1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,800 I'm a completely different person depending on the room 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:07,520 that I'm in. Upstairs I'll be chasing your 3 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:10,640 skippity. Kids will be dodging nerf nerf 4 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:15,080 bullets, absolutely destroying them in foosball. 5 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:19,920 Speaking fluent middle schooler, no cap. 6 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:25,680 I know it's weird. And then my phone rings and I'm 7 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:30,400 standing in a hospital room, praying over a friend who's in a 8 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:38,800 coma, holding onto a hand that's not squeezing back, asking God 9 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:41,760 for something that I can't make happen on my own. 10 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:49,200 Same guy, same week. Hi, I'm Dave, one of the pastors 11 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:54,760 here at Resurrection Church. I think we all do this. 12 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:59,080 You have a version of yourself in every room you walk into, and 13 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:01,480 most of the time that's just being called human. 14 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:05,920 Most of the time, nobody calls you up because it's basic 15 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:10,040 survival that read the room, protect yourself, don't make 16 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:13,600 things weird. But it doesn't just stay in the 17 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:19,120 classroom or at work. Actually follows you into the 18 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:21,400 moments, the moments that matter most. 19 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:24,760 And at some point, maybe, maybe it's already happened. 20 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:29,240 This week, that same instinct shows up when Jesus is on the 21 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:33,080 table. Not in a dramatic way, that was 22 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:38,280 soldiers and torches. Just a moment where you could 23 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:43,120 have said something and you didn't, or you could have let 24 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:47,320 people know who you actually are, but you chose the easier 25 00:01:47,320 --> 00:01:52,240 version of yourself. Most of us, we've been doing 26 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:54,360 this. We've been doing this so long, 27 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:59,640 we don't even notice it anymore. How much would it cost you, 28 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:03,800 Judas? Judas sold out Jesus for 30 29 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:08,880 pieces of silver. 30 pieces branded him forever. 30 pieces 30 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:13,120 made him the villain. But here's what I keep thinking 31 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:17,680 about. Most of us, we betray Jesus for 32 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:23,160 free. Judas at least got something out 33 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:26,520 of the deal. We deny him for nothing. 34 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:30,280 We go quiet at a dinner party to avoid awkward pauses. 35 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:34,040 We scroll past your chances to say something about our faith 36 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:36,880 because what would people actually think about us? 37 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:42,880 We stay silent in a conversation where Jesus is being mocked or 38 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:49,360 our morals, our values are being challenged and we walk away 39 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:55,040 pain. Exactly nothing except our 40 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:59,640 integrity. Our big idea for today is your 41 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:06,440 silence is your statement. Today we're going to read John 42 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:09,240 chapter 18. And this chapter isn't really 43 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:12,360 about Peter. It's about the version of you 44 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:17,600 and me that show up when it gets costly to follow Jesus. 45 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:22,880 Before we before we read this, though, if you're here today and 46 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:27,640 you're not a Christian, you're about to see what makes Jesus 47 00:03:27,640 --> 00:03:31,680 different from every other religious leader who's ever 48 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:34,720 lived. Every other religion tells you 49 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:37,040 you've got to get it back together. 50 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:40,360 You can come back when you're worthy. 51 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:45,160 Jesus walks toward people who have just failed him. 52 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:49,280 That's the account we're going to read right now in John 53 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:53,160 chapter 18, verses 15 through 27. 54 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:58,400 Let's read. Simon Peter followed Jesus, and 55 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:02,360 so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to 56 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:06,800 the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the 57 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:09,440 high priest. But Peter stood outside the 58 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:13,560 door, so the other disciple who was known to the high priest 59 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:16,640 went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at 60 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:22,000 the door and brought Peter in. The servant girl of the door 61 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:27,280 said to Peter, You also are not one of this man's disciples, are 62 00:04:27,280 --> 00:04:32,320 you? He said, I am not. 63 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:36,400 Now the servant, an officer, had made a charcoal fire because it 64 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:40,040 was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. 65 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:44,160 Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself. 66 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:49,560 The high priest then question Jesus about his disciples and 67 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:52,560 his teaching. Jesus answered him. 68 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,640 I have spoken openly to the world. 69 00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:59,880 I've also taught in synagogues and in the Temple where all Jews 70 00:04:59,880 --> 00:05:03,400 come together. I have said nothing in secret. 71 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:09,320 Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what 72 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:13,600 I said to them. They know what I said when he 73 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:16,760 has said these things. One of the officers standing by 74 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:20,440 struck Jesus with his hand, saying, Is this how you answer 75 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:23,760 the high priest? Jesus answered him. 76 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:28,880 If what I say is wrong, bear witness about the wrong. 77 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:33,600 But if what I say is right, why do you strike me? 78 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:39,600 And it's been sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. 79 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:43,360 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. 80 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:47,800 So they said to him, You also are not. 81 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:50,800 You also are not one of his disciples, are you? 82 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:57,720 He denied it and said, I am not one of the servants of the high 83 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:00,800 priest. A relative of the man whose ear 84 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:05,120 Peter had cut off asked, Did I not see you in the garden with 85 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:09,960 him? Peter again denied it, and at 86 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:16,480 once the rooster crowed. Most of us picture this in a 87 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:19,480 dark alley where all of this is happening. 88 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:22,720 But if you remember Pastor Daniel's message a couple weeks 89 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:27,040 ago, this is the high priest courts. 90 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:32,840 This is where Peter and and Jesus are the absolute center of 91 00:06:32,840 --> 00:06:35,720 hostile power of this massive estate. 92 00:06:35,720 --> 00:06:41,280 Not a little house, a fortress built in rectangles surrounding 93 00:06:41,280 --> 00:06:45,280 a central courtyard. You don't just wander in and out 94 00:06:45,280 --> 00:06:50,000 of this place. Jesus was visible to Peter. 95 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:55,800 They could see each other as people moved about across that 96 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:57,880 courtyard. Peter's warming himself by the 97 00:06:57,880 --> 00:07:00,840 fire. And Jesus is on trial. 98 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:07,280 The courage and the cowardice is happening all at the same time, 99 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:15,560 and what happens next is not one denial, it's three, and each one 100 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:20,600 costs something different. The first one is the relational 101 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:24,320 cost, the question that catches you off guard. 102 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:27,480 It doesn't start with an enemy, it starts with somebody who 103 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:29,440 probably doesn't even know your name. 104 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:35,360 The first actually accusation comes from a low stakes source, 105 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:38,120 a servant goal. Not a soldier, not one of the 106 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:41,400 religious authorities who could actually have him arrested. 107 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:47,480 A girl at the door, she says, Aren't you one of his disciples? 108 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:53,400 She says it's so in a way that she expects him to say no. 109 00:07:54,440 --> 00:07:59,080 She gives him the easy out. There's no sores at Peter's 110 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:01,600 throat, no crowd calling for his blood. 111 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:06,000 Just a girl asking an easy question with an easy exit. 112 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:11,600 And Peter took it. Peter took it because the 113 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:18,080 relational cost felt too high. What if word got out? 114 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:23,120 What if people start to treat me differently? 115 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:27,200 What if I lose access to the courtyards, the inner circle, to 116 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:30,400 this moment? I know this. 117 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:32,280 I know this because I've done this. 118 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:34,240 I've lived this. I felt this. 119 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:39,240 I spent over 10 years in sales, new people everyday, thousands 120 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:42,039 of conversations. I've sat across from foster 121 00:08:42,039 --> 00:08:50,000 parents, people in crisis, people drowning, hurt, sorrow. 122 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:59,000 And I've stayed quiet, Silent because the cost of being cut 123 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:07,200 out of the situation felt too high, too much at stake, too 124 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:11,240 much to mention the one thing that could actually help them 125 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:15,120 and help the situation. I didn't stop believing in 126 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:19,040 Jesus. I just mentioned Him when I felt 127 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:25,320 safe and I told myself that was enough. 128 00:09:25,680 --> 00:09:30,240 That's OK. That's the first denial. 129 00:09:30,440 --> 00:09:33,720 It doesn't look like Peters. No soldiers, no courtroom. 130 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:38,160 Just a decision to stay quiet. The decision to send the easier 131 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:44,160 version of me into the room. We do it every week. 132 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:51,440 Not dramatically socially in the moment when we we should be 133 00:09:51,680 --> 00:09:54,960 relevant and standing up for Jesus, we say nothing. 134 00:09:55,080 --> 00:09:58,080 When someone challenge you the way you parent, the way you 135 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:01,640 think about your marriage or your morals, you actually have 136 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:04,200 an answer for these things. Not just an opinion, but a 137 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:08,040 conviction. Something that scripture has 138 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:12,680 been shaping you over years following Jesus has actually 139 00:10:12,680 --> 00:10:17,520 changed you. That idea of well, I just think 140 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:25,520 as if now it's just your personal preference, as if 141 00:10:25,560 --> 00:10:29,720 nothing Jesus has done in your life is making you think that 142 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:35,760 way, as this you've arrived to this conviction by accident, 143 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:39,960 like nothing God is actually doing in your life. 144 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:45,840 This is denial. Nobody threatened you. 145 00:10:45,840 --> 00:10:50,600 Nobody came at you with torches, you just quietly edited out 146 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:55,520 Jesus of your own story, your own conversations, to be 147 00:10:55,520 --> 00:11:00,400 comfortable. The first denial, the easy 148 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:05,720 denial, is about reputation. The servant girls question the 149 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:09,320 low stakes, the easy exit. Man, do we take it. 150 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:13,200 We take it all the time. Social media and modern dinner 151 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:20,680 parties are our new courtyards. We warm ourselves by the fire of 152 00:11:20,680 --> 00:11:28,320 public approval. So what do we do about this when 153 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:31,520 that moment comes? That moment at the dinner table, 154 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:33,760 the discussions, that group chats, the office? 155 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:36,400 I'm not telling you to go preach and Bible thump people. 156 00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:41,360 Just don't edit Jesus out of your conversation. 157 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:47,480 Ask yourself one question before you answer, before you speak 158 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:52,080 into it. How would I respond if Jesus was 159 00:11:52,080 --> 00:12:01,640 sitting next to me? Because he is the lifestyle 160 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:04,920 cost. By the 2nd denial, Peter is not 161 00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:07,720 really in that much danger. He's just cold. 162 00:12:08,560 --> 00:12:12,360 He walked into the court court courtyard and the people were 163 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:15,960 about to kill Jesus, and he's warming his hands by the fire 164 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:20,720 and he's starting to blend in, not because he had to, but 165 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:24,080 because it's easier. The second questioner pushes 166 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:26,520 harder. Aren't you one of the disciples? 167 00:12:27,680 --> 00:12:38,000 And again, I am not you and I, we want the fire without the 168 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:42,080 cross. We want the peace of Jesus, his 169 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:47,000 promises, but not the lifestyle that requires us to follow 170 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:52,080 Jesus. Arthur Wilburys says from this 171 00:12:52,080 --> 00:12:59,480 book, $3 worth of God. I would like to buy $3 worth of 172 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:03,800 God, please. Not enough to expose my soul and 173 00:13:03,800 --> 00:13:08,920 to disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm 174 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:11,840 milk or a snooze in the sunshine. 175 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:19,000 I don't want enough to make him make me love a black man or pick 176 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:24,520 beats with a migrant. I want ecstasy, not 177 00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:28,600 transformation. I want the warmth of the womb, 178 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:35,560 not a new birth. I want a pound of the eternal in 179 00:13:35,560 --> 00:13:41,280 a paper sack. I would like to buy $3 worth of 180 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:48,240 God, please. We want the blessing without the 181 00:13:48,240 --> 00:13:51,800 obedience. I've wanted that $3 version of 182 00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:56,880 God more times than I can admit. Following Jesus has always meant 183 00:13:57,160 --> 00:13:59,520 something was going to be costly. 184 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:03,120 Not your salvation. That's grace. 185 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:09,760 It's given to us freely. But my lifestyle, my life, my 186 00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:12,400 choices. Jesus says to take up your 187 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:21,400 cross, not your coffee. He says to deny myself, not just 188 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:23,120 my desires, when it's convenient. 189 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:28,600 The second denial is a lifestyle choice. 190 00:14:30,240 --> 00:14:33,480 How often do we want Jesus to show up on Sunday? 191 00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:36,480 But we're not ready to be different on Monday? 192 00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:42,680 What's the fire you're warming yourself that isn't Jesus? 193 00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:45,680 That thing. That thing that's coming to your 194 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:48,880 mind. And if it's not, keep searching 195 00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:52,360 for it. When it comes, say it out loud, 196 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:58,080 because silence is a statement. But so is finally telling the 197 00:14:58,080 --> 00:15:03,280 truth, and denial thrives in silence. 198 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:07,720 The moment you say it out loud, it loses half of its power. 199 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:15,560 Lastly, the physical cost. By the 3rd denial, Peter's back 200 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:18,880 is against the wall. One of the people asking is the 201 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:23,080 relative of Malchus, the man who Peter had just chopped his ear 202 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:26,760 off hours before. This is personal now. 203 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:30,720 This is dangerous, he says. Didn't I see you in the garden? 204 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:34,160 And Peter denied it again. And Matthew's count. 205 00:15:34,360 --> 00:15:38,240 Matthew tells us he's cursing and he swears I don't know this 206 00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:43,400 blankety blank dude. The deeper we go into denial, 207 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:47,360 the harder we have to work to maintain it. 208 00:15:49,320 --> 00:15:54,160 First it's a quiet deflection. Now, now it's a loud 209 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:57,520 desperation. Matthew 26 tells us that after 210 00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:02,000 the 3rd denial, someone in the courtyard says your accent, the 211 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:05,760 way you talk, it gives you away. You're 1 of him. 212 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:12,160 He's trying to blend in, standing at the fire, using 213 00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:18,160 their words, playing the part. But the moment he talked, he 214 00:16:18,160 --> 00:16:22,720 ratted himself out. Because when you've spent a long 215 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:29,360 time with Jesus, he changes you. It changes the way you talk 216 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:34,600 about life, money, the way you see your enemies, the way you 217 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:37,600 handle suffering. It changes what you're willing 218 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:41,240 to do with your life. Peter couldn't fully hide it, 219 00:16:41,640 --> 00:16:44,880 even in his denial. Jesus already changed him more 220 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:51,480 than he realized. So what would it cost you to 221 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:55,600 take one step closer to Jesus right now? 222 00:16:56,680 --> 00:16:59,600 Not vaguely. Specifically. 223 00:17:01,560 --> 00:17:09,760 A reputation, a relationship, a career, a lifestyle you've 224 00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:13,520 built. Write that down. 225 00:17:14,839 --> 00:17:20,520 Write down what you might lose. And then right underneath it, 226 00:17:22,119 --> 00:17:30,120 Jesus already knew when he went to the cross for me. 227 00:17:32,440 --> 00:17:36,240 Jesus himself says, don't start building until you've counted 228 00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:38,320 the cost. Luke chapter 18. 229 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:42,520 This is his words, not mine. Because until you name it, until 230 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:46,000 you make that decision about whether or not you're willing to 231 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:48,680 pay for it, you don't know what you're doing. 232 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:51,840 Sometimes we Christians lie to ourselves. 233 00:17:52,120 --> 00:17:56,000 We'd say we'd die for Jesus. Bro, please. 234 00:17:57,720 --> 00:18:01,360 You won't even fully live for Jesus, let alone die for him. 235 00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:05,800 Who's singing about taking the cross on Sunday? 236 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:10,520 But Monday, we won't take a pay cut for a calling. 237 00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:19,480 About 10 years ago, I'm a brand new youth pastor just trying to 238 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:21,760 figure out how to get kids to go to church. 239 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:28,280 And I get a call about a student that had graduated about a year 240 00:18:28,280 --> 00:18:33,000 and a half earlier. And this young man lost his 241 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:40,600 life, an overdose gone. Instead of a regular Wednesday 242 00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:43,840 night service, we're going crazy, having fun. 243 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:51,120 We planned a small prayer service just so our youth group, 244 00:18:51,120 --> 00:18:53,640 the kids that knew him, could start to heal. 245 00:18:55,720 --> 00:19:00,240 Something quiet, something for a few of the family members. 246 00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:03,600 That night, I pulled into the parking lot. 247 00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:07,360 I kid you not, there were students and teachers. 248 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:10,640 The place was packed. There were skids everywhere. 249 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:18,360 I did not invite them. They invited themselves. 150 250 00:19:18,360 --> 00:19:20,440 people show up, People I've never seen. 251 00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:26,120 People never set foot in church. I'll be honest, I was terrified. 252 00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:29,120 I'd never done a funeral service before. 253 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:33,560 I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't know what I was walking 254 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:36,160 into. I'd never stood in front of 255 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:41,640 grief that size before. But I knew a few things. 256 00:19:43,160 --> 00:19:49,120 I knew that boy knew the Lord and I knew that 100 people were 257 00:19:49,120 --> 00:19:52,920 about to walk into a church that had probably never heard about 258 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:57,280 Jesus before. I had a choice. 259 00:19:57,600 --> 00:19:59,480 I could keep it safe. I could keep it general. 260 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:03,760 I could talk about love and loss and really say nothing about the 261 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:06,040 gospel. Nothing really uncomfortable 262 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:12,320 about eternal life and or I could say the one true thing. 263 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:17,200 The thing that cost Jesus so much. 264 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:27,400 So I preached the gospel in a room full of strangers and grief 265 00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:29,280 and a mother who had just lost her son. 266 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:32,760 And at the end of it, we had a prayer quote up front. 267 00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:39,400 And I told anyone who wanted to pray, to pray for the family, to 268 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:44,920 pray over the the quilt, to come forward and tie a knot, say your 269 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:51,400 prayer. And they lined up, seemingly all 270 00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:58,400 of them, 150 people in a giant line, 1 by 1 tie knots, 271 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:00,640 whispering prayers. Some of them probably never 272 00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:08,920 prayed in their lives before. That's what happens when you say 273 00:21:09,120 --> 00:21:14,480 the costly thing. That's what happens when you 274 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:16,920 don't edit Jesus out of the room. 275 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:24,560 So where are you in this story? Maybe you're at the servant 276 00:21:24,560 --> 00:21:26,840 girl. You're at that easy question 277 00:21:26,840 --> 00:21:29,360 right now. Just a low stakes moments. 278 00:21:29,760 --> 00:21:33,200 You've been quietly editing out Jesus out of your story, out of 279 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:35,040 your personal life, out of the conversations that you're 280 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:37,560 having. You haven't done anything 281 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:41,520 traumatic. You've just stopped mentioning 282 00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:45,800 him. Maybe you're at the fire. 283 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:48,720 You're in a season where you're trying to stay warm, be 284 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:51,880 comfortable. You've started to blend into the 285 00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:55,440 crowd more than you and I'd like to admit. 286 00:21:57,200 --> 00:21:59,400 Or maybe you've heard the rooster crow. 287 00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:06,040 You know something is off, the weight is on you, but you 288 00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:07,760 haven't been willing to name it yet. 289 00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:15,640 If that's you, I need to, I need you to see what happens next. 290 00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:20,760 In this account, Peter hears the rooster and it broke him, but it 291 00:22:20,760 --> 00:22:22,560 didn't end him. And here's why. 292 00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:27,160 Luke tells us in that exact moment, Jesus turns and looked 293 00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:30,520 straight at him through the people, through the courtyard. 294 00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:33,480 Think about what Jesus was going through. 295 00:22:34,040 --> 00:22:38,040 Betrayal, abandonment. He's about to be crucified. 296 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:42,040 He's already been beaten. It's just about to get worse. 297 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:46,360 He could have looked at Peter with anger, with disappointment, 298 00:22:46,360 --> 00:22:50,960 with disgust. But what he saw in Peter, he is. 299 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:55,200 This is the same thing that he's seen through Peter, through all 300 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:58,240 the ministry, through the all the time that they're been 301 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:00,240 together. He watched him look at Zacchaeus 302 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:03,800 as a thief, a sell up. He watched him look at the woman 303 00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:06,560 caught in a drought she dragged into the streets in her shame. 304 00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:09,600 He watched the lepers and the outcasts and the failures. 305 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:18,920 It was always the same look. The look of love, the look that 306 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:27,040 says I know what you're going through, I know what you've 307 00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:31,440 done. It's why I came here to earth, 308 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:38,080 to die on the cross. This is the gospel. 309 00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:42,280 Jesus didn't come to the cross by accident. 310 00:23:43,360 --> 00:23:46,120 He went knowing that Peter was going to be standing at the 311 00:23:46,120 --> 00:23:49,200 fire. He went for the skeptics in this 312 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:52,000 room. He went for the person warming 313 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:57,360 themselves by the wrong fires. He went for me and he went for 314 00:23:57,360 --> 00:24:01,120 you. The courtyard is not the end of 315 00:24:01,120 --> 00:24:04,680 your story. It wasn't the end of his. 316 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:07,680 Right now, He's not looking at your failures. 317 00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:12,520 Jesus could not stay dead. Not even death could hold him. 318 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:15,000 Next week we're going to celebrate that. 319 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:17,440 We're going to be so excited. It's going to be Easter. 320 00:24:19,360 --> 00:24:23,920 Jesus is not asking you to clean up yourself first. 321 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:29,680 He's asking you to trust him with your mess. 322 00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:36,560 The same Jesus who looked at Peter across the courtyard, who 323 00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:41,280 didn't look away, who didn't give up, who went to the cross, 324 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:47,480 who came here anyways. That is the same person who's 325 00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:53,040 standing in front of you now. Not a religion, not a set of 326 00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:58,080 rules. Jesus who already knew 327 00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:02,680 everything you've done and he came for you anyways. 328 00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:09,880 Romans 10/9 tells us if you confess with your mouth that 329 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:14,560 Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him 330 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:17,080 from the dead, you will be saved. 331 00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:23,000 For the heart. 1 believes and is justified and with the mouth one 332 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:29,400 confess, confesses and is saved. If you want to take the 333 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:36,440 opportunity to confront Jesus, who's already standing in front 334 00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:43,800 of you, who's been calling you, who's been waiting for you, 335 00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:50,960 wants to save you, I'm going to give you an opportunity right 336 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:55,360 now to say a prayer. This prayer isn't about perfect 337 00:25:55,360 --> 00:25:57,400 words. It's not about getting the 338 00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:01,720 formula right. God cares about your heart. 339 00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:07,800 I can pray this quietly or silently repeating what I say or 340 00:26:07,800 --> 00:26:12,160 something in your own words, in your belief to Jesus. 341 00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:23,680 Let us pray right now. Right now is the time for 342 00:26:23,680 --> 00:26:25,240 someone to surrender their life to God. 343 00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:30,680 Say this prayer. Jesus, thank you. 344 00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:36,720 Thank you for finding me where I'm at today. 345 00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:41,680 I choose to follow you. I know I'm a messed up person 346 00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:47,120 and I'm lost on my own. I know I can't save myself. 347 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:55,200 I've been warming myself at the wrong fire and today I look to 348 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:59,560 you. I can't follow you perfectly, 349 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:04,640 but I trust you to save me today. 350 00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:10,680 I give you my whole life. I accept your love, your peace, 351 00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:20,200 your forgiveness of my sins. Be my savior Jesus, Everybody's 352 00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:23,760 head still bowed. If you pray that prayer for the 353 00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:26,560 very first time, would you be brave enough for me to see? 354 00:27:30,040 --> 00:27:36,040 Thank you. See your hands in Jesus name 355 00:27:36,120 --> 00:27:41,240 Everybody says Amen. If you prayed that prayer for 356 00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:44,720 the very first time, something incredible just happened. 357 00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:54,360 Welcome to the family of God. In a moment we were all going to 358 00:27:54,360 --> 00:27:57,840 stand. If you pray that prayer, please, 359 00:27:57,840 --> 00:28:00,920 please go to either of the tables that say I raised my 360 00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:03,880 hand. I ask you because we, we want to 361 00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:08,400 start this journey with you. We want to celebrate with you. 362 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:11,120 We want to give you a gift right now. 363 00:28:11,120 --> 00:28:12,960 Our prayer team is going to come forward. 364 00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:17,880 If you would like to pray about anything, I mean anything at 365 00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:20,680 all, I encourage you to come forward. 366 00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:24,680 Maybe it's something that you wrote down today. 367 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:31,360 As you come forward, give it to God. 368 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:39,120 Everybody, please stand. Move as the Lord leads you.