unbearable. Think about that. 333 00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:50,960 There is not one temptation that can overtake you, and you come 334 00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:54,000 out of it saying, I had no choice, not one. 335 00:24:55,360 --> 00:24:58,480 No matter the nature of it, no matter how fierce it is, there 336 00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:04,280 is not one single temptation. No matter how powerfully binding 337 00:25:04,280 --> 00:25:07,640 it is, no matter how much we have given into into it, the 338 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:14,000 nature of the allurement and in God's grace promises us that it 339 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:18,200 might be, it might be intense, but it never overcomes. 340 00:25:22,120 --> 00:25:25,160 There's not a single temptation that any of us cannot overcome. 341 00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:28,960 That shouldn't make you sad. That should make you happy. 342 00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:33,080 If you're not happy yet, this will make you happy. 343 00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:38,440 With every temptation, big or small, God always provides an 344 00:25:38,440 --> 00:25:42,080 exit. Not what He says, but with the 345 00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:46,440 temptation, He will also provide the way of escape. 346 00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:51,920 That way of escape may look different in every case, but one 347 00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:55,600 thing is for certain, He makes a way for us to be able to resist 348 00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:59,760 it. So there's no excuses. 349 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:02,600 So now we're humbled, but we're also excited. 350 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:05,600 Why? Because He He promises that in 351 00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:09,920 His goodness, there's not one temptation that will swallow 352 00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:14,280 you. Now you're able to resist it. 353 00:26:14,280 --> 00:26:16,440 Why? Because He provides a path out. 354 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:21,480 I bring this up to you to not just remind you a promise, but 355 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:24,000 to actually show you how. In the verse that we read in 356 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:27,560 Mark 14, the Lord provided Peter a way out. 357 00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:31,720 Go back to Mark 1468. Maybe you missed it. 358 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:38,000 But he denied it, saying I neither know nor understand what 359 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:40,560 you mean. And he went out into the gateway 360 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:44,720 and the rooster crowed. Now do you remember what Jesus 361 00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:46,240 told Peter about the rooster crowing? 362 00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:48,760 How many times with the rooster crowed before Peter denied him? 363 00:26:48,760 --> 00:26:51,920 Three times? Twice. 364 00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:55,920 Mark tells us though, as we just read, that the rooster crowed 365 00:26:56,720 --> 00:27:00,960 once after Peter initially denied Jesus. 366 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:03,520 The rooster was going to crow a second time and Jesus 367 00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:05,560 fulfillment is going to be realized. 368 00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:13,360 But we see here that the rooster crowed once and I am fully 369 00:27:13,360 --> 00:27:16,640 convinced that it was a gracious alarm for Peter to escape while 370 00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:20,120 he could. It was supposed to awaken his 371 00:27:20,120 --> 00:27:23,080 conscience. It was supposed to remind him 372 00:27:23,080 --> 00:27:24,520 early on. It was supposed to trigger him 373 00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:27,000 and cause him to remember what Christ had told him. 374 00:27:27,920 --> 00:27:33,680 All if only Peter heard the first crow. 375 00:27:39,090 --> 00:27:42,730 And in the same way that the Lord uses a crow to awaken 376 00:27:42,730 --> 00:27:45,250 Peter, at least attempt He implements many things to get 377 00:27:45,250 --> 00:27:50,010 our attention before we enter or we continue in sin. 378 00:27:51,730 --> 00:27:53,650 Can I tell you one of the ways He does it? 379 00:27:54,120 --> 00:27:55,640 You're experiencing it right now. 380 00:28:00,120 --> 00:28:02,840 God's warnings listen. They can be through Roosters and 381 00:28:02,840 --> 00:28:08,440 they can be through preachers. They don't guarantee that a 382 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:10,640 person would escape though. Do you know why? 383 00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:13,200 Because the Bible told us that He will provide the way of 384 00:28:13,200 --> 00:28:14,920 escape. Doesn't say He'll force you into 385 00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:18,960 it. God provided it in His 386 00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:20,760 Providence. With that rooster crowing once, 387 00:28:21,120 --> 00:28:22,880 Peter wasn't listening. Are you listening? 388 00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:31,320 Are you listening? God's warnings and His grace 389 00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:42,480 come our way often to try to get us to run, to cancel, to change 390 00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:46,520 before it gets worse, or before you even begin that dreadful 391 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:51,320 journey. I don't even think this is the 392 00:28:51,320 --> 00:28:54,200 only way that God provided Peter a way of escape. 393 00:28:55,280 --> 00:28:58,520 Turn with me to John. Let's see how John includes a 394 00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:03,840 detail that no other gospel account provides in John 1815. 395 00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:08,240 This is actually really interesting detail of this story 396 00:29:08,360 --> 00:29:18,320 story. It says in John 1815, Simon 397 00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:22,520 Peter followed Jesus and so did another disciple. 398 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:26,760 Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with 399 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:29,040 Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. 400 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:32,640 But Peter stood outside at the door. 401 00:29:34,120 --> 00:29:37,000 So the other disciple who was known to the high priest went 402 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:40,160 out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door 403 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:43,840 and brought Peter in. There are no random inclusions 404 00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:47,440 in the Bible, no random details. And So what some make of this 405 00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:49,960 text is that they essentially applaud Peter. 406 00:29:51,720 --> 00:29:54,320 Yes, fearful, but he was able to muster up the courage to at 407 00:29:54,320 --> 00:29:56,640 least follow Jesus. Yeah, at a distance, but he was 408 00:29:56,640 --> 00:29:59,400 still following Jesus. And he comes to this point now 409 00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:02,480 where him and what most believe to be John. 410 00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:06,240 They arrive at the courtyard. John, we're not told how has 411 00:30:06,240 --> 00:30:07,880 this relationship with the high priest. 412 00:30:07,880 --> 00:30:09,640 And so he has a relationship with the servants of the high 413 00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:11,880 priest. So he was given, he was given 414 00:30:11,880 --> 00:30:14,160 access. He was given a pass. 415 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:17,240 He walks in and he realizes quickly, oh, Peter, Peter 416 00:30:17,360 --> 00:30:18,720 doesn't have the same access that I do. 417 00:30:19,080 --> 00:30:21,800 So he goes to the servant girl at the door and convinces her 418 00:30:21,800 --> 00:30:26,880 for him to get entrance. And why do they applaud Peter? 419 00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:30,600 Because you find Peter here standing outside waiting at the 420 00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:33,880 door. He, yes, he's fearful, but he he 421 00:30:33,880 --> 00:30:37,080 still wants to find out what's happening to Christ. 422 00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:40,160 And he was persistent even with obstacles. 423 00:30:41,560 --> 00:30:46,120 Others would differ, others see it differently, and the reason 424 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:48,920 why is because what awaited Peter on the other side of that 425 00:30:48,920 --> 00:30:53,000 door was not in his favor, especially because he was not 426 00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:57,040 equipped spiritually to enter into such environment. 427 00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:01,640 What happened right after Peter walked through that door? 428 00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:03,960 Look at the next verse, John 1817. 429 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:08,160 The servant girl at the door said to Peter, You also are not 430 00:31:08,160 --> 00:31:10,080 one of this man's disciples, are you? 431 00:31:10,560 --> 00:31:17,320 He said I am not. It makes you wonder. 432 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:21,560 You might disagree. That's OK, if Peter not being 433 00:31:21,560 --> 00:31:29,880 able to enter the door at first was a providential grace, one 434 00:31:29,880 --> 00:31:32,240 that should have encouraged him to reconsider his choice and to 435 00:31:32,240 --> 00:31:33,920 walk away from a dangerous scenario. 436 00:31:36,200 --> 00:31:39,400 And sometimes one of the ways in which God provides a way of 437 00:31:39,400 --> 00:31:41,720 escape is to redirect us providentially. 438 00:31:43,440 --> 00:31:47,920 Delays, detours, dead ends, some sort of obstacle that would give 439 00:31:47,920 --> 00:31:50,000 you the chance to pause and reflect. 440 00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:54,520 Asking yourself, is what I'm about to do a court in 441 00:31:54,520 --> 00:32:00,320 accordance to God's word? Is my conscience really clear on 442 00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:06,320 this matter? I wish I can give you real life 443 00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:10,680 scenarios because there are so many real life scenarios and 444 00:32:10,680 --> 00:32:13,360 you've probably seen them and you've probably sat across a 445 00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:18,960 table with others and as they explain their scenario, their 446 00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:23,960 situation, you both identify how even God in his invisible hand 447 00:32:24,360 --> 00:32:27,960 has made it a little bit difficult for that person before 448 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:31,000 they made a tragic mistake. And what do they do? 449 00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:35,840 Like Peter, they chose not to listen. 450 00:32:38,040 --> 00:32:44,920 They chose to ignore it. The Lord is merciful even as 451 00:32:44,920 --> 00:32:48,040 we're being drawn from temptation to cause you to, to 452 00:32:48,040 --> 00:32:51,480 stop in one way or another. And to think, am I about to do 453 00:32:51,480 --> 00:32:52,760 something that I'm going to regret? 454 00:32:56,400 --> 00:32:58,360 Temptation is conquerable. That's, that's good. 455 00:32:58,920 --> 00:33:01,600 That's a good thing. That's a wonderful thing. 456 00:33:03,440 --> 00:33:05,120 Let me give you the final point about temptation. 457 00:33:05,120 --> 00:33:08,600 In our study today, we learned that temptation is ever present. 458 00:33:08,600 --> 00:33:12,400 Temptation is conquerable. Lastly, temptation must lead us 459 00:33:12,480 --> 00:33:15,560 to Christ. Let's read the rest of these 460 00:33:15,560 --> 00:33:18,960 verses from 69. And the servant girl saw him and 461 00:33:18,960 --> 00:33:22,480 began to say to the bystanders, This man is one of them. 462 00:33:22,480 --> 00:33:24,960 But again he denied it. And after a little while the 463 00:33:24,960 --> 00:33:27,920 bystanders again said to Peter, Certainly you are one of them, 464 00:33:27,920 --> 00:33:30,920 for you are a Galilean. But he began to invoke a curse 465 00:33:30,920 --> 00:33:33,960 on himself and to swear, I do not know this man of whom you 466 00:33:33,960 --> 00:33:35,600 speak. And immediately the rooster 467 00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:42,560 crowed a second time, and Peter remembered how Jesus had said to 468 00:33:42,560 --> 00:33:45,080 him before. The rooster crows twice, you 469 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:50,280 will deny me three times. And he broke down and wept in 470 00:33:50,280 --> 00:33:55,720 the moment of temptation. You and I must remember Jesus. 471 00:33:55,720 --> 00:34:00,600 You must recall God's promises. You have to believe that He 472 00:34:00,600 --> 00:34:04,360 never sets you up to fail, but has provided every means 473 00:34:04,360 --> 00:34:11,960 possible to prevail. And one of the things that has 474 00:34:11,960 --> 00:34:15,120 helped me in this area, and I share it with you and hopefully 475 00:34:15,120 --> 00:34:19,040 it'll help you early on in my Christian walk. 476 00:34:20,520 --> 00:34:25,719 By the grace of God, he's helped me to see rejection of any kind 477 00:34:25,719 --> 00:34:28,400 of temptation as an act of worship. 478 00:34:29,920 --> 00:34:36,040 That has helped me tremendously. So that whatever the enticement 479 00:34:36,040 --> 00:34:40,239 may be, it might be a selfish opportunity or a cheap 480 00:34:40,239 --> 00:34:44,560 sensation. I look at that temptation as it 481 00:34:44,560 --> 00:34:47,600 enters my mind, as it begins to pull on my senses. 482 00:34:47,880 --> 00:34:51,880 And I say, Lord, I'm choosing to say no to this temptation 483 00:34:51,880 --> 00:34:54,480 because I love you more than this. 484 00:34:55,560 --> 00:34:58,600 And if I'm called the living sacrifice, then here I am as a 485 00:34:58,600 --> 00:35:01,160 living sacrifice. I love you more than what this 486 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:03,680 will do for me, what this will make me feel like, what this 487 00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:08,800 will do for my future. See it as an act of worship. 488 00:35:08,880 --> 00:35:12,360 See your no as a fragrance before the throne. 489 00:35:15,720 --> 00:35:19,040 And that's why the greatest secret to overcoming 490 00:35:19,840 --> 00:35:26,080 illegitimate loves is to possess a stronger love for a greater 491 00:35:26,080 --> 00:35:29,040 God. That's the greatest secret. 492 00:35:29,960 --> 00:35:31,960 Not saying that if you succumb to temptation that you don't 493 00:35:31,960 --> 00:35:33,440 love God. In fact, that's the point that I 494 00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:36,440 want to bring up. What if you fail to resist 495 00:35:36,440 --> 00:35:41,240 temptation? What if you ignore the way of 496 00:35:41,240 --> 00:35:44,080 escape and give in? The charge is no different. 497 00:35:45,040 --> 00:35:49,800 Remember Christ? Look at what happens to Peter 498 00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:53,360 again, verse 72. And Peter remembered how Jesus 499 00:35:53,360 --> 00:35:56,360 had said to him. Peter remembered when he 500 00:35:56,360 --> 00:35:59,760 fulfilled the prediction of a severe sin. 501 00:36:00,840 --> 00:36:04,160 It is good that we call the words of Christ, but it's also 502 00:36:04,160 --> 00:36:05,600 good that it brought him to sorrow. 503 00:36:08,440 --> 00:36:11,680 Don't feel bad for Peter as he's crying his eyes out. 504 00:36:13,400 --> 00:36:19,920 Sin leads to agony, sin leads to pain, sin leads to shame, sin 505 00:36:19,920 --> 00:36:23,640 leads to regret. And that is all good as long as 506 00:36:23,640 --> 00:36:28,080 it leads you to repentance. You know where we should feel 507 00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:31,160 bad for Peter is if he denied Christ and it didn't disturb 508 00:36:31,160 --> 00:36:36,920 him. But you know what would have 509 00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:41,360 been better for Peter is if he remembered more than just 510 00:36:41,360 --> 00:36:43,240 Christ's warning. Look how specific the Bible is. 511 00:36:43,240 --> 00:36:45,440 What did Peter remember? You remember when Jesus told him 512 00:36:45,440 --> 00:36:48,160 before the rooster crows twice, You will deny me three times. 513 00:36:48,720 --> 00:36:50,160 But that's not all that Jesus said. 514 00:36:52,280 --> 00:36:53,680 That's not all that Jesus told him. 515 00:36:55,720 --> 00:37:00,920 Jesus added certain things. So let me remind you in Luke 22, 516 00:37:00,920 --> 00:37:03,080 we're wrapping this up very soon. 517 00:37:04,080 --> 00:37:06,560 Luke 22, verse 31. I want you to see it with your 518 00:37:06,560 --> 00:37:12,680 own eyes. A promise if you would. 519 00:37:14,800 --> 00:37:18,880 Luke 2231 Simon Simon. Behold, Satan demanded to have 520 00:37:18,880 --> 00:37:21,520 you, that he might sift you like wheat. 521 00:37:21,520 --> 00:37:24,880 But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. 522 00:37:26,360 --> 00:37:30,920 And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers. 523 00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:37,520 So the Lord didn't just reveal Peter's massive failure. 524 00:37:37,560 --> 00:37:41,320 He also spoke of the possibility of Him to turn back and be 525 00:37:41,320 --> 00:37:43,880 restored. Do you see that? 526 00:37:44,840 --> 00:37:51,000 And when you have turned again, and if you have given it to 527 00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:54,720 temptation, you must remember the same. 528 00:37:57,600 --> 00:38:04,800 He waits for you to turn back. Luke also adds another detail to 529 00:38:04,800 --> 00:38:07,880 the story. Yes, it was the second time the 530 00:38:07,880 --> 00:38:13,720 rooster crowing that alarmed him and brought him to that warning 531 00:38:14,880 --> 00:38:17,640 earlier that night. But look, look down at Luke 22. 532 00:38:17,640 --> 00:38:20,400 Look at verse 61. If you're there, something else 533 00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:24,840 happens. And the Lord turned and looked 534 00:38:24,840 --> 00:38:29,280 at Peter. Peter, remember the saying of 535 00:38:29,280 --> 00:38:32,200 the Lord, how he had said to him before the rooster crows today 536 00:38:32,200 --> 00:38:37,840 you will deny me three times. So what did Peter experience? 537 00:38:37,840 --> 00:38:39,720 He experienced something with his ears, but he also 538 00:38:39,720 --> 00:38:41,520 experienced something with his eyes. 539 00:38:41,640 --> 00:38:44,440 I don't know what the scene looked like exactly, but I'm 540 00:38:44,440 --> 00:38:48,600 sure it was tense. I'm sure it was somewhat loud. 541 00:38:48,920 --> 00:38:52,280 I'm sure it was busy. But in the midst of all that, as 542 00:38:52,560 --> 00:38:56,960 Jesus is on trial, as they're organizing themselves, Peter is 543 00:38:56,960 --> 00:38:58,640 there having a separate conversation. 544 00:38:58,640 --> 00:39:02,440 He denies Jesus three times. The rooster crows, and at some 545 00:39:02,440 --> 00:39:06,960 point he looks over Jesus, turns, and with laser beam 546 00:39:06,960 --> 00:39:11,320 focus, plants them on Peter. Peter sees it, and it crushes 547 00:39:11,320 --> 00:39:16,440 him. I remember when this verse was 548 00:39:16,440 --> 00:39:20,400 first opened to me and I sat back and I thought to myself, 549 00:39:20,400 --> 00:39:24,480 what did Peter see in those eyes? 550 00:39:28,040 --> 00:39:30,080 What did it mean that Jesus turned? 551 00:39:30,120 --> 00:39:32,760 And what are we to make of that? Well, I think one thing that 552 00:39:32,760 --> 00:39:34,800 we're supposed to take from that is that Jesus was aware. 553 00:39:36,600 --> 00:39:40,280 Jesus was aware of Peter's temptation and Jesus was aware 554 00:39:40,280 --> 00:39:42,360 of Peter giving into that temptation. 555 00:39:42,360 --> 00:39:45,160 That's no different for us, that when we are wrestling with 556 00:39:45,160 --> 00:39:49,440 temptation and when we are living in sin, Jesus sees it. 557 00:39:52,440 --> 00:39:54,480 He sees it. Nobody else may see it. 558 00:39:55,120 --> 00:39:58,200 Jesus sees it. But it's more than just Jesus 559 00:39:58,200 --> 00:40:02,560 being aware. I believe when you look at the 560 00:40:02,560 --> 00:40:06,440 context, you realize that what Peter saw in those eyes was 561 00:40:06,440 --> 00:40:11,120 something that melted him because there was compassion 562 00:40:11,120 --> 00:40:17,560 oozing out of those eyes saying, how did you come to that 563 00:40:17,560 --> 00:40:20,400 conclusion? Well, keep in mind that Jesus is 564 00:40:20,400 --> 00:40:24,720 about to do what he came to do. In the world and for the world, 565 00:40:24,720 --> 00:40:27,600 die, for humanity, sin, this is it. 566 00:40:27,600 --> 00:40:29,280 We're reaching the climax of that, right? 567 00:40:29,280 --> 00:40:32,560 He's about to be nailed to a tree, buried, and he's about to 568 00:40:32,560 --> 00:40:34,280 conquer the grave through his resurrection. 569 00:40:34,760 --> 00:40:37,000 Nothing can interfere or interrupt that. 570 00:40:38,960 --> 00:40:44,000 Peter sees Jesus, he's so overcome by a mixture of 571 00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:46,200 feelings and he takes off and he weeps. 572 00:40:46,720 --> 00:40:51,000 And you don't see Peter and Jesus sharing any interaction 573 00:40:51,000 --> 00:40:55,000 until the resurrection. And I've been sharing what I'm 574 00:40:55,000 --> 00:40:56,920 about to share with you. I've been sharing this on more 575 00:40:56,920 --> 00:41:00,440 than one occasion lately and I hope it helps you. 576 00:41:01,680 --> 00:41:04,400 Revisiting it over and over for me has definitely helped me. 577 00:41:05,320 --> 00:41:08,280 So again, the last interaction that we have between Peter and 578 00:41:08,280 --> 00:41:13,000 Jesus before Jesus goes into that tomb and defeats death, is 579 00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:16,760 this. What's the next time that these 580 00:41:16,760 --> 00:41:18,800 two interact? It's in Luke. 581 00:41:19,800 --> 00:41:32,020 Go to Luke 24 as we conclude and look at verse 13, Luke 2413. 582 00:41:32,700 --> 00:41:35,820 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, 583 00:41:35,820 --> 00:41:39,180 about 7 miles from Jerusalem. We know the story very well. 584 00:41:39,180 --> 00:41:42,340 This is when Jesus comes to those two and He gives them the 585 00:41:42,340 --> 00:41:45,580 greatest Old Testament Bible study that we'll never know 586 00:41:45,580 --> 00:41:53,320 about, and he restores their faith and he opens their eyes to 587 00:41:53,320 --> 00:41:55,880 realize that he is indeed alive. But it's those few words that 588 00:41:55,880 --> 00:41:59,160 move me. The first three, that very day. 589 00:41:59,160 --> 00:42:01,080 What very day? Well, the context tells us that 590 00:42:01,080 --> 00:42:03,040 it was the very day of his resurrection. 591 00:42:04,320 --> 00:42:06,600 So on the first day of his resurrection where he appeared 592 00:42:06,600 --> 00:42:09,800 in a span of 40 days, explaining the things of the Kingdom of God 593 00:42:09,800 --> 00:42:12,960 to his disciples on the first day he appears, yes, to these 594 00:42:12,960 --> 00:42:17,760 two, but not just to these two. After these two opened their 595 00:42:17,760 --> 00:42:20,040 eyes at least were granted that miracle. 596 00:42:20,280 --> 00:42:24,920 Luke 2433, something happens and they rose that same hour and 597 00:42:24,920 --> 00:42:28,320 returned to Jerusalem and they found the 11 and those who are 598 00:42:28,320 --> 00:42:31,360 with them gathered together saying the Lord has risen indeed 599 00:42:31,360 --> 00:42:38,480 and has appeared to Simon. So it wasn't just the Bible 600 00:42:38,480 --> 00:42:41,640 study through the Old Testament that's concealed to us. 601 00:42:42,200 --> 00:42:46,240 Somehow these two experienced Christ on the first day of Jesus 602 00:42:46,240 --> 00:42:50,120 resurrection. We're informed that Jesus also 603 00:42:50,120 --> 00:42:53,760 met with Simon, who's Simon Peter. 604 00:42:59,630 --> 00:43:01,350 What do you think Jesus did when he appeared to Simon? 605 00:43:01,350 --> 00:43:04,750 Do you think he scolded him? Do you think he slapped him 606 00:43:04,750 --> 00:43:07,990 behind the head? What do you think he did? 607 00:43:09,310 --> 00:43:12,310 Well, when you consider Jesus interacting with Peter in John 608 00:43:12,310 --> 00:43:19,840 21, where that is Peter's public restoration, you know what 609 00:43:19,840 --> 00:43:23,320 Christ's heart was? It was to restore him. 610 00:43:25,880 --> 00:43:28,680 It was to reassure him. It was to comfort him. 611 00:43:30,520 --> 00:43:32,080 It was to heal him with his love. 612 00:43:33,520 --> 00:43:37,240 You know what I find so amazing? We're told that he appeared to 613 00:43:37,240 --> 00:43:40,560 Simon on that very day, but we're told nothing about it. 614 00:43:42,160 --> 00:43:45,160 It was intimate. It was private. 615 00:43:49,880 --> 00:43:52,520 This is the heart of Christ. On the first day of his 616 00:43:52,520 --> 00:43:55,880 resurrection, He made it a priority to restore Peter. 617 00:43:57,400 --> 00:44:03,880 That's his heart. You know how we might forgive 618 00:44:03,880 --> 00:44:07,840 people and restore people? We might, if we were in Jesus 619 00:44:07,840 --> 00:44:09,400 shoes, wait till the end of the 40 days. 620 00:44:09,400 --> 00:44:11,640 Let Peter simmer in that guilt a little bit longer. 621 00:44:14,120 --> 00:44:19,480 Jesus doesn't do that. Shortly after that stone was 622 00:44:19,480 --> 00:44:25,760 rolled away from the tomb, he saw it as a joyful duty to find 623 00:44:25,760 --> 00:44:29,360 Peter at the right time and to have a one-on-one conversation 624 00:44:29,360 --> 00:44:33,040 with him. Do you believe that about Jesus 625 00:44:33,040 --> 00:44:35,960 when you fall into temptation that he's waiting to wash your 626 00:44:35,960 --> 00:44:44,060 feet? He is. 627 00:44:46,740 --> 00:44:52,160 Even if you're a pastor that has done wonderful things for the 628 00:44:52,160 --> 00:44:57,040 Lord over decades and have failed majorly, Jesus waits. 629 00:44:58,680 --> 00:45:03,680 He doesn't want a minute to go by before you come, broken and 630 00:45:03,680 --> 00:45:07,240 shambles Even so that He can restore you. 631 00:45:09,640 --> 00:45:12,320 Jesus waits regardless of the nature of your sin. 632 00:45:12,400 --> 00:45:15,560 How embarrassing, no matter what kind of relationships you 633 00:45:15,560 --> 00:45:19,120 shattered through it. I'm not here to give you some 634 00:45:19,480 --> 00:45:22,200 practical counseling advice of what to do from a human to human 635 00:45:22,200 --> 00:45:25,560 standpoint when it comes to sin. I'm here to just focus on Jesus 636 00:45:25,560 --> 00:45:31,080 Christ and your walk with Him. Jesus Christ is eager to heal 637 00:45:31,080 --> 00:45:38,360 you and restore you. Temptation is ever present, so 638 00:45:38,360 --> 00:45:41,840 may our awareness of God and our all of Him be the same. 639 00:45:43,200 --> 00:45:47,800 Temptation is conquerable. I refuse to give into the 640 00:45:47,800 --> 00:45:51,200 popular opinion that we're just all going to struggle for the 641 00:45:51,200 --> 00:45:53,600 rest of our lives. So live in sin and just wait 642 00:45:53,600 --> 00:45:55,640 till you get to heaven. Will we be tempted? 643 00:45:55,920 --> 00:45:57,880 Absolutely. Can we know victory over sin? 644 00:45:58,160 --> 00:46:01,000 Yes, that's the gospel. I'm in that camp. 645 00:46:02,680 --> 00:46:04,280 Why am I in that camp? Because that's what the Bible 646 00:46:04,280 --> 00:46:07,800 says. So what we're not going to talk 647 00:46:07,800 --> 00:46:10,080 about week after week is, oh, you're in sin, it's OK. 648 00:46:10,080 --> 00:46:12,960 Just live and said no, it's not OK. 649 00:46:14,480 --> 00:46:17,040 God's not happy with that. And he provided the means and 650 00:46:17,040 --> 00:46:19,760 the spiritual blessings and riches for us to know victory, 651 00:46:19,840 --> 00:46:21,320 to be able to say no to temptation. 652 00:46:21,480 --> 00:46:24,040 Sinless perfectionism, also an error. 653 00:46:25,240 --> 00:46:27,280 You got a crowd of people who believe every time you sin, you 654 00:46:27,280 --> 00:46:29,400 lose your salvation. What kind of salvation is that? 655 00:46:29,400 --> 00:46:33,720 No, no, I'm trying to tell you that you can know joy and 656 00:46:33,720 --> 00:46:35,000 victory. You can know things that have 657 00:46:35,000 --> 00:46:38,000 once clutched you and kept you in bondage, and Christ can 658 00:46:38,000 --> 00:46:40,160 actually set you feet free. It's not theoretical. 659 00:46:40,160 --> 00:46:42,480 This is reality. It can happen. 660 00:46:42,680 --> 00:46:45,080 So no matter what the bondage is, I don't care how many years, 661 00:46:45,080 --> 00:46:46,840 I don't care how generational it is. 662 00:46:46,840 --> 00:46:49,680 Christ can redeem you, He can set you free. 663 00:46:49,720 --> 00:46:55,040 That's the power of the gospel. Thankful there's Amens here. 664 00:46:55,040 --> 00:46:57,120 Praise God if you say there's some people that look at you 665 00:46:57,120 --> 00:47:04,000 like you're an alien. Lastly, temptation must lead us 666 00:47:04,000 --> 00:47:06,440 to Christ. While you're in it, while you 667 00:47:06,440 --> 00:47:10,560 feel like it's rising up to your neck, you, you remember Jesus. 668 00:47:10,560 --> 00:47:14,000 You, you cry out to him. And as I heard from a faithful 669 00:47:14,000 --> 00:47:17,600 professor in seminary, learn to take your temptation and make it 670 00:47:17,600 --> 00:47:26,080 into a conversation with God. And even as you fall, remember 671 00:47:26,120 --> 00:47:28,960 Jesus. He's waiting for you. 672 00:47:29,240 --> 00:47:31,440 Maybe you're in sin right now as I'm talking. 673 00:47:32,480 --> 00:47:36,960 If you're overcome with shame and embarrassment to the degree 674 00:47:36,960 --> 00:47:40,360 that you don't want to show yourself to church or before the 675 00:47:40,360 --> 00:47:42,040 Lord, you're not hearing this message right. 676 00:47:43,640 --> 00:47:45,440 You're supposed to be drawn to Him. 677 00:47:48,480 --> 00:47:51,920 He is just as eager to wash you as He did when He initially 678 00:47:51,920 --> 00:47:56,480 bathed you in His salvation. Do you believe that? 679 00:47:57,320 --> 00:47:59,320 Oh, I hope you do. Let's pray. 680 00:48:14,640 --> 00:48:16,520 Lord, we know that there are so many other things that could be 681 00:48:16,520 --> 00:48:17,920 said. Perhaps there are still 682 00:48:17,920 --> 00:48:21,000 questions in people's minds. But Lord, we trust that what was 683 00:48:21,720 --> 00:48:27,640 shared has accomplished the goal of realizing that temptation is 684 00:48:27,640 --> 00:48:29,080 something that we all wrestle with. 685 00:48:32,000 --> 00:48:38,440 But you've given us answers to be stronger with it, to be 686 00:48:38,440 --> 00:48:44,160 joyful about it, because you have given us what we need to to 687 00:48:44,160 --> 00:48:46,880 be victorious. And Lord, in your grace, you've 688 00:48:46,880 --> 00:48:50,560 even reserved joy in our failure, not to live in that 689 00:48:50,560 --> 00:48:52,240 failure, but to know that there is hope. 690 00:48:53,920 --> 00:48:55,920 There's hope for broken marriages here. 691 00:48:58,880 --> 00:49:02,880 There's hope for a way we're children who have disgraced more 692 00:49:02,880 --> 00:49:05,160 than just their family name, but the name of Christ. 693 00:49:08,200 --> 00:49:11,920 There's hope for those who are addicted. 694 00:49:13,360 --> 00:49:17,160 There's hope in you. Thank you, Lord, that you don't 695 00:49:17,160 --> 00:49:20,960 give up on us. And Lord, though there are 696 00:49:20,960 --> 00:49:26,920 consequences to sin, people lose ministries, maybe even respect. 697 00:49:31,000 --> 00:49:33,120 Your ways are not our ways, and your thoughts are not our 698 00:49:33,120 --> 00:49:38,040 thoughts. You're much more compassionate 699 00:49:38,040 --> 00:49:41,960 and forgiving than we are. Help us believe that. 700 00:49:43,520 --> 00:49:47,360 So Lord, like Peter, we sit here and we melt in your mercy. 701 00:49:49,200 --> 00:49:53,080 And Lord, if this message served as a rooster crow, as a 702 00:49:53,080 --> 00:50:00,480 providential nudge for anybody who might be enduring something, 703 00:50:00,480 --> 00:50:04,280 may they heed and may they answer. 704 00:50:06,280 --> 00:50:08,840 Lord, we trust you today. We trust that this was what You 705 00:50:08,840 --> 00:50:12,440 wanted to say on this Lord's Day, and we give you thanks for 706 00:50:12,440 --> 00:50:14,240 it. May we leave here with our 707 00:50:14,240 --> 00:50:18,320 hearts more convinced of your love, more convinced that you 708 00:50:18,320 --> 00:50:24,200 have prepared us for a journey that can no true victory. 709 00:50:26,800 --> 00:50:28,560 Your word was spoken, it was received. 710 00:50:28,560 --> 00:50:32,040 But Lord, the power for these things to be made real can only 711 00:50:32,040 --> 00:50:34,880 come from You. So we ask that you would do that 712 00:50:35,120 --> 00:50:38,160 because only you can. In Jesus name we pray. 713 00:50:38,640 --> 00:50:42,760 Amen. Let's stand.