Podcast appearances and mentions of peter jesus

Year C – Fourth Sunday in Easter – May 11, 2025 Pastor Megan Floyd                 John 10:22-30; Acts 9:36-43   Grace and peace to you in the name of our risen savior, Jesus Christ, who consistently shows us how great God's love is for those we have pushed aside. Amen. *** Earlier this week, at our Tuesday Bible Study, we took a deeper look at this passage we heard today from Acts. It's always fun when a story we may have overlooked surprises us with details that seem to rise to the surface… in a new way. For us, this week… it was this beautiful story about this disciple… Tabitha. She is the only woman in scripture to be specifically named a disciple, even though some translations have converted the word ‘disciple' into ‘woman.' She was, in fact, a named disciple of Jesus. And she cared for those who were vulnerable and marginalized… she cared for them out of her own resources… the widows and the poor. She cared for them with love and offered them dignity in a very practical way… by weaving and sewing their clothes. This is significant. In first-century Rome, a person might only have one or two pieces of clothing at a time, and those pieces likely would have been made for them. So, the making, washing, and repair of clothing – a basic human need – was a serious business in the ancient world. Through giving of her time and skill, Tabitha was able to elevate her community of widows into a community that clearly cared for and supported each other …while surrounded by a society that would sooner have them pushed aside as objects. We are familiar with the social hierarchy of first-century Rome. A widow without a son was at the very bottom… they were the most vulnerable, and it is a recurring theme in scripture and Christian history that we, who follow Christ, must care for them. I have seen many examples of ministries that go above and beyond to care for those who are incredibly vulnerable and in need… the widows of our time. I would say our Parish House is one example of a ministry that goes above and beyond to restore life and dignity to those who are so incredibly vulnerable. And yet… how often do we encounter aid and ministry that assumes the ones being served will always depend on that aid? How often do we evaluate programs… and find that they consider those they serve to be objects of charity, rather than potential agents of ministry? Why do the stories of helping widows tend to fall short of imagining ways for them to become prosperous… or even simply… ways to reduce their vulnerability? You see… I think this was what was so special about the disciple, Tabitha. She understood Jesus' command to love and care for others, especially those who are vulnerable… She understood this to be a mission to not only provide for basic needs but also elevate them and restore their humanity and dignity. She understood the command to love those on the margins as a command to bring those who have been pushed aside… back into the center. This is what Jesus did. Again and again. Jesus healed people by restoring them to their community… and he usually did this by curing the illnesses that kept them apart. This is what Jesus did, he loved people and restored their dignity… and so this is what his disciple, Tabitha, did. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, loves us so deeply that we are more than mere objects of charity. Jesus' love for us is so abundant that we are restored… renewed… and transformed… and commissioned to carry that love forward to others. This kind of love not only sees and cares for the vulnerable on the margins, but it pulls them back into the community and calls them beloved and valuable. *** There is a community of women living near Guatemala City. They are the widows of those men who were disappeared during the great wave of violence and terror that the Guatemalan government perpetrated against the indigenous population in the 1980s. The community is called La Esperanza, which means “hope.” The women came together to offer mutual support and care for each other and their children. They would not accept direct charity, but they did accept funds from a Presbyterian program to build one durable building in the center of their community, which houses a day care center, a preschool, a health clinic, and a weaving cooperative. They have divided the responsibilities necessary for running their community, such as caring for the children, cooking, cleaning, sewing, and weaving clothes for themselves and to sell for income. Some have trained as dental hygienists and nurse practitioners to care for the community's health needs. These women have a dignified life… they were cast aside, but through love and care for each other, the kind of love that comes from Christ, their lives are renewed. *** I imagine that if the disciple, Tabitha, lived today… we might find her in a community like La Esperanza. …we would find her in a community centered around hope. We would find the disciple, Tabitha, where we find other disciples… in places where hope in the risen Christ is transformed into loving action for those in need. The kind of loving action that transforms a person from an object of ministry, into an agent of ministry… Transforming people who have been lifted up into those who can, in turn, lift others. This is the power of Christ's love working through us… through Christ's disciples. And all of this is remarkable… but we haven't even reached the most remarkable part of the story. The disciple, Tabitha, was so important to the community of widows… and so important to the community of Jesus' disciples… that when they sent for Peter after her death, he came immediately. And through Peter… Jesus restored Tabitha, back to life. Because she lived, the community of widows would not be left alone. This story about the disciple, Tabitha, teaches us something about the nature of Jesus… about the nature of God… That God's love for those on the margins is so great, that God will not leave them abandoned. And yet there is more… Because Tabitha lived, the community of widows understood firsthand that with Jesus, death does not have the final say. Reality is no longer bound to life and death, but rather, by Jesus' promise that through him, all things are made new. Those widows in Tabitha's community were no longer beholden to society's vision for them at the bottom of the social hierarchy… they were newly caught up in Christ's vision for them… as valuable, worthy, and beloved. A legacy that was surely carried forward into the community at La Esperanza. Through the resurrection power and love of Christ, we, too, are always being made new… remolded and remade… reminded that we are worthy and beloved. Through Christ's love… we are transformed. Amen.

What is this story about? It's about failure and forgiveness - not one or the other, but both. The disciples spent three years with Jesus; in that time, they learned from him every day and spent all their time with him. After Jesus left them (after giving them his Spirit - his presence), they went back to the way things were - fishing. Sometimes we do the same - we experience the presence of God - we know what to do next, know the changes we need to make, know the conversations we need to have, and then we don't - we forget - we lose the nerve. Then there's Peter - Jesus asks him three times if Peter loves him. Echoes the three betrayals. Jesus meets Peter right where he failed him. God meets us in our failures, too - with his nonjudgmental presence offering grace, love and forgiveness. This story is also about going where we might not want to go - and it's in those places that God meets us. In fact, it's in those places where God becomes flesh again - this time in us. Finally, this story is about a sense of calling. Not in a big sense - like, you're now a missionary on fire for Jesus saving the world overseas. No, not like that. Jesus calls us to feed his sheep - show love like he showed love. No matter where we are - we have a calling to love. Speaker: Aaron Vis Scripture: John 21:1-19 http://bible.com/events/49427418

Harvest Bible Fellowship's weekly Message.

Guest Speaker Rev. Kevin Teasley, RUF Chief Advancement Officer

radiantvisalia.comWord & Deed: We are Witnesses:  4 Things to Remember When Suffering with Travis AicklenScripture: James 1:1-12Intro: This sermon continues "We Are Witnesses," focusing on how our lives testify to Jesus. Our lives constantly speak. Last week: testifying through suffering. This week: deeper dive. Passion involves suffering. C.S. Lewis: God whispers in pleasure, speaks in conscience, shouts in pain. Christian success whispers, suffering shouts. The world watches how we endure. Hopeful suffering is powerful. James, Jesus' half-brother, writes just after the crucifixion. He calls himself a "slave" of Jesus. Consider worshipping your brother as God – it speaks to Jesus' divinity.Text: James 1:1-12Exposition:James is direct, like a "mouthy" brother. He immediately addresses trials. No preamble, just stark reality."Count it all joy": Seems irrational. James says rejoice because we know trials' purpose.We forget in suffering. James reminds us of truths we possess.Four Reminders: Life is brutal: The Bible doesn't shy away. James: when you face trials, not if. "Various trials" means many kinds. God works in good & bad times. We're God's scattered, not sheltered, people. Jesus said we will face trouble. Need a "theology of suffering"—a plan. Suffering comes in waves. The "left hook" is questioning God, losing trust, becoming isolated.Everything's tested: Testing proves authenticity. We learn through failure. Tests reveal weaknesses. "Teacher is quiet." God's silence is hard. We test what we value. Tests show God's love. They're for us. Peter: Jesus said he was handed to Satan, but Jesus prayed for Peter's faith not to fail. It's our faith, refined by trials. We rejoice in the promise of God's work.Pray for wisdom: In trials, pray for wisdom to avoid foolish choices. Pain isn't worst; what we do in pain is. Addiction, bitterness are dangers. "Steadfastness" means "remaining under." Don't cheat trials. C.S. Lewis: “God whispers in pleasures, speaks in conscience, shouts in pains: His megaphone.” Testing builds trust.Cross before crown: Universal truth. Jesus endured the cross. No one's exempt. We see the "crown" but not the "cross." The gospel lifts the lowly, humbles the proud.Conclusion:The table: Jesus suffered for us. He's our model and Savior. The table's for all.Prayer: Thank God for His suffering. His silence doesn't mean inaction. We trust Him in trials.Call to Action: Don't suffer alone. Seek support.Prayer: For those in trials, for the church's support, for understanding suffering's power. Support the show

Kevin Teasley December 29, 2024 Faith Presbyterian Church Birmingham, ALBulletin

Live Stream Sunday School - Akron Alliance Fellowship Church, Akron OH - July 28, 2024#Peter #Jesus #salvation #conversion #name #message #believer #Jerusalem #question #God #Lord #pray #spirit #holyspirit #vision #clean #unclean #Gentile #Joppa #Caesarea 

Pastor Jim Alter Acts 9

Live Stream Sunday School - Akron Alliance Fellowship Church, Akron OH - July 21, 2024#Peter #Jesus #salvation #conversion #name #message #believer #caesarea #Joppa #church #favoritism #Cornelius #God #Lord #pray #spirit #holyspirit #journey #vision #clean #unclean #nation #tongue #baptism 

Pastor Jim Alter Acts 9, James 4

Pastor Marco continues his study in the Book of 1 Peter.

Pastor Marco continues his study in the Book of 1 Peter.

Sunday message by Pastor Mat - December 18, 2022 - Our ministries website -

This is a service from Cornerstone Church in Bethalto, IL. For more information, please visit us on the web at BethaltoChurch.com or search for us on Facebook. The post Peter: Jesus Doesn't Let Go first appeared on Cornerstone Church.

You have a far brighter future than you may imagine. You can see great changes in your life. You can overcome your past failures and mistakes. You can become a great success and a powerful leader. This is what can happen when you experience Jesus Christ in a personal way and become trained as one of His true followers.   Jesus ministered to great multitudes of people and saw many healings and miracles. But He spent most of his time forming the character and developing the capacities of a diverse group of personalities. The training of His team of 12 ordinary men was central to His mission and essential to the continuation of His ministry.  Although one betrayed him and was replaced, it was this team of 12 who stood together on the Day of Pentecost when the Christian community began its rapid expansion in the first century. And it was a former fisherman called Peter who was the spokesman and leader of the group.  Peter was brought to Jesus by his brother Andrew (Matthew 4:18-20). Soon he was not only part of an inner core group of the 12, but was also regarded as the leader of the group. In each list of the disciples in the gospels and in Acts 1:13, Peter is always mentioned first. We know more of Peter than any other disciple in the different gospel accounts.  And it is from these accounts that we get a very clear example of how Jesus trained His disciples. We need to understand this because Jesus called His first disciples, as He calls us as Christians today, to ‘go and make disciples in all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you' (Matthew 28:19-20).  Now we need to understand Christians are born or born again by the Spirit of God working in our lives, but disciples are formed. Jesus made this clear when He called Peter and Andrew to leave their fishing nets and follow Him. Matthew 4:19 records that Jesus said, “Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of people.” Being made into fishers of people meant developing them through an intentional process to become what God intended them to become.  Training is essential in any walk of life, and it is just the same if you are serious about growing in your Christian life and leadership. That's why the apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11: ‘follow me as I follow Christ.' And that's why he was able to form people like Timothy and Titus into great leaders.  To help us excel as disciples and disciple makers we should be wise to learn from how Jesus trained his team of 12 and more specifically by focussing on how Jesus formed Peter into a great disciple and leader.  1. Jesus was prepared to shape someone who needed a lot of shaping (Matthew 17:3-5; Luke 5:5; Matthew 16:21-22) 2. Jesus gave Peter a strong vision for his life (Luke 6:14; Matthew 16:18) 3. Jesus constantly challenged and confronted Peter (Matthew 16:23; Hebrews 12:11) 4. Jesus prayed for Peter (John 17:6-19; Luke 22:31-32) 5. Jesus restored Peter (John 21)  Apply  1. Jesus was prepared to shape someone who needed a lot of shaping: Why did Jesus spend so much time and effort with Peter? One reason was because Peter needed a lot of help. Peter was a strong character, a very rough diamond. His character flaws were many and often clear for all to see. - He was impulsive: He was quick to jump out of the boat on the stormy sea of Galilee and try to walk on water like Jesus. - He often spoke without thinking: On the mount of transfiguration when the great figures of Moses and Elijah appeared and spoke with Jesus, he just thought he would weigh in with some helpful comments, so Father God had to tell him to stop speaking (Matthew 17:3-5). - He was blunt and direct: When Jesus told the disciples to throw their nets on the other side of the boat, Peter wanted to make it clear to Jesus, the carpenter from Nazareth, they were only doing it because he was asking them to (Luke 5:5). In other words he felt free to verbalise his scepticism and reluctance. - He was arrogant and rude: He saw himself as superior to the other disciples declaring that if everyone left Jesus for sure he would remain. He felt at liberty to opening disagree with Jesus and even giving him a telling off (Matthew 16:21-22). Here was a man who didn't know how to respect boundaries.  - He was aggressive: In the garden of Gethsemane where Judas had arrived with a group of soldiers and officials to arrest Jesus, Peter was quick to pull out his sword and took a swing at the head of Malchus, the servant of the high priest. He missed decapitating him but managed to cut off his ear, which Jesus quickly healed.  - He failed totally at the moment when he should have stepped up: Despite his big boasts, Peter's weakness and fear overcame him when Jesus was arrested. He used some very bad language as he denied the Lord three times and then wept bitterly over his failure.  Peter was in his time of formation, a very rough, outspoken and erratic character, not your ideal candidate for Christian leadership, you may think. He had many good points, but his failures seemed to outnumber them. How many of these traits can you identify with? Your failures and mistakes need not disqualify you from being raised up to serve the Lord. Just as Jesus determined to form this far from perfect man into a great leader, so He wants you to be formed into His likeness. And he wants every disciple maker to accept the challenge of shaping up disciples who may need a lot of shaping.   2. Jesus gave Peter a strong vision for his life: From the beginning, Jesus spoke strong words of affirmation over Peter. He wanted him to visualize his future, not focus on his past. He wanted him to know that he was being trained up to have a far more fulfilling and fruitful life than just catching fish. He would bring many men and women into the kingdom of God. And Jesus wanted him to have a very strong and positive perception of his own identity in the kingdom of God. His name was Simon but Jesus also named him Peter (Luke 6:14). It was like a nickname. Coming from the Greek word petros (or the Aramaic word “Cephas”), the name Peter means “Rock” or “Stone.” Although Peter at times seemed to be all over the place in his emotions, actions and reactions, he knew that the Lord had marked him out as a rock who could be depended on (Matthew 16:18). He would become a bedrock of the church and an unshakeable, immovable leader. In time He became what Jesus had declared his identity to be. Whether you are forming someone in your family or the church family, always speak possibilities over your disciples. Always cast vision for what they can be. Always declare God has great dreams for them and encourage them to discover them.  3. Jesus constantly challenged and confronted Peter: No other disciple was as corrected as much as Peter and it was often done in the context of the group. Peter so often said the wrong thing at the wrong time, notably when he tried out of sentiment and personal affection to stop Jesus going to the cross. This earned a fierce rebuke from Jesus, as it conflicted with the whole reason Jesus had come into the world (Matthew 16:23). Now it is not recommended to use such language in forming disciples but for anyone to be trained,  the trainer or parent must be caring and courageous enough to correct and the trainee/ apprentice/disciple must be prepared to accept correction with a humble attitude. By definition, to be a disciple means to be a learner. So be willing to accept correction and move forward (Hebrews 12:11).  4. Jesus prayed for Peter: Of course, Jesus prayed for all his disciples (John 17:6-19). He prayed for their protection and their unity that they would be filled with joy and kept holy through the truth of God's word. But Jesus also prayed specifically for Peter, who He knew would be targeted by Satan and tempted to give up (Luke 22:31-32). How we need to pray for everyone we are trying to help and form for Christ, especially our family members and disciples. And such prayers will be answered as it was in the case of Peter.   5. Jesus restored Peter: Jesus never gave up on Peter. Even after his failures, when Peter had gone back fishing after his denials and all the dark events of the crucifixion, Jesus came looking for him. John 21 tells how he invited him to a memorable talk over breakfast by the Lake of Galilee. He asked Peter three times if he loved Him, giving him the opportunity to cancel out his three denials, and then Jesus recommissioned him three times instructing him ‘to feed my sheep.' And then, not long after Jesus returned to heaven and left them to carry on his work. Soon everyone saw that the investment of Jesus in Peter was far from wasted. Weeks later on the Day of Pentecost, Peter, with the 11 other disciples standing side by side in strong support, preached a powerful message of repentance and restoration. Three thousand people were added to the church that very day. Peter then led the way in working miracles just as Jesus had. He slept peacefully in prison the night before he was due to be executed just as he had seen Jesus sleep in the storm. He opened up the good news of the gospel to the Gentiles when he went to the home of the roman centurion Cornelius. Above all Peter was a changed man. John MacArthur in his book ‘Twelve Ordinary Men' highlights how Peter had learned to be submissive, humble and teachable. He became self-controlled and full of love, as his later letters made clear. And he lost his fear, courageously preaching the gospel and finally, according to the records of early church history, asking to be crucified upside down as he wasn't worthy to die as his Lord had died.  If you are an unreconstructed Peter, so conscious of your faults and failings, there is hope for you. And if you are a disciple maker, don't ever give up with people, even if they are very difficult customers. For your investment in them may well prove to be the most fulfilling and far-reaching thing you have ever done. 

You have a far brighter future than you may imagine. You can see great changes in your life. You can overcome your past failures and mistakes. You can become a great success and a powerful leader. This is what can happen when you experience Jesus Christ in a personal way and become trained as one of His true followers.   Jesus ministered to great multitudes of people and saw many healings and miracles. But He spent most of his time forming the character and developing the capacities of a diverse group of personalities. The training of His team of 12 ordinary men was central to His mission and essential to the continuation of His ministry.  Although one betrayed him and was replaced, it was this team of 12 who stood together on the Day of Pentecost when the Christian community began its rapid expansion in the first century. And it was a former fisherman called Peter who was the spokesman and leader of the group.  Peter was brought to Jesus by his brother Andrew (Matthew 4:18-20). Soon he was not only part of an inner core group of the 12, but was also regarded as the leader of the group. In each list of the disciples in the gospels and in Acts 1:13, Peter is always mentioned first. We know more of Peter than any other disciple in the different gospel accounts.  And it is from these accounts that we get a very clear example of how Jesus trained His disciples. We need to understand this because Jesus called His first disciples, as He calls us as Christians today, to ‘go and make disciples in all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you' (Matthew 28:19-20).  Now we need to understand Christians are born or born again by the Spirit of God working in our lives, but disciples are formed. Jesus made this clear when He called Peter and Andrew to leave their fishing nets and follow Him. Matthew 4:19 records that Jesus said, “Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of people.” Being made into fishers of people meant developing them through an intentional process to become what God intended them to become.  Training is essential in any walk of life, and it is just the same if you are serious about growing in your Christian life and leadership. That's why the apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11: ‘follow me as I follow Christ.' And that's why he was able to form people like Timothy and Titus into great leaders.  To help us excel as disciples and disciple makers we should be wise to learn from how Jesus trained his team of 12 and more specifically by focussing on how Jesus formed Peter into a great disciple and leader.  1. Jesus was prepared to shape someone who needed a lot of shaping (Matthew 17:3-5; Luke 5:5; Matthew 16:21-22) 2. Jesus gave Peter a strong vision for his life (Luke 6:14; Matthew 16:18) 3. Jesus constantly challenged and confronted Peter (Matthew 16:23; Hebrews 12:11) 4. Jesus prayed for Peter (John 17:6-19; Luke 22:31-32) 5. Jesus restored Peter (John 21)  Apply  1. Jesus was prepared to shape someone who needed a lot of shaping: Why did Jesus spend so much time and effort with Peter? One reason was because Peter needed a lot of help. Peter was a strong character, a very rough diamond. His character flaws were many and often clear for all to see. - He was impulsive: He was quick to jump out of the boat on the stormy sea of Galilee and try to walk on water like Jesus. - He often spoke without thinking: On the mount of transfiguration when the great figures of Moses and Elijah appeared and spoke with Jesus, he just thought he would weigh in with some helpful comments, so Father God had to tell him to stop speaking (Matthew 17:3-5). - He was blunt and direct: When Jesus told the disciples to throw their nets on the other side of the boat, Peter wanted to make it clear to Jesus, the carpenter from Nazareth, they were only doing it because he was asking them to (Luke 5:5). In other words he felt free to verbalise his scepticism and reluctance. - He was arrogant and rude: He saw himself as superior to the other disciples declaring that if everyone left Jesus for sure he would remain. He felt at liberty to opening disagree with Jesus and even giving him a telling off (Matthew 16:21-22). Here was a man who didn't know how to respect boundaries.  - He was aggressive: In the garden of Gethsemane where Judas had arrived with a group of soldiers and officials to arrest Jesus, Peter was quick to pull out his sword and took a swing at the head of Malchus, the servant of the high priest. He missed decapitating him but managed to cut off his ear, which Jesus quickly healed.  - He failed totally at the moment when he should have stepped up: Despite his big boasts, Peter's weakness and fear overcame him when Jesus was arrested. He used some very bad language as he denied the Lord three times and then wept bitterly over his failure.  Peter was in his time of formation, a very rough, outspoken and erratic character, not your ideal candidate for Christian leadership, you may think. He had many good points, but his failures seemed to outnumber them. How many of these traits can you identify with? Your failures and mistakes need not disqualify you from being raised up to serve the Lord. Just as Jesus determined to form this far from perfect man into a great leader, so He wants you to be formed into His likeness. And he wants every disciple maker to accept the challenge of shaping up disciples who may need a lot of shaping.   2. Jesus gave Peter a strong vision for his life: From the beginning, Jesus spoke strong words of affirmation over Peter. He wanted him to visualize his future, not focus on his past. He wanted him to know that he was being trained up to have a far more fulfilling and fruitful life than just catching fish. He would bring many men and women into the kingdom of God. And Jesus wanted him to have a very strong and positive perception of his own identity in the kingdom of God. His name was Simon but Jesus also named him Peter (Luke 6:14). It was like a nickname. Coming from the Greek word petros (or the Aramaic word “Cephas”), the name Peter means “Rock” or “Stone.” Although Peter at times seemed to be all over the place in his emotions, actions and reactions, he knew that the Lord had marked him out as a rock who could be depended on (Matthew 16:18). He would become a bedrock of the church and an unshakeable, immovable leader. In time He became what Jesus had declared his identity to be. Whether you are forming someone in your family or the church family, always speak possibilities over your disciples. Always cast vision for what they can be. Always declare God has great dreams for them and encourage them to discover them.  3. Jesus constantly challenged and confronted Peter: No other disciple was as corrected as much as Peter and it was often done in the context of the group. Peter so often said the wrong thing at the wrong time, notably when he tried out of sentiment and personal affection to stop Jesus going to the cross. This earned a fierce rebuke from Jesus, as it conflicted with the whole reason Jesus had come into the world (Matthew 16:23). Now it is not recommended to use such language in forming disciples but for anyone to be trained,  the trainer or parent must be caring and courageous enough to correct and the trainee/ apprentice/disciple must be prepared to accept correction with a humble attitude. By definition, to be a disciple means to be a learner. So be willing to accept correction and move forward (Hebrews 12:11).  4. Jesus prayed for Peter: Of course, Jesus prayed for all his disciples (John 17:6-19). He prayed for their protection and their unity that they would be filled with joy and kept holy through the truth of God's word. But Jesus also prayed specifically for Peter, who He knew would be targeted by Satan and tempted to give up (Luke 22:31-32). How we need to pray for everyone we are trying to help and form for Christ, especially our family members and disciples. And such prayers will be answered as it was in the case of Peter.   5. Jesus restored Peter: Jesus never gave up on Peter. Even after his failures, when Peter had gone back fishing after his denials and all the dark events of the crucifixion, Jesus came looking for him. John 21 tells how he invited him to a memorable talk over breakfast by the Lake of Galilee. He asked Peter three times if he loved Him, giving him the opportunity to cancel out his three denials, and then Jesus recommissioned him three times instructing him ‘to feed my sheep.' And then, not long after Jesus returned to heaven and left them to carry on his work. Soon everyone saw that the investment of Jesus in Peter was far from wasted. Weeks later on the Day of Pentecost, Peter, with the 11 other disciples standing side by side in strong support, preached a powerful message of repentance and restoration. Three thousand people were added to the church that very day. Peter then led the way in working miracles just as Jesus had. He slept peacefully in prison the night before he was due to be executed just as he had seen Jesus sleep in the storm. He opened up the good news of the gospel to the Gentiles when he went to the home of the roman centurion Cornelius. Above all Peter was a changed man. John MacArthur in his book ‘Twelve Ordinary Men' highlights how Peter had learned to be submissive, humble and teachable. He became self-controlled and full of love, as his later letters made clear. And he lost his fear, courageously preaching the gospel and finally, according to the records of early church history, asking to be crucified upside down as he wasn't worthy to die as his Lord had died.  If you are an unreconstructed Peter, so conscious of your faults and failings, there is hope for you. And if you are a disciple maker, don't ever give up with people, even if they are very difficult customers. For your investment in them may well prove to be the most fulfilling and far-reaching thing you have ever done. 

We cover a lot in this episode.  First we chat about our fall plans to participate in a charity golf tournament-- last place wins a canister of tennis balls.  By the end of September, we will be richer by one canister of tennis balls.  We then, unplanned, process the trauma of sending our eldest daughter to kindergarten.  We then get to our subject at hand--Peter confesses to Jesus that he is the king, the savior of ancient Israel that they have been waiting for.  But then Jesus orders his disciples not to tell anyone what Peter just said.  We ask the question, "why?"  Why can't they tell the world this good news?  And we also look at how Peter's confession has more to do with the political then the spiritual identity of Jesus.  Enoy! 

Through the gospel of Luke up to this point, the author has been developing an answer to the crucial question: Who is this Nazarene? Just before the verses we will study today, we get an astounding answer from Peter: Jesus is “God's Messiah” (9:20). This confession is followed by an exploration of what it takes to follow this Messiah: unashamed dedication and absolute surrender.

Through the gospel of Luke, up to this point, the author has been developing an answer to the crucial question: Who is this Nazarene? Just before the verses, we will study today, we get an astounding response from Peter: Jesus is “God's Messiah” (9:20). This confession is followed by an exploration of what it takes to follow this Messiah: unashamed dedication and absolute surrender.

The Calling of St. Peter: Jesus Calls Us to Follow Him This presentation took place following a three-day conference, just as the attendees were preparing to participate in a Blessed Sacrament Procession. The discourse commences by highlighting how the Lord, on three separate occasions, beckoned Peter with the words “Follow Me.” The First Calling The initial summons to Peter occurred after an entire night dedicated to fishing. Peter was acquainted with Jesus, who was engaged in instructing a multitude by the shoreline. Jesus requested the use of Peter's boat as an elevated platform to address the gathering. Despite his fatigue and physical strain, Peter consented, and alongside the crowd, he listened attentively to the Lord's teachings. Following this discourse, Jesus suggested they resume fishing. Fatigued yet compliant, Peter embarked on another fishing venture and experienced an abundant catch. Overwhelmed by this turn of events, Peter humbled himself in awe, prompting the Lord to gaze upon this weary man and utter the words, “Follow Me.” The Second Calling As Peter continued to accompany the Lord, a second call emerged. This call was more intricate than the first, coming after a period of devoted companionship with Jesus. It was a call that delved into the profound significance of “Following Me.” Jesus posed a seemingly simple query to his disciples: “Whom do people say that I am?” This question signaled a deeper invitation. Among the diverse responses from the disciples, Peter, the one to speak up, proclaimed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!” While his words were accurate, Peter's understanding had yet to align with his proclamation. The Lord instructed him not to reveal this insight, indicating that genuine comprehension of Jesus emanates from His own words. Subsequently, Jesus elucidated His identity and foretold His impending sacrifice. Peter, stirred by concern, interjected, prompting Jesus to rebuke him. Yet, Jesus affirmed that true discipleship involves a profound commitment. This second call's relevance to our lives is expounded upon in the presentation. The Third Calling Following the second call, the Lord embarked on purifying Peter's (and our) discipleship. This third and most poignant calling took place again by the waterside after a night of fruitless fishing. Jesus directed Peter to cast his nets on the opposite side of the boat, resulting in an overwhelming catch. Overwhelmed with conviction, Peter plunged into the water and swam to shore to meet the Lord, embodying a redemptive encounter following his prior denial. On the shore, Jesus engaged Peter in a sequence of three questions, culminating in the resounding command, “Follow Me.” This trilogy of inquiries held profound significance, and their purpose is explored in the presentation. This final calling epitomizes the Lord's instructive method, shedding light on the teachings He conveyed to Peter, which carry enduring lessons for all of us.

JESUS DENIED BY PETER – Jesus Walking in the Way of the Cross   LYRICS TO MUSIC: I said even if everyone else Turns on you I promise I never will I thought you were wrong wrong wrong Wrong about me…   I screamed even if I have to die I'm never never gonna deny you I thought you were wrong wrong wrong Wrong about me…   You used the words of an old gone man Said God will strike the shepherd down I know these lines have never been wrong before But I swear they won't define me now I knew you were wrong wrong wrong Wrong about me… When she asked her question That servant girl she broke my heart I knew she was the message That you had spoken all along Two behind her followed in the prints her feet had made Said they'd seen me walking with you said my tongue gave me away But I swore against their charges claimed you I'd never known Just in time to hear the bird you promised lift its head and crow Lift its head and crow   Oh Jesus I wish you were wrong wrong wrong  Wrong about me…   MESSAGE SUMMARY:  Peter's three-fold denial of Jesus is a well documented incident. Not only is it recorded in all four of the gospel accounts, but history has provided a wealth of art, music, and writing to immortalize one man's set of egregious mistakes. A lesser known addition to this collection is a poem written by pastor John Piper entitled ‘Peter and John.' The work examines Peter's denial from some years after the fateful event, by imagining a reunion between the two disciples. Piper's words are simple. His rhyme and rhythm straightforward. Still they paint a powerful picture of unbearable regret. As they reminisce, Peter confides in John that his denial of Jesus still haunts him. Peter's mistake has grown into a plaguing remorse, despite any good work he can do in Jesus' name. Though the conversation is entirely speculative, Piper's assumptions could very well be true. Jesus predicted Peter's behavior, and even with a warning, Peter turned his back on his friend and Savior. We know Peter was an emotional and zealous man. He was the one with the courage to step out of the boat in Matthew 14:22-33. He rebukes Jesus when Jesus predicts his own death (Matthew 16:22- 23). Peter draws the sword and cuts off the soldier's ear in the garden. And when Jesus says that all of his friends will leave him, Peter declares with full intent and belief, “even if all fall away, I will not,” (Mark 14:29). Jesus' reply must have been heart breaking to such a devoted man: “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “today - yes, tonight - before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.” What a blow this must have been to Peter's spirit! It was a statement that directly challenged his devotion. But what Jesus says is true, even when it may confuse or be hard to stomach. Remember, Jesus also proclaimed that Peter would be the rock on which the church would be built. This too is true. And what an empowering truth that must have been! Peter certainly stepped into this role after Jesus' departure. Not wallowing in his mistakes, but becoming the man that Jesus saw in him. Though Piper's poem spends a good deal of its time illustrating Peter's burden, it also accurately portrays Christ's desire for full forgiveness and redemption. He ends the conceived conversation with John laying hands on Peter and praying for him: …And so John laid His hands on Peter's head and prayed: Come now, O Lord, and touch with me, Come, Jesus, heal the memory Come, Spirit, spread a table here: No sin, no guilt, no pain, no fear. Come pour the cup and break the bread, And lift your servant Simon's head, And feed him with your righteousness, And make the cup of blessing bless… Written by Jesse Braswell Roberts / Poor Bishop Hooper golgothamusic.com // poorbishophooper.com // Second edition ©2022 Jesse Braswell Roberts / Poor Bishop Hooper   TODAY'S PRAYER: All of us are often like Peter. We want to follow Jesus, but we are weak. The truth is we love him in spite of our denials. Ask Jesus to forgive you for when you deny him. Receive his forgiveness. Ask Jesus to speak encouragement over you, and open your eyes and heart to the truth of who he has made you to be. Tell Jesus you love him. uhj TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, because of I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Self-Centeredness. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit's fruit of Love. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Mark 14:66-72: “While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. “You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,” she said. But he denied it. “I don't know or understand what you're talking about,” he said, and went out into the entryway. When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.” Again he denied it. After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” He began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don't know this man you're talking about.” Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.” And he broke down and wept.”. Further Reading: Mark 14:27-30; Matthew 26:69-75; Luke 22:54-62; John 18:25-27; Zechariah 13:7. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “How Does God Say He Loves You: Part 5 The New Covenant”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

 Audio recordingSermon manuscript:I'd like to begin today by speaking about a detail that could be easy to overlook. At the beginning of our reading it says, “Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John to a high mountain.” The transfiguration took place about six days later. Six days after what? It took place about six days after Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ. I'd like to go through that history since I think it sheds light on what is going on with the transfiguration. Jesus was with his disciples and he asked them, “Who do people say that I am?” The disciples answered by telling him what they had heard: “Some say that you are John the Baptist, some say that you are Elijah, others say that you are Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” We won't get into the specifics of why the people might have given these answers for who Jesus was. Suffice it to say, though, that the people recognized Jesus as being highly unusual. They thought that he was one of the great prophets. Then Jesus asked his disciples, “But you, who do you say that I am?” And Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” The word, “Christ,” means “anointed one.” It also has connotations of kingship. The way that the kings became kings in the Old Testament was by being anointed with oil. So there's kingship here. Plus, throughout the Old Testament God gave his people prophecies about a coming, chosen servant of the Lord. The servant of the Lord would set things right. He would establish justice and righteousness. He would open the eyes of the blind, and the ears of the deaf would be unstopped. Ultimately these prophecies go all the way back to the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve are told that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent's head. God's people had been looking for the Christ who was to come. So when Peter answered Jesus's question about who the disciples thought that he was by saying that Jesus is the Christ, this was no ordinary, everyday answer. There is no more important confession on earth. In fact, this is the shortest creed, or statement of faith, in Christendom: “I believe that Jesus Christ is my Lord.” And Peter even adds: “the Son of the living God.” So Peter is identifying this man Jesus as the most important ever. He is also saying, “You are God.” Jesus responded to Peter's confession by saying, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” There's quite a bit that I wouldn't mind saying about these words too. To keep it short, let me just point out a couple things. Jesus says that his church is going to be built on the rock of Peter's confession. What is Peter's confession? That Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. So if you want to be a Christian, there you have your creed. The other thing is the activity of the church is also laid out. Christians, those who confess what Peter confessed, are given the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Christians forgive and retain sins. When Christians forgive the sins of repentant sinners, their sins are forgiven. When Christians retain the sins of unrepentant sinners, their sins are retained so long as they do not repent. These are eternal, stupendous things! Heaven and hell, to which each individual must go—to one or the other—are put into the hands of Peter and all the others as well who make his confession. So this was all well and good. Peter got it right. Good for Peter. Then, not too long after this, Peter will end up getting it wrong. After Peter's confession the Gospels tell us that Jesus began to teach Peter and the other disciples what was going to happen to him. He was going to go to Jerusalem, suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law. He was going to be killed, and on the third day rise again. When Peter heard this he took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him: “May you receive mercy, Lord! This will never happen to you.” But Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are a snare to me because you are not thinking the things of God, but the things of men.” Note how, in quick succession, Peter is called the rock and Satan by Jesus. He is called the rock for his confession that Jesus is the Christ. He is called Satan for opposing the way that Jesus was going to be the Christ. Jesus the Christ, Jesus the King, was going to accomplish his work of redemption for sinners. He was going to attain eternal life for those who are under the wrath of God, by being subject to that wrath and swallowing it up. By his death he would destroy the power of death. In the process he would look weak, horrible, a worm and no man, and the furthest thing from being a king, but even that had been foretold in the Psalms and the prophets. After rebuking Peter Jesus goes on to tell the disciples that this is not something that is just applicable to him. The cross applies to anyone who wants to be his disciple. Let me read in full what Jesus says here: “If anyone wants to follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. In fact, whoever wants to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. After all, what will it benefit a person if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul? Or what can a person give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father together with his angels, and then he will repay everyone according to his actions. Amen I tell you: Some who are standing here will certainly not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” What I have just read is immediately prior to where our Gospel reading picks up today. Six days after this Jesus took Peter, James, and John to a high mountain and was transfigured before them so that he shined like the sun. I think it is important to pay attention to the link that the Gospel writers make between Jesus's transfiguration and what came before. Peter and the disciples confess Jesus to be the Christ, but they have a hard time accepting the work of the Christ. That is to say, they have a hard time accepting the cross. It seems to me that you can see this somewhat on the Mount of Transfiguration. Think of the frame of mind that Peter, James, and John were probably in. Jesus confirmed their long held suspicions about his real identity. They had long suspected, perhaps even from the very beginning, that Jesus wasn't even just one of the greatest ones come back to life. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. He is the most important man ever. And they are his friends and his disciples. They'd been living with that confirmed and certain knowledge about who Jesus is for about a week. Of course Jesus had rebuked Peter in the meantime. He said a bunch of stuff they didn't really understand, but the important thing is that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. And then on the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus appearance started to change. And I think the disciples maybe were thinking, “Oh, here we go! This is it! Here comes the Son of Man in his kingdom. We're about to be whisked up into his glory! He is who he said he is! Heis the Son of God!” How thrilling this must have been for them, and they were kind of anticipating this very thing too. And there are Moses and Elijah—the greatest of the greats from the Old Testament. I wonder what will happen next. And this was all wonderful and exciting and evidently thoroughly enjoyable for the disciples. Peter says, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, I will make three shelters—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But even before he was done speaking things became even brighter. A bright cloud overshadowed them and a voice came out of the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased. Listen to him.” Perhaps those words sound familiar to you and they should. When Jesus was baptized he was anointed by water and the Holy Spirit. At that time a voice came from heaven: “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.” What is added here at the Transfiguration, though, are the words, “Listen to him.” “Listen to Jesus.” We, like Peter, need to listen to Jesus. Our thoughts are not God's thoughts. Peter thought that it would be horrible for Jesus to suffer, die, and rise again. God the Father, on the other hand, loves Jesus and is well pleased with everything that he did. This is true also for us with our lives as disciples, denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following Jesus. Whose life is free from misfortune, pain, loss and sadness? It is always possible for us to react to such things by passing along the pain, make somebody else bear the burden, never allow ourselves to be shamed, and instead shaming others. Living that way, living only to make your life better, tends to make sense to our fallen, sinful, selfish, common sense. Jesus, on the other hand, teaches us many things that are contrary to a selfish common sense. We should not look for what is pleasant or beneficial for ourselves, but what is beneficial for others. And not only should we look after what is beneficial for our friends, but what is beneficial even for our enemies—the ones who have hurt us. So we are in as much need as anyone of that admonition from God the Father: “Listen to Jesus.” Jesus is his beloved Son, with whom he is well pleased. Listen to him. To follow Jesus's words might not seem like it's a sensible course. Certainly Jesus's words to Peter about his upcoming suffering, death, and resurrection sounded like a horrible plan to Peter. “Never should such things happen to you, Lord,” Peter said. But those very things that Jesus did were the best things that have ever been done. It is by that cross and resurrection that Jesus has brought about the renewal of mankind. So it is also, but on a much smaller scale, and with many imperfections, when we live the sanctified life that we have been given to live. When we live with faith in Jesus our Redeemer, and when we listen to him and live has he teaches us, this is pleasing to God our Father. It might not appear impressive or honorable to those who do not have the eyes to see or the ears to hear. Living how Jesus teaches us might not even be pleasant to our own selves. Maybe we would wish that things would go differently. But God know best, and those who follow him will be blessed—that's a 100% guarantee—even if it doesn't appear so at the time. One final aspect I'd like to comment on briefly. God the Father said, “Listen to Jesus,” and note what Jesus said to the terrified Peter, James, and John. He said to them, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” When God the Father says, “Listen to him,” that includes Jesus's instructions and commands. However, it is not just those words that we should listen to. What is most certainly included are kind and tender words like, “Do not be afraid.” Jesus is not just some law-giver. He also is a friend, a Savior, a Shepherd to the sheep. We are an awful lot like Peter. We have our own ideas of how things should go. Maybe we are not the best listener. Jesus did not reject Peter on that account, but forgave, corrected, led, and loved him. So it is also today with us and Jesus. Listen to him when he says, “Do not be afraid.” He will help you on the way that you are to go as his disciple no matter where that road might go.

Christ calls on us to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow him if we wish to go to heaven. - SERMON TRANSCRIPT - I. The Relentless Difficulty of Christ’s Demand Turn in your Bibles to Mark 8:34-35. We'll be zeroing in on these verses on the most difficult command that Jesus has ever given to His disciples, a relentless commitment to follow Him. Look at the words again. "He called the crowd to Him along with His disciples and said, 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.'" This is such a difficult command to us because it is relentlessly opposed by our three great enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil. Therefore, at every moment, world, flesh, devil are fighting against obedience to this command. Years ago, I thought about this as I was preaching through the parallel text in Matthew, and the illustration came to me of the arduous and dangerous journey that the Alaska king salmon makes. You picture the salmon swimming 2,400 miles upstream against whitewater, against waterfalls, jumping upward against gravity to make it back to actually the original tributary where they were spawned, and they breed and die. That's the image that's in my mind for this. Their journey is a natural one, though arduous and difficult and defies reason, defies logic. Our journey is a supernatural one. We cannot make a single step in this journey without the power of God in us. So my desire is to kind of lay a heavy weight on you with this command. I really just want to get out of the way of the words and let Jesus lay that heavy weight on you as He intends to do, but then also to point you to the greatness of the power of God at work in you, if you're born again, to fulfill these words, so both of them. The reason this is so difficult, the central reason, is the nature of the flesh, the nature of the self. Each human being is born with a dedication to self, to pleasing self, to preferring self, that could best be described as fanatical. It is the central idolatry of the human race. We will do almost anything to please ourselves. Only good parenting teaches an infant gradually the lesson, this fanatical commitment to self, so that we can somehow fit into a world of almost eight billion other such people, each of them also fanatically committed to self so that we can do life together. The flow of the personality of a human being is an even greater force of nature than that whitewater gravity that you can picture in your mind with the salmon as they're swimming upstream. It is purely natural after Adam's sin in the Garden of Eden, natural for every descendant of Adam and Eve to be fanatically devoted to self, to pursue selfish interest in every conversation, every food choice, every move we make in our cars, every shopping choice we make online or at a mall, every website we go to, everything we do with social media, every text we write. Every solitary choice we make, commitment to self is a more powerful force than that Alaskan whitewater. We're called by this command to fight against it, to swim upstream constantly against your desire to save yourself, feed yourself, please yourself, promote yourself, prefer yourself, choose yourself, coddle yourself, cherish yourself. Jesus is actually calling on you to deny yourself, to be willing to die for Him and to do it continually, like I prayed in Romans 12, to be a living sacrifice, just constantly dying, all the time dying on the altar to God, to die in small and large acts of self-sacrifice. Some, a very small percentage of His followers in this world, are called on literally to die physically for Him, for the gospel as martyrs, but all of us a kind of a living martyrdom continually. That's the life that Christ is calling every disciple who follows Him to take. That is the only life that leads to heaven. It is the life that Christ Himself lived, and it is the life He calls on us to live. It is absolutely astonishing to me how much Christ gave for us. As Jesus died on the cross in our place under the wrath of God, His lifeblood was pouring out of His body. His clothes, His little pile of possessions that He had that was left were being gambled over in order to fulfill prophecy and mark Him as the Messiah. There was absolutely nothing He held back for us. It is also absolutely astonishing to me how much Jesus gives to us, inconceivable the riches of the grace of God, inconceivable the value of full forgiveness of all of your sins, past, present, and future in the eyes of God, a new heart, a transformed inner nature so that you're a new creation in Christ, the gift of adoption into the family of God, to be called a son or daughter of the living God, to receive the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity living inside you, ministering Christ to you constantly. The promise of a fruitful life lived for the rest of your life, a life worth living, not vanity of vanities like the writer of Ecclesiastes says, but something of eternal consequence laid out before you. Then when you die, glory, intimate face-to-face fellowship with God, seeing His face, and in the end, a resurrection body that is glorious and powerful and incorruptible and spiritual. It's inconceivable almost what Christ gives to us. But just as amazing in this text is what Christ demands from us. The answer is everything. He gives everything for us. He gives everything to us and, in this text, He demands everything from us. That's the call of Christian discipleship. That's the cost of discipleship. Anything less than your very best every moment of your life is less than this demand. So let's walk through it. Let's look at the context of Christ's demand. "He gives everything for us. He gives everything to us, and in this text, He demands everything from us. That's the call of Christian discipleship." II. The Context of Christ’s Demand We're in the Gospel of Mark, the theme right from the beginning, the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It's the consummation also, in the centurion after Jesus died said, "Truly, this man was the Son of God." [Chapter 1, chapter 15]. In the middle, we're in chapter 8, seems to be the crux, the centerpiece right in the center. All four Gospels are to bring you to a confession of faith. This is describing what that life will be like if you make that confession, so these are very, very important verses. We're in Caesarea of Philippi. Jesus is on retreat with His apostles. On the way, He asked them, "Who do people say that I am?" They talk about it. "What about you? Who do you say that I am?" The most important question you'll ever face, as I preached last time, the central question, who do you say that Jesus is? Do you believe that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God? That was Peter's confession in Matthew's fuller version, Matthew 16:16. There in that chapter, Jesus then immediately promises, "On this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I'm going to build my church. I'm going to build my kingdom on this rock." But Jesus then told them what the cost would be to Him, what He would have to do to build His church. Mark 8:31-32, "He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, teachers of the law and that he must be killed and, after three days, rise again." He spoke plainly about this. Peter couldn't handle it, he took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. But when Jesus turned and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, "Get behind me, Satan." He said, "You do not have in mind the things of God, the things of man." The significance of this is weighty. Peter's conception of where they were heading, the kingdom and all that, was all wrong. It was too human. It was too self-serving, too selfish, too carnal, too fleshly, too human-like. Jesus has had to strip them, all of them, of their human conceptions of this kingdom to establish that He Himself will have to die on the cross to pay for it and that all of His disciples have a similar pattern to follow in order to go to heaven and to build His kingdom, a daily denial to self, a willingness to die to self. Look at the full statement again. Verse 34-38, "Then He called the crowd to Him along with His disciples and said, 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what could a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone's ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when He comes in His Father's glory with the holy angels.'" As Christ's disciples deny themselves, take up their crosses, and follow Him in obedience to His commands, then Christ's kingdom will be built, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. Essential to that is that His disciples be willing to deny themselves, lose their lives in this Earth so they can save them in eternity. They have to understand that their eternal souls are worth more than anything this material world has to offer. They have to fight the assault this God-hating world will lay on us that we should act ashamed of the gospel and of Christ because only by boldly, clearly proclaiming Christ and His gospel will the kingdom be built. That's the whole section here. The fullness of these themes is so weighty, I believe, in my judgment as a preacher, that we can't deal with them in just one sermon. So we're going to deal with them in three. I do believe that this is the crux. This is the center. This is the call, and we need to understand it. This week and then two more weeks, you're going to hear the same scripture read, Mark 8:31-38, for three straight weeks. III. To Whom Christ Makes His Demand To whom does Christ make this demand? Remember that Peter interestingly took Jesus aside to rebuke Him. One of the more interesting moments in the Peter/Jesus relationship, "Hey, Jesus, do you have a moment just privately over here? I just have something to say." Isn't it nice how Peter was trying to protect Jesus' reputation? Isn't that kind of him to do that? The arrogance. Jesus didn't go private with His rebuke of Peter. He rebuked Him in front of all the apostles because He knew they're all thinking the same thing, Peter just voiced it. Then He expands with this statement to everyone, to the whole crowd. He wanted everyone within earshot to hear this. This is not a secret, private teaching here. He wants anyone who's evaluating Jesus and the cross to count the cost if they're going to follow Him. It's a heavy dose of realism here for all of us. Look to whom it's addressed. "If anyone would come after me," that's anybody, to the entire world He's saying this. What does it mean to come after me? To follow me in imitation of me in this life, but then also in terms of destination. Where are we going? It brought to mind John 14:1-4. There, Jesus says, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. Trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you, for I'm going there to prepare a place for you. If I go there and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I'm going." I think of that in terms of, if anyone would come after me, if anyone would go where I'm going. Then He said in John 14:4, “'You know the way to the place where I'm going.’" Then Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we don't know where you're going, so how can we know the way?’" Then Jesus said famously, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." If anyone would come after me, so “to come after me” means to go to the Father, to go to the place I'm preparing, to go to heaven. But also He said, "You know the way." They said, “We don't know where you're going." "I am the way." So “to come after me” means also to imitate him. He is the way you get to heaven. So to believe in him, imitate him, saturate yourself in him, if you would come after him, that's what He's saying. IV. Understanding Christ’s Demand Let's understand, the demand comes in three parts. There are three parts of it, three aspects. Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus. So first, deny yourself. What does that mean? Say no to you. Deny what your flesh wants to do. Say no to your selfishness, your fanatical commitment to self. Picture that salmon swimming upstream. You want to follow Jesus today? You have to fight for it. It's going to be hard today. The world of flesh and the devil will be opposing you today because of, as I already mentioned, our fanatical commitment to self. Every single baby born on the face of the planet is born with one thing in common. That's that fanatical commitment to self. We get it from our first father, Adam, who turned away from God to “embrace me”, embrace himself, and we're born into that. What's in it for me at every moment? We feel it every moment. We can't say it's like genocide or rape or serial murder or some other things. We can't understand how anyone could be that evil. Well, I understand that. But we know this, how could anyone be so evil as to completely be committed to self? “Now wait a minute, now you're starting to meddle. You're talking about me." Yes, we're talking about all of us. We understand this one. Jesus is saying, "Deny yourself. Turn away from that gravitational pull within you to be all about you, to be all about you. Kill your selfishness. Kill it every single moment.” Richard Baxter in his classic, The Christian Directory, said this, "Selfishness is the radical," that means the root, "positive sin of the soul comprehending in seed form and, as a primary cause, all other sins." Everything starts with selfishness. It starts with self. Selfishness is the cause of all wars, all marital squabbles, all lawsuits, all luxury and poverty, all addictions, all parenting struggles, all church splits, all vaunting, ambition. Basically, all trouble between human beings starts with this one, selfishness. Consider how sweet life would be on this planet if this one sin could be eradicated, this love of self, but you’ve got the wiring. Then Satan cleverly has crafted a world to pander to you, to tell you you deserve the best. You deserve luxury. You deserve the weekend away at the spa or the best luxuries that you ... It's all about you. It's lying to you, and everybody is receiving that lie and actually part of it, perpetuating it. That's the world system, and Satan's cleverly pressing it in. "All trouble between human beings starts with this one, selfishness." We're surrounded every day by people who are driving and pushing and striving to meet their own self-interests, who if you let them go first, they'll assume that's the way it should be. They'll probably look on you as weak. But if you don't let them go first, some of them at least will show what they really feel about that. You know what I mean out on the highways, the whole merge moments in life. Car A, car B, neither one wants to give an inch. That's it. That's what we're dealing with. That's exactly what Jesus is telling all of us to deny. All of us are, at best, en route on this one. No one has arrived. The church has definitely insufficient sanctification on this. Richard Baxter again said this, "Selfishness is the hardest sin in the world to overcome. The person that seemed to have put sin to death the best, if you do but cross them in their self-interest or opinion or seem to slight them or have a low esteem of them, what swellings, what heart burnings, what bitter censuring, what proud impatience, if not schisms or separations will result.” Just look at yourself. If somebody disagrees with you, are you awesome with that? Somebody takes something you wanted. Somebody metaphorically or literally takes the last cookie. It's just in us, and none of us is done with this. Nobody's arrived on this one. Deny yourself. It's a constant battle. I say it's the bitterest battle of your life. Second, take up your cross. Be willing to stoop down and pick up what all of those Jews back then knew was an article of execution by the worst possible way. That's what the cross meant to them. It wasn't theoretical or abstract to Jesus' disciples. It's estimated that in Jesus' lifetime, the Romans executed over 30,000 people. Every single day, they saw people nailed to crosses. Jesus, and I don't think He's made it clear yet at Caesarea of Philippi, but He will very soon make it clear that's how He's going to die. He's going to be lifted up. He's going to be crucified. I don't know that He's used that language yet. But they can well imagine if the Romans are involved, that's how He's going to die. But imagine they're shocked when He tells them that they have to take up their cross, to take up their cross. They have to be willing to die painfully, slowly, to be executed. What is this? What does it mean? Is it a metaphor? Is it a parable? What is the cross? It's not merely some distressing burden in life, like a medical issue, like a chronically sore back or cancer even, or a difficult job or a difficult spouse or rebellious child or some other such thing. Non-Christians have those sufferings. Those are common to all mankind. That's not what it is. People use that expression, "Oh, it's just my cross to bear." Be careful when you say that. Be careful what you're meaning. So what is it? I think it's specifically the suffering you have to go through in the two journeys. What are the two journeys? The internal journey of holiness, growth in holiness, and the external journey of gospel advanced through evangelism and missions. Those two journeys are hard journeys, and it will hurt you to make progress in them. That's what it means to take up the cross. You have to die to yourself, and that death will be painful if you're going to grow in holiness, and if you're going to take the gospel to lost people. That's how I understand the cross. On the external journey, it is this, "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.” I mean I don't want any of that to happen to me. That's the cross. It's going to hurt. It's going to be difficult. Then in terms of the internal holiness, Galatians 5:24, "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." To die to what you want, your dreams, aspirations, preferences, pride, to die to your desire for approval from others, your desire for comfort and security in this world, your yearning for love and success and money and pleasure and fun and all of that, die to it. Thirdly, "Follow me," Jesus says. Follow Jesus. It's a life of imitating Christ, of following His self-denying example, especially in His death on the cross. He willingly drank the cup the Father gave Him in Gethsemane saying, "Not my will, but yours be done." What does He mean there? We're not going deep into the Trinity and think that there's different wills between the Father and the Son. Not at all. He's saying, "Every fiber of my being as a human being is towards self-preservation, toward that I would not suffer and die. But I'm willing to lay all that aside for your will to be done in me, not my will, but yours be done." To follow Jesus, 1 John 2:6, "Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." It's an imitation of Christ in this self-denying life. Obedience is essential to this. Jesus said in Luke 6:46, "Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I tell you to do?" Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus is to obey Him meticulously. Just whatever He's commanded you to do, to do it. Or again, John 14:15, "If you love me, you'll obey what I command.” In one of the Synoptics, Luke's Gospel, he adds one word, but it's an important word. Luke 9:23, "Then He said to them all, 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'" No days off, no hours off, no moments off. It's relentless. "Take up your cross daily and follow me." V. The Paradox of Christ’s Demand Jesus gives us a paradox. There's a paradox to Christ's command. Look at verse 35, "Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it." It's interesting. People who prefer themselves and give themselves what they want are frequently the most miserable people. I don't know if you remember years ago the movie, Chariots of Fire. It has Harold Abrams, who is a Jewish man who is the fastest runner in England and all that. He's contrasted with a Christian man, Eric Little, who was just as fast or almost as fast. They were definitely contrasted. It's really clearly a compare and contrast because when Harold Abrams wins his gold medal, which he sought for the last number of years through relentless sacrifice, he gets the gold medal and he's out with his coach. They're getting drunk in some French bar, and there's no one around them. The barkeeper says, "It's 3:00 in the morning, go home," and that's it. He's clearly depressed. One person lamented, "I spent my whole life climbing the ladder of success only to discover it was leaning against the wrong wall." Almost 20 years ago, Tom Brady, at that point, the New England Patriots quarterback, was being interviewed in 60 Minutes, by a journalist named Steve Croft. Brady said these amazing things. "A lot of times I think I get very frustrated and introverted, and there's times where I'm not the person I want to be. Why do I have three Super Bowl rings?" Stop. Now he's got seven, but then three. "Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there's something greater out there for me? I mean maybe a lot of people would say, 'Hey, man, this is what it is.' I reached my goal, my dream, my life. Me, I think it's got to be more than this. This is it. I mean this can't be what it's all cracked up to be. I mean I've done it. I'm 27." He was 27 then, 45 now. He said, "What else is there for me?" And then the journalist, Steve Croft, said, "Well, what's the answer?" And Brady said, "I wish I knew. Wish I knew." That just seems like someone who's lost and just doesn't know. I mean they got what they wanted. They got everything that this world says you should go after, and it's just straight empty. You find your life, you lose it in this world. The book of Ecclesiastes already knew this. Ecclesiastes 1:14, "I've seen all things that are done under the sun. All of them are vanity, a chasing after the wind." But more than that, eternal judgment follows such a life of selfishness. We're going to discuss this more next time. It's such a weighty topic. I don't want to get into it. But what would it profit someone to gain the whole world and lose his soul? We're going to talk about the soul and what it is to lose it next week. I think this is what it is. It's to hear these dreadful words spoken about you. "Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Whoever finds his life will lose it eternally. It's terrifying. But whoever loses his life in the pattern He's commanding will find it. Jesus is the treasure hidden in the field, who the man when he found it, in his joy, he sold everything and bought that field. It's worth everything you have in your life. That's how valuable. What is the treasure in the field? Is it not Jesus in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge? Is it not Jesus, the Glorious One? Jesus is the finding of the life. It's what you get if you lose your life. You find it in Jesus. More on this next time. VI. Practical Applications Let's make some practical applications. First and foremost, for me, just as a preacher of the gospel, to call you to follow Christ, to repent of your sins, and trust in Christ. In order to do that, you have to understand these words. Jesus is standing here as your evangelist telling you, "You want to save your soul? You want to save your life? You want forgiveness of sins? Then you have to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow." He's very honest about this. He wants you to count the cost before you become a disciple. There are a lot of evangelists these days that do some kind of benefit evangelism or Jesus as life enhancer kind of thing. That's not what Jesus would do. Jesus is not life enhancer. Jesus is life itself. So He's not going to lie to you. True evangelists, true evangelists, true missionaries, true pastors will not lie to you and tell you if you follow Christ, you'll get all of the things you want, the prosperity gospel stuff, health and wealth and success and all that. That's not what this text is saying. "Jesus is not life enhancer. Jesus is life itself." But you will get life forever and all of those rich benefits I described at the beginning of the sermon when you come to Christ. What are you waiting for? Come to Christ. Don't lose your soul. Don't lose your life. Then if you have come, I just want to say to you, don't be discouraged by this. I'm telling you the truth. The text, Jesus is telling you the truth. This is the Christian life. This is the life you need to keep living, but God's going to help you. Jesus said, "I'll not leave you as orphans. I'll help you." [Philippians 2:12-13] This is all the help you need, but there's a lot of other verses like it. "So then as you've always obeyed not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you to will and to do according to His good purpose." Praise God for that. He will give you what you need every day to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow. He will strengthen you for it. He will help you. So follow Him. Understand this. Understand this is the call of Christian discipleship. This is the real thing. So in the future, if you're not in this church anymore, go to a church that will help you obey these commands. Go to a church that will tell you the truth and say, "You need to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus daily." That's the Christian life. Then you'll have brothers and sisters around you in small groups and in worship, and you'll hear preaching that will help you do this. That's a healthy church. Find it. In the meantime, this is what we're committed to do for all of you and for ourselves, and you do it for us, that we're going to help each other follow Christ to heaven. Along with this come all kinds of detailed sub struggles that come, slaying sin, putting sin to death. It's part of this. Denying yourself, take up your cross, and follow means mortify your sins. Romans 8:13, "If you, by the Spirit, put to death the deeds of the flesh, you will live because those who are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.” That's what it means. You're going to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus to the point of slaying temptations, putting sin to death in all those categories. Then just daily life, your prayer life, it's like, "I want to have a good prayer life." Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow. You know what's going to happen. Your alarm's going to go off tomorrow. You had to set it a little earlier because you want to grow in prayer. Good. It's going to take time. Good. You want to spend more time in prayer, more passion in prayer. The alarm goes off saying, "I'm here to help you. You wanted me." It's like, "No, no, no. I changed my mind." Your alarm, being the weak-willed friend, says, "I have a snooze mechanism. You can just push me, and I'll circle back with you in 10 minutes." If you want to grow in grace, you've got to deny yourself. If you want to grow in prayer, You have to deny yourself. Once you're on your knees and you're praying, your flesh wants you to stop, wants you to stop, and you got to keep pressing on to pray for all the people God has laid on your heart. Prayer life. Your Bible reading's the same. I know back on January 1st, you made a commitment. "I'm going to read through the Bible in a year." If you've been faithful, that's great, it’s a daily thing. It's a average of about half hour or more a day. But if you're still waiting to get started, it's now more like 45 minutes a day or 40 minutes a day. But you have to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow to be faithful in Bible intake. So also with your church life as a fruitful member of this church, to just be involved in the life of the church. Come to worship on Sunday morning. You have to deny yourself and take up your cross and follow. To be involved in home fellowship, some of you are hosting home fellowship. You have to deny yourself to do it, and we're grateful that you do. There's a self-denial in church involvement. I want to say to you, the elders of this church announced and made it plain in our budget for the year 2023 that we're committed to planting churches, to church planting in 2023. What that means is that we're going to farm off a significant group of you to not be here anymore and to go to a church plant that will have, I promise you, growing pains, and you know it. You're going to have to make financial sacrifices to see that thing get going financially, and the church has to as well. This is a vision that I think the Lord's laid on all of us. Why ? Because it is healthy, local churches that plant other healthy, local churches, not institutions that do that or state conventions and all that. It's healthy churches. We have an obligation. This region is growing numerically, population. There are people pouring in here who are unchurched. We need lots of local churches, healthy, local churches to meet that need. Churches like ours have an obligation to plant churches. I want all of you throughout this year to feel the weight of that, whether you go or not. We're not going to guilt manipulate anyone into going, but we're going to ask you to say, "Should I be part of that?" At least go to the informational meetings whenever they start. Even if you don't go, just say, "I want to make a financial contribution," or, "I want to at least pray for it, and I want to be encouraging people that are going." We cannot plant churches, not just in 2023, but going forward without deny ourselves, taking up our cross, and following. We could go through all of the areas. I've got a bunch of headings here. Marriage, husbands are called on to give themselves up like Christ gave himself up for the church. That lines up perfectly with deny yourself. "To be a godly husband, do this. Lay down your life for your wife." She has to do the similar thing just from this verse. She has to lay herself down for you, too. That's healthy marriage. Parenting, I already covered this briefly. One writer said, "One of the ways that God helps you with your selfishness is to bring someone into your life who's far more selfish than you are." However cute he or she is, I'm telling you, you know what I mean. They have very little interest in making it comfortable for you at 3:00 in the morning. It gets more complex as time goes on. Sorry, you young parents who think it's going to get easier. You're going to get over the hill and then that little thing, and then it's going to be smooth sailing. No, it's not. You're going to have to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow to be a godly parent. So it is with all of these areas. The last one I want to leave you with is evangelism. Could it be that there's some specific person that God has carved you out to be the one to reach? They're surrounded by Christians here in this region, but you're the one. You're the one. It could be a workplace thing. It could be a relative. It could be a neighborhood thing. You cannot reach them without denying yourself, taking up your cross, and following. So be willing to do that for the glory of God in the building of His kingdom. Close with me in prayer. Oh, Father, thank you for this incredible, clear teaching from Jesus. In one sense, hard to hear, but in another sense, we're so grateful for the realism, for the truth. The Bible tells us the truth, and we're grateful, Lord, that Jesus hasn't left us as orphans. He comes to us by the Spirit and enables us to do this, but we know it's hard. So help us, oh Lord. Help us to be willing to put sin to death, to get out of habits of wickedness that are entangling us, to grow in grace in the knowledge of Christ by means that Jesus has laid out before us in this beautiful text. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Sunday message by Pastor Mat - December 18, 2022 - Our website - https://christiancoffeetime.ca/ How you can be Born Again Saved! - https://youtu.be/48EVpzPNfI0 How to deal with one's doubts of salvation - https://youtu.be/_H7iTidWsqI Our playlist on proving Eternal Security (Once Saved Always Saved) according to the Word of God - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3pJdCnnwrEeCQOCTTmDW1GjUYxpd44DG Isaiah 7:14) The Messiah Christ will be born of a virgin - Micah 5:2) the Messiah Christ will be born in Bethlehem - Isaiah 9:6) the Messiah Christ is called the Mighty God Everlasting Father - Isaiah 53) The Messiah Christ will be put to death for our sins and His days will be prolonged (resurrected). The only living God which is the Saviour of all men (1 Timothy 4:10). Jesus Christ is the true God and eternal life (1 John 5:20). God was manifest in the flesh (1 Tim 3:16). in Jesus dwelleth the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). (Acts 20:28) God purchased the church with His own blood. the Word which is God became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1&14). - Jesus is the Christ the Mighty God in the flesh Jesus Christ in the Gospels said in His name to cast out Devils. In the temptation in the wilderness Jesus rebuked Satan, and again when Satan tried to rebuke Christ through Peter Jesus said "Get thee behind me Satan" and then in the temptation in the wilderness He said in Matthew 4 “is it not written, tempt not the Lord your God”, thus claiming to be Lord God. Furthermore, we also see Jesus forgiving sins of people (the cripple man and the woman caught in adultery, and Mary who washed His feet), Jesus accepting worship of individuals He healed (the wise men at His birth, the blind man, lepers, the disciples, and Thomas). John 14:6) "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" John 3:16-18) "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" 1 John 5:20) "And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life" John 3:3) "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Titus 3:5) "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;" Romans 10:9) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" Ephesians 2:8-9) "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Acts 10:43) "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins."

THE BEAUTY OF REDEMPTION Sunday, September 11, 2022I don't have to ask if you have ever failed God, failed yourself, or just failed in life because I know you have!We all have!Simon Peter no doubt felt the pain of failure many times. He denied Jesus 3 times while Jesus was in the final hours of His life. Mark 16:1-8 there are two words that are significant in the story of second chances. Verse 7 - go, tell his disciples “and Peter”Jesus comes to Peter and finds him in his guilt and shame and asks a simple question.Do you love me? This has nothing to do with redemption, but everything to do with how Peter will use his redemption.What are you doing with your second chance? Every time we fail we learn something about ourselves, we learn something about those around us, we learn something about God.  He just wants us to love Him with a sincere heart.1 John 2:1-6He explains our second chance by using a word we may not be familiar with - Propitiation.  This basically means that Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sin so that we can have a second chance.The perfect picture of that word - propitiation is found in the story of the Jews.In Leviticus 16 God gives the plan for a Day of Atonement.The priest was to kill a goat and sprinkle the blood on the Ark of the Covenant.The priest would then lay hands on a live goat and confess the sins of the people and then run the goat out of camp as it symbolically carried the weight of the sin into the wilderness.These two goats are the picture of what Jesus did on the cross.  He both died and then rose again to carry our sins away.

As we celebrate the Lord's Supper, we remember with Peter Jesus' blood that redeems us, His body and suffering for us, and His unique nature.

As we celebrate the Lord's Supper, we remember with Peter Jesus' blood that redeems us, His body and suffering for us, and His unique nature.

A New Pentecost. Peter: Jesus' Renewed Disciple. The Holy Spirit. The gift of God's presence with us, but a gift that needs to be cultivated and re-gifted to the world. This series, we ask a dangerous question: what would a New Pentecost look like in our lives, our city and our world? Jacob Blackwell starts our new series with a deep dive into the Apostle Peter, the one who led from the front at Pentecost, to help us see that God's work of renewal is for all of us.

This weeks questions include: What is the Bible's response to the LGBTQI+ society. Approve or disapprove? According to Luke 12:4 - 5 (fear not them that Kill the body............), Could it be that just within the four (4) Bible gospels (MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE, JOHN) there was someone or some people who were planning or intending to or threatening to Kill the twelve (12) disciples of Jesus Christ? Or doesn't Luke 12:4-5 confirm that there was someone or some people who were planning or intending or threatening to Kill the twelve (12) disciples of Jesus Christ? Was there any plan or threats to Kill the twelve (12) disciples of Jesus Christ in the four (4) Bible gospels (MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE, JOHN)? please, please, help. Thank you. What was the purpose of Jesus baptism. What was the purpose of baptism I heard it was because in Noah's day there was no law. They were drowned for disobedience. In 2nd Peter Jesus set the captives free. He was drowned for their disobedience. And when He came up He fulfilled their disobedience so some of them were saved. He fulfilled the law for us. We get baptized symbolically for our disobedience. Was Adam and Eve married?

JESUS DENIED BY PETER – Jesus Walking in the Way of the Cross LYRICS TO MUSIC: I said even if everyone else Turns on you I promise I never will I thought you were wrong wrong wrong Wrong about me… I screamed even if I have to die I'm never never gonna deny you I thought you were wrong wrong wrong Wrong about me… You used the words of an old gone man Said God will strike the shepherd down I know these lines have never been wrong before But I swear they won't define me now I knew you were wrong wrong wrong Wrong about me… When she asked her question That servant girl she broke my heart I knew she was the message That you had spoken all along Two behind her followed in the prints her feet had made Said they'd seen me walking with you said my tongue gave me away But I swore against their charges claimed you I'd never known Just in time to hear the bird you promised lift its head and crow Lift its head and crow Oh Jesus I wish you were wrong wrong wrong  Wrong about me… MESSAGE SUMMARY:  Peter's three-fold denial of Jesus is a well documented incident. Not only is it recorded in all four of the gospel accounts, but history has provided a wealth of art, music, and writing to immortalize one man's set of egregious mistakes. A lesser known addition to this collection is a poem written by pastor John Piper entitled ‘Peter and John.' The work examines Peter's denial from some years after the fateful event, by imagining a reunion between the two disciples. Piper's words are simple. His rhyme and rhythm straightforward. Still they paint a powerful picture of unbearable regret. As they reminisce, Peter confides in John that his denial of Jesus still haunts him. Peter's mistake has grown into a plaguing remorse, despite any good work he can do in Jesus' name. Though the conversation is entirely speculative, Piper's assumptions could very well be true. Jesus predicted Peter's behavior, and even with a warning, Peter turned his back on his friend and Savior. We know Peter was an emotional and zealous man. He was the one with the courage to step out of the boat in Matthew 14:22-33. He rebukes Jesus when Jesus predicts his own death (Matthew 16:22- 23). Peter draws the sword and cuts off the soldier's ear in the garden. And when Jesus says that all of his friends will leave him, Peter declares with full intent and belief, “even if all fall away, I will not,” (Mark 14:29). Jesus' reply must have been heart breaking to such a devoted man: “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “today - yes, tonight - before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.” What a blow this must have been to Peter's spirit! It was a statement that directly challenged his devotion. But what Jesus says is true, even when it may confuse or be hard to stomach. Remember, Jesus also proclaimed that Peter would be the rock on which the church would be built. This too is true. And what an empowering truth that must have been! Peter certainly stepped into this role after Jesus' departure. Not wallowing in his mistakes, but becoming the man that Jesus saw in him. Though Piper's poem spends a good deal of its time illustrating Peter's burden, it also accurately portrays Christ's desire for full forgiveness and redemption. He ends the conceived conversation with John laying hands on Peter and praying for him: …And so John laid His hands on Peter's head and prayed: Come now, O Lord, and touch with me, Come, Jesus, heal the memory Come, Spirit, spread a table here: No sin, no guilt, no pain, no fear. Come pour the cup and break the bread, And lift your servant Simon's head, And feed him with your righteousness, And make the cup of blessing bless… Written by Jesse Braswell Roberts / Poor Bishop Hooper golgothamusic.com // poorbishophooper.com // Second edition ©2022 Jesse Braswell Roberts / Poor Bishop Hooper   TODAY'S PRAYER: All of us are often like Peter. We want to follow Jesus, but we are weak. The truth is we love him in spite of our denials. Ask Jesus to forgive you for when you deny him. Receive his forgiveness. Ask Jesus to speak encouragement over you, and open your eyes and heart to the truth of who he has made you to be. Tell Jesus you love him. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, because of I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Self-Centeredness. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit's fruit of Love. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Mark 14:66-72: “While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. “You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,” she said. But he denied it. “I don't know or understand what you're talking about,” he said, and went out into the entryway. When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.” Again he denied it. After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” He began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don't know this man you're talking about.” Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.” And he broke down and wept.”. Further Reading: Mark 14:27-30; Matthew 26:69-75; Luke 22:54-62; John 18:25-27; Zechariah 13:7. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “How God Says He Loves Us: Part 2 -- The Covenant with Abraham”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

JESUS DENIED BY PETER – Jesus Walking in the Way of the Cross LYRICS TO MUSIC: I said even if everyone else Turns on you I promise I never will I thought you were wrong wrong wrong Wrong about me… I screamed even if I have to die I'm never never gonna deny you I thought you were wrong wrong wrong Wrong about me… You used the words of an old gone man Said God will strike the shepherd down I know these lines have never been wrong before But I swear they won't define me now I knew you were wrong wrong wrong Wrong about me… When she asked her question That servant girl she broke my heart I knew she was the message That you had spoken all along Two behind her followed in the prints her feet had made Said they'd seen me walking with you said my tongue gave me away But I swore against their charges claimed you I'd never known Just in time to hear the bird you promised lift its head and crow Lift its head and crow Oh Jesus I wish you were wrong wrong wrong  Wrong about me… MESSAGE SUMMARY:  Peter's three-fold denial of Jesus is a well documented incident. Not only is it recorded in all four of the gospel accounts, but history has provided a wealth of art, music, and writing to immortalize one man's set of egregious mistakes. A lesser known addition to this collection is a poem written by pastor John Piper entitled ‘Peter and John.' The work examines Peter's denial from some years after the fateful event, by imagining a reunion between the two disciples. Piper's words are simple. His rhyme and rhythm straightforward. Still they paint a powerful picture of unbearable regret. As they reminisce, Peter confides in John that his denial of Jesus still haunts him. Peter's mistake has grown into a plaguing remorse, despite any good work he can do in Jesus' name. Though the conversation is entirely speculative, Piper's assumptions could very well be true. Jesus predicted Peter's behavior, and even with a warning, Peter turned his back on his friend and Savior. We know Peter was an emotional and zealous man. He was the one with the courage to step out of the boat in Matthew 14:22-33. He rebukes Jesus when Jesus predicts his own death (Matthew 16:22- 23). Peter draws the sword and cuts off the soldier's ear in the garden. And when Jesus says that all of his friends will leave him, Peter declares with full intent and belief, “even if all fall away, I will not,” (Mark 14:29). Jesus' reply must have been heart breaking to such a devoted man: “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “today - yes, tonight - before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.” What a blow this must have been to Peter's spirit! It was a statement that directly challenged his devotion. But what Jesus says is true, even when it may confuse or be hard to stomach. Remember, Jesus also proclaimed that Peter would be the rock on which the church would be built. This too is true. And what an empowering truth that must have been! Peter certainly stepped into this role after Jesus' departure. Not wallowing in his mistakes, but becoming the man that Jesus saw in him. Though Piper's poem spends a good deal of its time illustrating Peter's burden, it also accurately portrays Christ's desire for full forgiveness and redemption. He ends the conceived conversation with John laying hands on Peter and praying for him: …And so John laid His hands on Peter's head and prayed: Come now, O Lord, and touch with me, Come, Jesus, heal the memory Come, Spirit, spread a table here: No sin, no guilt, no pain, no fear. Come pour the cup and break the bread, And lift your servant Simon's head, And feed him with your righteousness, And make the cup of blessing bless… Written by Jesse Braswell Roberts / Poor Bishop Hooper golgothamusic.com // poorbishophooper.com // Second edition ©2022  TODAY'S PRAYER: All of us are often like Peter. We want to follow Jesus, but we are weak. The truth is we love him in spite of our denials. Ask Jesus to forgive you for when you deny him. Receive his forgiveness. Ask Jesus to speak encouragement over you, and open your eyes and heart to the truth of who he has made you to be. Tell Jesus you love him. TODAY'TS AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Loneliness. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Presence. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Mark 14:66-72: “While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. “You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,” she said. But he denied it. “I don't know or understand what you're talking about,” he said, and went out into the entryway. When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.” Again he denied it. After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” He began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don't know this man you're talking about.” Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.” And he broke down and wept.”. Further Reading: Mark 14:27-30; Matthew 26:69-75; Luke 22:54-62; John 18:25-27; Zechariah 13:7. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “How God Says He Loves Us: Part 2 -- The Covenant with Abraham”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”  But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.” (Luke 22:31-34)   Here again is Satan, showing up at the opportune time.  But notice something curious: Satan has to ask permission to do what he does.  It's reminiscent of the opening scene of the book of Job where Satan is a member of God's royal court who holds the role of accuser (which is what the title “Satan” means in Hebrew).  You could think of Satan as the Crown Prosecutor.  And this prosecutor wants authority from the Crown to investigate the faith of Jesus disciples.  This very much is the Old Testament view of who “the Satan” is.  Of course, in New Testament accounts of “the Satan,” we realize that this particular prosecutor does not necessarily have the cause of justice in mind.  He doesn't just want to investigate, he wants to sift the disciples like wheat: perhaps engage in less-than-noble schemes of entrapment, coercion, and other forms of temptation.  In other words, he is the spiritual embodiment of evil and lies.  He doesn't merely want to discover whether or not the disciples are unfaithful, he would like to ensure that they are.  But he still has to ask permission from the crown.  And that finally confirms again that God, while not sparing us from the evil and temptations of this world, is still finally in control.  And while Satan may be granted permission to “sift you all like wheat,” all the while Jesus prays.  He is interceding for us now at the Father's right hand.  Jesus tells Peter plainly that his faith will fail.  Peter will betray Jesus.  Judas is not, apparently, the only disciple who would.  After Peter remarks that he will go to prison and death for Jesus, Jesus switches from calling him Simon to calling him Peter, harkening back to when Jesus first gave him this new name.  On this rock—Peter—Jesus would build his church, yet in the very next moment Jesus says to him: “get behind me, Satan!”  Similarly here: Jesus tells Peter: “you will deny three times that you know me.” But Jesus is also praying.  And Jesus has confidence.  Not only in Peter's failure, but also in the fact that Peter will turn back.  “When you turn back,” Jesus says, not “if.”  And that turning around that Peter will do is what we might call “repentance.” Repentance at the invitation, prayer, and enabling power of Jesus is what undoes the work of sin and Satan.  Though we may stand tempted, entrapped, and accused: Jesus continues to pray for us and to invite us to turn around—to repent and to believe.  Satan's power is never stronger than the word and work of Jesus.  He remains subservient to the Crown.  And so as Paul writes in Romans: “if God is for us, who can be against us?”  Indeed, nothing can separate us from his love for us in Jesus Christ, our Lord!  

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While Peter gave in to pressure and disowned Jesus, Jesus maintains his claim before the highest Jewish authorty.

While Peter gave in to pressure and disowned Jesus, Jesus maintains his claim before the highest Jewish authorty.

Jeremy Howard

When I laid my hands on her stomach, she began to manifest and growl and convulse. The demon in hiding exposed itself and it was on its way out! She loved the Lord and served Him, yet she was bound by a spirit and did not know it! Many believers in Christ have demon spirits manipulating, oppressing, and demonizing them and they do not know it. Christians can have a demon in their soul (mind, will and emotions) and body, but they have all authority to drive it out. Some of the church has believed a lie that a Christian cannot have a demon and that lie has left the church powerless, with demons in the pulpit and pastors that should step down or be delivered. The power to deliver is now! It is in Christ! It is for believers! Here are just a few scriptures of those who love, and service God yet demonized or manipulated by a demon: Peter - Jesus said, “Get behind Me Satan.” Matt. 16:22-23 James and John – Jesus said, “You know not what spirit you are of…” Luke 9:52-56 Women with the spirit of infirmity (daughter of Abraham). She was bound by Satan – Luke 13:11, 16 Judas – Jesus' disciple. Was demonized by Satan. John 6:10-71, 13:27 Believers delivered by Paul's handkerchiefs or aprons and the disease departed from them and the evil spirits left out of them. Acts. 19:11 & 12 Listen to this week's podcast message from Apostle Cathy Coppola and learn the truth about demons and Christians. Be delivered and set free to really serve Him! Connect with us! Website:  www.cathycoppola.org Website:  www.mwbn.tv YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMfDz8BXL2UJJ3K4jG1pa5w Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ApostleCathyCoppola Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathycoppolaministries/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ApostleCoppola Pick up a copy of her three books at: From Grief to Glory  Devil Get Your Hands Off!  Get Up And Lead! Dynamic Downloads for Leadership   

We know Jesus is coming back, but what does 2 Peter have to say about it?

God has, at times, called me to risky things, how do you know if it's God?  What do you do if you feel that way?  Tune in to get some insight and see how God is calling us all to something risky! Help us advance the Kingdom, support our online ministry (harmonychurch.cc/give).  Got kids?  Check out Harmony Kids online (updated weekly)  https://www.harmonychurch.cc/harmony-kids-online/!  ------------------- Sermon Notes Slide Key: Sermons always start with “OPENING ILLUSTRATION:” and end with “CLOSING ILLUSTRATION:"All scriptures are NIV unless otherwise notedBold = Slide textBold Red = Scriptures (please reflect formatting of scripture on slides, i.e. - underlines, italics, etc.)“b" or “B” on a line by itself = Slide break/New slideBold ALL CAPS WORDS = heading to be ignored[some text] = programming notes to be paid attention to ----------------------------- OPENING ILLUSTRATION: I have a really good buddy who used to work in a coffee shop.  He said, he was working one day and Weird Al came into his coffee shop, you all know who Weird Al is, right?  Only the most prolific musician of the past 30 years.  If you don't know, look him up. But he's famous, right? My buddy is a HUGE Weird Al fan.  So, Weird Al comes into the coffee shop and my buddy is star-struck! As he walks up to the counter, my buddy gets all nervous and he's like, “Weird Al, what can I get you?”Weird Al says, “Do you have soy milk?”My buddies like, “anything for you Weird Al…”  and he goes to work looking for the soy milk…He comes back to the counter and says, “Here ya go, Weird Al…” Weird Al looks at him and says, “I said do you have a phone book…” Ha…They didn't have one and so my buddy said, “No, we don't have one…” and weird Al walked out the door…My friend said he wanted to yell after him, “I'm sorry for failing you weird Al!” ha… We've all been there, right? So worried about getting it right, that we end up getting it wrong… I've had presentations that I've worked overtime on, know the material inside and out and get up there and just blow it Have you ever felt this with God? Felt like He's asking you to do something, only to do it and feel like it's all falling apart? Or maybe you felt like you were supposed to do something but you were too afraid to take the step? Today, I want us to look at learning to walk into risk with God… Because, here's the deal, I'm up here talking all the time about our mission advancing the Kingdom by living for God and loving people all the time, I know you are thinking about how to live that out in your life… but I'm also aware that means you are going to feel some uncomfortable moments by choosing to live out that mission -You are going to come against moments at work where you feel compelled to Advance the Kingdom but are worried it could put your job in danger-You are going to be coaching a little league team and have a kid ask you a question that you want to answer with the Gospel and be worried about the implications-You are going to feel like God is calling you to start inviting your neighbors over for a meal once a week and you're worried about a million different things - will they come, will they think we're weird, what will we do? Living on mission means learning to live outside of what's comfortable, so how do you do that? I want us to look at a moment from the life of Jesus and Peter- Jesus' cousin, John B has just been put to death by Herod-Jesus has gone away to be by himself with His boys-but the crowds know where He is, and they get to where He's going ahead of time…-A huge crowd forms - 5,000 men (likely over 10,000 people or more with women and children - Rupp Arena can seat 23,500)-Jesus feeds the crowd with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish…-Finally, Jesus is able to dismiss the crowd, He puts his disciples in a boat and he goes up on a mountain to be by Himself and pray…This is the story as Matthew tells it: Matthew 14:22-3322 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It's a ghost,” they said and cried out in fear.27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.” ILLUSTRATION: A few years ago, a few of my kids and I went Kayaking on a lake.  It was super windy and we had overshot the alcove we were supposed to turn into for our campsite.  We had gone clear to the other end of the lake with the wind at our back when I saw the boat dock and realized we were in the wrong place.  We turned around and were paddling against the wind - 3-foot waves buffeting us, I tied a rope onto one of the kids' kayaks and was pulling them with mine.  My kids are saying, “Dad, can we just stop and go to shore?”  I was like, “If we stop we die!”  Literally, we had been out there for hours and they were telling me they were so tired they just wanted to fall asleep.  Finally, we see this pontoon boat with Jenni waving her arms - she had tracked someone down to get her out on the water to look for us because we had been gone so long… The disciples are out on this lake and it's a battle, they are getting nowhere…  they know this water, they know these storms.  They know what's at stake.  Mark saysMark 6:48a [DEAN - notice I'm not showing the entire verse here]48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn, he went out to them, walking on the lake. Jesus has gone out to them because He realizes they are in trouble, they've been at this all night, something that should have taken them only a few hours or so… What I'm about to read to you is only recorded in Matthew…I actually picture Matthew reading Mark's account and being like, “dude, you missed some of the best parts…” and so, Matthew, who is an eyewitness of this event tells us something that neither Mark nor John chooses to put in there… They see Jesus walking up to them, feel like it's a ghost they are seeing and Peter says this… 28 “Lord, if it's you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” Ever said something you immediately regretted?Lol?I don't know what Peter was thinking but I love his bravery Tell me to come and I'll come and Jesus says…29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. Now, before I read the next part, can we just stop here for a moment and camp out? Peter is in the middle of a terrifying situation. He opens the door for Jesus to call him. Jesus calls and Peter steps… Think about this for a moment… Think about those places where you are worried about walking into the riskiness of following Jesus… Jesus, are you calling me to share with my coworker? Are you calling me to talk to the kids on my ball team? Are you wanting me to invite my neighbors over? Peter doesn't step out of the boat first, his first step was to ask Jesus if He was calling him… I firmly believe that God rewards risk-takers, but not dumb risk.   Peter walking on the water wasn't dumb because Jesus called him to walk… Start saying to God, “are you calling me?  Cause I'll walk if you tell me to walk” A few things to mention here: God will never call you to do something that contradicts scriptureIf you are struggling to hear God in “this,” ask for counsel from Christians who have exhibited the ability to walk in faith through risky things with GodWhen in doubt, take a step - NOTHING has been done for God that did not feel risky at the outset listen to what happened when Peter took that step 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” Some of you are thinking, “well, Kent, that's not very encouraging, Peter fell in… you just told us to take a step…” Don't let the fact that Peter sunk keep you from the realization that he walked on water! Do you know which of the other disciples did this?  None of them! The guy with the story is always the guy willing to step Can I say that again?  The guy with the story is always the guy willing to step I think this is why Matthew tells us - It's not a story of Peter failing, it's a story of Peter trying It reminds me of the parable of the talents - a King gave money to several of his stewards… two of them invest the money and double it.  But the third guy buries it and the money so he can give back exactly what the king gave him.  The King says, “at least put it in a bank and get some interest…” It was those who had that are rewarded, the guy who doesn't have, even what he has is taken from him…. Because God would rather you risk something for the Kingdom What is it God is calling you to?  Who is He calling you to? We are about to celebrate the riskiest thing I've ever heard of - Jesus coming out of Heaven to risk his life to rescue yours… Someone out there today has felt like Peter sinking into the water,  you need Jesus to reach out and catch you.  Today is your day. He has been waiting to pull you out of the water of life and set you on firm ground…  Come to Him, come! --------------------

The question about who Jesus's identity is finally answered by Peter- Jesus is the Christ. Mark's emphasis is on Jesus as the promised Messiah and the fulfillment of all the promises of old. Jesus isn't just one who prepares the way like all the other prophets, but He is Yahweh who saves his people. Jesus has been demonstrating and evidencing his power as the Messiah, but it has taken the disciples some time to see who he is.

That You May Believe | The Gospel of John || After restoring Peter Jesus says “Follow me.” And this call to follow is not exclusive to Peter. If you have repented of your sins, believed in Jesus, and submitted your life to the lordship of Christ, then you too are called to follow Jesus. And in these final verses of John’s gospel, we see 5 characteristics of what it looks like to be a follower of Christ.

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Welcome to the weekly sermon from Otterbein United Methodist Church, Navarre, Ohio. More at https://otterbeinconnection.org. This week’s scripture from the NIV John 18:25-36 Peter’s Second and Third Denials25 Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself. So they asked him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?” …

Based on John chapter 21 verses 1 to 23 Story 35 – Peter and Jesus (PETER) ‘Although I was overjoyed that Jesus' death on that cross hadn't been the end of it all, inside I was feeling uncomfortable. Uncomfortable about all those things I'd said the night before He'd been … murdered. How He'd told us all that we'd desert Him and leave Him, and then how I – Peter the brave – Ha! – had told Him I'd never leave Him even in the face of death.' ‘Of course I'd been really embarrassed when He'd said in front of everyone that before the night was through I was going to deny even knowing Him - three times. I just couldn't believe I'd ever say anything against Him – not after all we'd been through together over these last three years. (P) But the truth was even worse than I could've imagined ‘coz, (sniff) when His enemies arrived to arrest Him and take Him away, I ran for my life. Oh yeah, I followed at a distance and managed to get into the courtyard to see what would happen – trying to prove I wasn't a coward, but then, some of them started to say I was one of Jesus' disciples. I know I should have admitted it, but I was terrified, and I heard myself lying to save my own skin. ‘Me? I'm not one of His disciples, I don't even know the man.' (sniff – deep breath) Three times I said it, each time more emphatic, each time denying that I even knew the One person who really mattered. I even swore an oath that I'd never known Him! And then the cockerel crowed and I remembered what Jesus'd said … that I'd do what I'd just done. So when I heard that sound – the sound of the cockerel crowing – and realised what I'd done, how I'd failed Him when He needed me most, I ran out into the darkness and wept bitter tears – crying as if my heart would break.' ‘And then I had to live with my failure. Jesus was alive, and we were overjoyed that even death couldn't hold Him, but every time we met, I knew - He knew what I'd said and done.' (PAUSE) ‘A little later we went back to Galilee. Jesus wasn't with us then and I wasn't really sure what to do with my time so, as night began to fall, I told those with me, Thomas, Nathanael, James, John and a couple of the others, that I was going out to fish. ‘Coz if there's one thing I do know – it's how to fish! Anyway, the others wanted to come too so we set sail and – not t'put too fine a point on it – we had the worst night's fishing I've ever known. It was a complete disaster – nothing – not a thing. Anyway, the dawn arrived and we headed back to land. It was then that we saw someone on the shore. Well, I say we saw him, we actually heard him before we saw him as he called out to us, ‘Hey, friends, have you caught anything?'' ‘‘No!' we shouted back, not really wanting to talk about how bad our night had been and not knowing it was Jesus speaking to us. Then he called out, ‘Try throwing your net over the right-hand side of the boat, then you'll catch plenty of fish!' Oh right – now this stranger's giving us advice on how to fish. But instead of telling him just what we thought of his idea, we shrugged our shoulders and threw the net over the right-hand side of the boat, like he'd said. (P) Then suddenly, it was nearly pulled out of our hands as it filled with fish! I can remember thinking, ‘What going on?' And then John spoke, He wasn't really holding the net too tightly, he was looking at the shore where the stranger was. ‘It's Him, Peter,' he said. ‘It's the Lord!'' ‘Suddenly it all fell into place. This catch was too big to be by chance; it was a miracle! Anyway, when I realised who it was standing on the shore, I forgot about the fish, tied my jacket around me, jumped into the water and swam to shore.' ‘Now, the net was so full of fish, the other disciples dragged it behind the boat and followed me as we were only about 90 meters out at the time. When they got to shore, they tied off the net on the boat and we all went to find Jesus. Seeing us, He beckoned us over and we saw a charcoal fire...

Have you ever had a good opportunity only to blow it? I have. I remember coming out of a job interview thinking, “I blew that one!” And, yes, I didn’t get the job. Going over it in my head, I should have answered a question differently. Well, you can drive yourself crazy with the “woulda, coulda, shouldas”. Before we look at the last chapter of the Gospel of John, let’s review Peter’s life since he met Jesus and then, how he “blew it”.... Keep reading in my blog where there are links to dig deeper as well as a special worship video at the end…. Jesus said, “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” ~ ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3:22‬ ‭NLT‬‬ - this is repeated 14 times in scripture. Kind of gives the idea that God wants us to pay attention. If you want to reap all the benefits of salvation including the 1-way, non-stop ticket to Heaven then… Believe. Repent. Be Baptized. Receive the Holy Spirit. Pray this prayer humbly and wholeheartedly… “Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins. Please forgive me. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and my life to you. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. I surrender my whole life to you and I will follow you for the rest of my life. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me. In Jesus' name, Amen.” Jesus is coming back soon! Are you ready? Soli Deo Gloria — To God Alone Be the Glory! This is a daily podcast, published each evening. Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out! And please share this with your friends. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/seek-the-truth/message

The continuation and conclusion to 2 peter from Sunday, Nov 22nd, 2020. 

The death of Christ, why it happened and what does it mean for us? 

What does it mean for Jesus to wash our sins?? 

Completing the final verse in 2nd Peter

Join us for worship streaming live on Sundays at 10:30am or view recordings of previous services here. Matthew 16:13-20Sermon: “If Jesus is Who Peter Says He Is”Preacher: Rev. Ryan SlifkaToday's passage is one of the most divisive, troubling passages in the Bible. For modern, western, secular readers, anyway. And it's divisive because it involves this exchange between Jesus and his disciples. His followers.“Who do people say I am?” Jesus asks his disciples. “What's the word on the street about me?”“Some say John the Baptist,” they reply. “Others Elijah, some Jeremiah.” Basically people see Jesus as a prophet, as a messenger inspired by God. A member of a long-line of Prophets in his people's history.“Alright,” Jesus continues. “But what about you guys, you disciples? You're close to me. Who do you, who do y'all say I am?”And here's where the divisive and troubling part comes in. And it passes the lips of Simon Peter, Jesus' right hand man:“You,” he says. “You're the Messiah. You're the Son of the Living God.” Peter says Jesus is the Messiah, the anointed One. The Son of the Living God. The Messiah, the Son of God, meaning the one promised by God, sent by God to be enthroned as King of his people. The one sent to overthrow their oppression, to set all things right, and to usher in an age of eternal peace, harmony, and joy. Where others thought Jesus was only a prophet—just another human messenger for the divine—Peter names Jesus as the divine agent of the Creator. He ups the ante just a little bit, you could say.And Jesus agrees. “Bingo,” Jesus says. “God herself has clearly shown this to you.”Now, this statement is divisive for us because of the exclusive claims it makes about Jesus. If Jesus is the “Son of God,” as Peter says. And if both Jesus the Son, and God the Father confirms it as well, then it means that the core claims of Christianity are true. Which is troubling for us in so many ways.Of course, we no longer live in a majority Christian country, but rather a multi-ethnic, multi-faith and no-faith society, and a globalized world. Our Muslim friends affirm Jesus as a prophet, but the Qu'ran says God has no Son. Our Jewish friends and neighbors can affirm Jesus as a great Rabbi and teacher, but they believe that the Messiah still has yet to come. Our Buddhist friends could see Jesus as a great spiritual practitioner, while our atheist friends may see a top-notch moral teacher. All of the above are right, of course. But they don't quite get up there. They don't quite ring that Messiah Son-of-God bell. It's just not something we're all going to agree on.Not only that, but history is littered with examples of Christians using this against opponents who don't share this believe. Muslims in the Crusades, witches and heretics in the middle ages. Indigenous peoples in the so-called New World, along with enslaved Africans. And Jews since pretty much the beginning, culminating in the Nazi Holocaust. It makes us nervous for perfectly good reasons. Because it's often been used as excuse to exert our own power. And to help shed blood. Innocent or otherwise.So it's understandable that we're weary about the absolute claim Peter makes for Jesus as the Messiah. It's been a way for Christians to assert themselves over and against other people. It's divisive. It's dangerous. It's been used and abused.Now, while these fears are understandable, this use of the text is based on something of a misunderstanding. Of what it means for Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of God. You see ancient hearers would have heard this differently than us. And they would have heard it differently on three levels.The first level is the local one: Israel already had a King. A king named Herod. Herod, who was an idolater, a swindler, a murderer, and an appointee by the Romans, the occupying power. To call Jesus the Messiah/King figure would have been a threat to Herod's kingship. Simply because there can't be two kings. It was divisive because it was a threat to local power and authority over God's people.That's the first level. The second level's the global level. “Son of God” was the title given to Augustus Caesar, the Emperor of Rome, the world's largest superpower. Caesar was thought of as blessed by the gods and elevated to the status of a god himself because of his power and position as conquerer. For Jesus to hold the title Son of God was divisive because it suggested that Caesar actually wasn't in charge of the world. That the world's gods were false. And that was, there is, a greater power and authority in the world than even the most well-armed human empires and nations.[i]That's the second level. The third and final level, though might be the most important. And we get a hint at this level in our text in what Jesus says next to Simon Peter.“And I tell you,” Jesus says to Peter. “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.The keyword here is Hades. Now, some translations say Hell. Which isn't incorrect. But Jesus specifically refers here to Hades, the Greek word for the underworld, the realm of Death. Because in the worldview of the Bible there's more than what we can just see. And this is the third level. What we'd call the cosmic level. In the Bible Death isn't just dying, or even a place to go when you do. Death is a power in the world that imprisons, corrupts, and enslaves human beings.[ii] It's one of the powers, the Adversary opposed to God's good purposes for all Creation. Whether personal—lies, deceit, corruption, hatred. Or social—oppression, injustice, greed. It's the undergirding, ultimate source of Sin. It's why the world is ultimately the way it is.And this level—this cosmic level is where the inspiration of the early Christians came from. Because starting with Peter—Jesus's building a community, he's building a people. A people who'll not only be able to withstand the destructive onslaught of the power of death. Like a solid rock. But also as Messiah, as the Son of God, he will bust down its gates and overthrow Hades—the power of death—forever. “Death of death and Hell's destruction.” As the classic hymn goes.So in the end, Peter's claiming Jesus as Messiah and divine Son is a threatening and divisive statement, for sure. But not because Jesus is arguing for this or that world religion, or giving his followers the license to rule like Caesar. No. It's divisive because it's a claim as to who's truly in charge of the universe and its destiny. Neither kings nor princes, nor tyrants, nor corporate moguls, nor abusers, nor anything in heaven above nor earth below. Not even death itself. But it's the One who came as a poor peasant, feeding the hungry, healing the sick and the outcast. The One who came loving his enemies, blessing his persecutors, and pronouncing forgiveness on even the ones who murdered him. The One whose answer to the world's violence is not more violence, but grace—the self-giving Love of the Father poured out on a cross for the sake of the world. It's divisive because it means that—in the end— it's not Death who rules the day... but “Love [who] commands both heaven and earth.”Now I'll admit that this can all sound abstract. Like, what does this big cosmic, ancient, cosmic narrative have to do with us, down here on the ground, here and now? Quite simply, if Jesus is who Peter says he is, then we ultimately have nothing to fear. In this world of ours that that seems like it's slipping out from under us. If Jesus is who Peter says he is, then no matter what the world throws at us. No matter what the world has in store for us in the coming days, the coming months, the coming years. As followers of Jesus, as the church, as Christ's own body, we know that God holds the future.[iii]We're probably going to have to start doing church differently as this pandemic continues to unfold. The world's going to continue to change. But no matter what, we have a solid rock to stand on, our souls are planted firmly in solid ground. Which means we can not only endure trials and tribulations, but we can face them. We can resist them. We can love one another, we can love God and our neighbors. We can give up on our own petty sins, fears and hatreds and instead fight for justice, giving ourselves away generously. We can storm the gates of Hades now, knowing that by the power of the cross one day those gates'll give way to mercy, justice and peace forever. “Ever singing, march we onward/victors in the midst of strife.” We have a hope that will never be crushed, will never fade, and never be destroyed.So, brothers and sisters. Let not this ancient text be a stumbling block to you. But may it be a living Source of hope. This is the faith that the church is sustained by.Who do you say Jesus is? A Prophet? A teacher? A wise sage or philosopher? Maybe he's all of those things. But if he's more... if he is who Peter says he is, if he is who the church says he is, if Jesus is who he says he is… Then we have a rock we can cling to from here to eternity. And the gates of Hades don't have a snowball's chance in Hell.And man, is that Good News. AMEN.[i] “[Matthew] brings the scene of Jesus' confession as the Jewish Messiah into the shadow of a Caesarean temple, where the Roman destroyers of Jerusalem celebrated their victory.” See M. Eugene Boring, “Matthew,” in the New Interpreters Study Bible, vol. 8 (Nashville: Abingdon, 1997), 343.[ii] “[Hades is] the realm of the dead, which no human being can conquer, is never the less not stronger than the church founded on the rock, and the church will always endure to the end of history accompanied by its Lord.” Ibid., 346.[iii] “The rock is the truth that God will prevail, that God is faithful, that God can be trusted, that God will outlast all the posturing of the world. Peter had answered with this gospel certitude, and Jesus confirms he had it right.” See Walter Brueggemann, “Trusting Two Rocks,” in The Collected Sermons of Walter Brueggemann (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2011),327-8.

Matthew Chapter 19 (ESV) Bible Reading #bible #biblereading #esvbible #dailybible #dailybiblereading #matthew19 #readthebible #listenbible #divorce #adultery #children #kingdomofheaven #richyoungman #commandments #eternallife #Peter #Jesus #perfect

This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. 11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, ...18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (2 Pe 3:1–15, &1 8, ESV)   ______________ the ______________ and the ______________.--Know ______________ and act ______________. ______________ is ______________. The ______________ and ______________ will be ______________. Something ______________ is ______________ to those ______________ His ______________. God ______________ us to ______________. If you’re ______________, you’re ______________.

On Sunday, Mike unpacked Matthew 14:22-33 and identified four lessons we can learn from Peter's encounter with Jesus as he stepped out of the boat into the storm and walked with Jesus on the water. Mike reminded us of a simple yet important truth that can help us when we face 'storms' in our own lives.

In the final week of our Summer Shorts series, we are taking a look at the story of Peter/Jesus walking on water. What did it take for Peter to get out of the boat? Why did he sink? And what does this story have to tell us about our own life of faith?

Peter was restored to ministry—but more importantly—restored to Jesus. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, not even our failures. Pastor Pilgrim Benham teaches John 21 in this final message in John’s Gospel.

Paul Vrolijk 6pm service. 5th May 2019

As the people of God, we are who we are because of who Jesus is.What does this passage reveal to you about Jesus ? What does it reveal to you about what it means to be a Jesus follower? Jesus is alive.Can Jesus overcome? Is he in control? Can he change my life? Yes.Jesus is treasured by God.Jesus is the foundation of the church.The foundation of the cornerstone sets way for the rest of the building to be built. All other stones must be aligned with the cornerstone.Jesus sets the direction of the church, it all is set him. Everything and everyone is built on Jesus and who he is.What does this reveal about Jesus followers?If Jesus is alive, then you too are alive.if it weren’t for Jesus there wouldn’t be living hope. In Christ we are built up FROM acceptance not TO acceptance. Acceptance is already given for those that love and follow Jesus.We often look more to our shame, guilt, and opinions of others instead of looking to what Jesus says about us. You are as righteous today as 1000 years in heaven.

Message 8 of 13 in the "1 Peter" series

Message 8 of 13 in the "1 Peter" series

Welcome to church! We're glad you could join with hundreds of others to listen to this message. Every week at The King's Church Mid-Sussex we prepare a message from The Bible. We believe Jesus is the answer to every question and the want of every heart. We hope and pray that this message will help you connect with God and grow in faith and understanding. We'd love to get to know you! If you'd like to find out more about the Christian faith, our church or to get involved please visit: https://www.tkc.org.uk/connect The King's Church Mid-Sussex is a church based in Burgess Hill. We exist to love God, love people and see lives and communities transformed.

What is God doing with our world?  With our lives?  Peter shows us that God is building a people to worship him and live as witnesses to the world around them. Scriptures: 1 Peter 2:4-12 Keywords: 1 Peter, cornerstone, Jesus, worship, witness, church, holiness, temple, tabernacle

Pastor Mike continues the study on 1 Peter with a timely message following the recent election results and last weeks message stressing the importance of basing our vote on the "foundation" of the party and not the personality of person running. The message today is talking about Jesus being the Cornerstone of our faith. The Cornerstone is a perfectly cut stone and is the first one laid as the foundation and the rest of the building is measured against it. Likewise, Jesus is the perfect Cornerstone of God's design for our life and we are to build upon that. Once the Cornerstone is in place, it never moves or changes, likewise, Christ has been set in place and His standards of morality never change. This provides security for the true Christian as we have a foundation to build upon and live according to. Listen in to be warned and encouraged to choose and not reject this precious Cornerstone...

Pastor Mike continues the study on 1 Peter with a timely message following the recent election results and last weeks message stressing the importance of basing our vote on the "foundation" of the party and not the personality of person running. The message today is talking about Jesus being the Cornerstone of our faith. The Cornerstone is a perfectly cut stone and is the first one laid as the foundation and the rest of the building is measured against it. Likewise, Jesus is the perfect Cornerstone of God's design for our life and we are to build upon that. Once the Cornerstone is in place, it never moves or changes, likewise, Christ has been set in place and His standards of morality never change. This provides security for the true Christian as we have a foundation to build upon and live according to. Listen in to be warned and encouraged to choose and not reject this precious Cornerstone...

Pastor Mike continues the study on 1 Peter with a timely message following the recent election results and last weeks message stressing the importance of basing our vote on the "foundation" of the party and not the personality of person running. The message today is talking about Jesus being the Cornerstone of our faith. The Cornerstone is a perfectly cut stone and is the first one laid as the foundation and the rest of the building is measured against it. Likewise, Jesus is the perfect Cornerstone of God's design for our life and we are to build upon that. Once the Cornerstone is in place, it never moves or changes, likewise, Christ has been set in place and His standards of morality never change. This provides security for the true Christian as we have a foundation to build upon and live according to. Listen in to be warned and encouraged to choose and not reject this precious Cornerstone...

Pastor Mike continues the study on 1 Peter with a timely message following the recent election results and last weeks message stressing the importance of basing our vote on the "foundation" of the party and not the personality of person running. The message today is talking about Jesus being the Cornerstone of our faith. The Cornerstone is a perfectly cut stone and is the first one laid as the foundation and the rest of the building is measured against it. Likewise, Jesus is the perfect Cornerstone of God's design for our life and we are to build upon that. Once the Cornerstone is in place, it never moves or changes, likewise, Christ has been set in place and His standards of morality never change. This provides security for the true Christian as we have a foundation to build upon and live according to. Listen in to be warned and encouraged to choose and not reject this precious Cornerstone...

Fr. Josh talks about Peter's failings during Christ's Passion, and how it allows us to understand that even we can be turned for the better by God's mercy.

Fear of failure through the eyes of Peter … Jesus sought him out for restoration.

Fear of failure through the eyes of Peter … Jesus sought him out for restoration.

Following Jesus - Behold the Lamb of God - John 1:29 - Count the Cost - Luke 14:25-33 - Come and See - Hebrews 13:7 "Show me you are redeemed and I will believe in your redeemer." - Fredrich Nietzche What Are You Seeking? - Where are you looking? - What are you seeking? - What are you doing? John 1:38-40 Depictions of a Disciple - John the Baptist (public proclamation) - Andrew (starts with family) - Peter (Jesus identifies potential) - Philip (Jesus invites) - Nathanael (has questions)

Children’s Bible Reader, part thirty-six, 2006, Greek Bible Society, Scripture Quotations taken from Contemporary English Version, Copyright 1995, American Bible Society. Used by permission. Illustrations by Martha Kapetanakou-Xinopoulou. "On the road to Emmaus" "Jesus appears to the disciples" "Jesus and Thomas" "Jesus appears again at the Sea of Galilee" "Jesus and Peter" "Jesus ascends into Heaven"

2008-05-25-1830 Pastor Loran Livingston is the speaker this evening May 25th, 2008 in the 6:30 service. Scripture Ref: II Corinthians 5:16-21; Judges 6:11-16; John 20, 21Topic: PurposeNotes:- Believer's complex: How can God love me?- God has a plan for your life in spite of you- Jesus saves sinners, gives us His righteousness- God saw something in Gideon though Gideon felt inferior- Christians wrestle with depression. No need to keep up an image- Jesus does more in our weakness than in our strength- I understand God less, trust Him more- Want to be spiritual warrior?  Start with forgiving your enemies- Thomas, Peter … Jesus didn't chastise for their failures- All you need is Jesus, man at the pool was looking for a man- Don’t need to follow some evangelist.  Pastors trying to mimic other preachers … ideas for church growth- False prophets say what people want to hear- If you're looking for more than Jesus, you’ve never met Jesus- Tongues are initial evidence of baptism of holy spirit … sets on fire, gives boldness to speak the Word of God- Your whole life will change when you receive the Holy Spirit- You will be judged according to what He has called you to do

We have had weather every which way we could have it this winter, right? Tornado warnings, thunderstorms, hail, freezing rain, 50 mile-per-hour winds, six feet of snow: its been something! Life comes at you in a lot of different ways, too, doesnt it? Im glad youre here. We had a crowd last night. People were anticipating the fun stuff, so they were saying, Were going to stay home [tomorrow], and they came out in large numbers last night to the Saturday night service. I am glad you braved this out and chose to come here. Were going to wrap up our series on Heroes this evening. That scene is reminiscent of a famous novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. If you remember Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, that allegory about human nature: the tug of war, the battle within, the part of us that wants to do right, wants to be respectful, and then the side of us that is dark. Somebody said that people are like the moon. They have the side you see, and then theres another dark side you never see. In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, he has that war going on. The experiment is what if you release those two? What if instead of those two combating, what if you allowed all to pursue that primal side. Then this side would be allowed to pursue the dignified side. What would the result be? In us, in our case, we have that war within. Paul talks about that battle in the Book of Romans 7:19 (page 1118 in pew Bibles), if youd turn there with me please. There is a debate we will not get into as to whether Paul is speaking here of his life before Christ or his life as a Christian. We wont get into that debate. Its a rather lengthy one, but suffice it to say, this is a turmoil-an inner turmoil-that people can identify with. Hey says, For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do-this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in Gods law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind… Theres that whole imagery of an inner conflict, an inner war. …making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Of course, were going to go on to find out the answer to that question in just a moment. There is a show on television right now. I dont know if youve seen it; Ive never seen it. Ive seen enough of the previews to get a good taste of it. Its called Moment of Truth. Have you seen that? The premise of Moment of Truth is they hook you up to a lie detector test that measures your responses to tell if youre telling the truth or not. It asks you these embarrassing questions. Have you ever done this? Have you ever cheated here? Have you ever done that? Your wife is there; the audience is there; and all of America is watching as you answer these questions. If you answer them right, even if its demeaning or degrading to do so, you win money. So you air your dirty laundry on national television. Ive never seen the show, but thats the premise of it. So if this was the Moment of Truth, and you were going to be on it on Monday-I dont know what day its on, but lets say youre the next contestant, and you had to answer those questions truthfully. You had no idea what was going to be said, asked of you, or the consequences. [Lets say] we were to watch that episode, what do you think wed think? What would we think of you as you answer truthfully of those questions? Would we go, Awww, and she teaches Sunday School! or Awww! And hes a trustee! [Would we say], And theyre on staff at our church? You know that you would! The truth is all of us struggle with this conflict. Pastor Rick Warren, the pastor of the second largest church in America, Saddleback, said this, Any one of us is capable of any sin, given the right set of circumstances. Do you think thats true? Thats a pretty ominous thing to say. Its a pretty scary thing to say. Jeremiah talks about our condition in the Jeremiah 13:23 (page 763 of pew Bibles). He asks a rhetorical question. He says, Can an Ethiopian change the color of his skin? Can a leopard change his spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil. Hes talking about our nature; its our flesh. Its a part of us. So, what do we do? We looked at a lot of different heroes, and were going to go back and revisit Peter again. I think in Peter we find this dynamic that were looking for, this Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde here, this struggle within. Id like you to turn to the Gospel of Luke 22:31 (page 1044). Were about to begin the passion narrative in this Gospel. Things are going to move rather quickly. Life as the Disciples have known is coming to a rapid end, and it will never be the same. Jesus instructs them that its time to receive the Last Supper. At the Last Supper, He tells them the significance of the bread and of the cup. He also informs them that one of them will betray Him. That leads to a discussion as to whom that might be. That is followed up with a discussion about who is the greatest. Jesus then uses that as a teaching moment. What a time to squabble! What a time to be petty; what a time to worry about our egos! Just as Jesus is pouring out His soul to us, but that is what Disciples sometimes do. Sometimes were rather self-centered. Were not thinking so much about the Lord as ourselves. Then He says to Peter, Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat… He wants to shake you up. He wants to rattle you. Notice, it says hes asked permission. God does not tempt us, but God also makes sure we are not tempted beyond that which we can bear. Jesus says, But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. When you have turned back, strengthen your brothers. When youve turned back gives us the implication that he is going to turn away for a time. He is going to walk in the exact opposite way of what he should. He is going to walk away from Christ instead of toward Christ. Jesus says when you turn back, not if you turn back. When you turn back, and repentance means to turn around, when you repent, strengthen your brothers. Use what youve been through to strengthen your brothers in the faith. Of course, these words dont sit well with Peter. Knowing Peter, hes not going to keep his objection to himself. If anybody is going to speak their mind, its going to be Peter. So he says in the next verse, Lord… What hes basically saying here is Jesus, youre wrong. I am ready to go with You to prison and to death. Youre wrong about me. I am willing to go with You wherever you go. Ill go to prison. Ill die if necessary. How many of you think Peter was sincere? I do. I think he really believed everything he said, but we all know that Peter would fail miserably. There have been times when you and I have been as sincere as Peter. We have said, Lord, Ill never do that again. Lord, this. Lord, that. Lord, I promise… Im not going to fail this time. Have you made those promises to the Lord before? Youve failed, havent you? Each and every one of us has done that. Jesus says, I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know Me. He gives him a timetable. He said before morning comes, before you hear the sound of the rooster crow, youll deny Me not once, not twice, but three times. I wonder how those words impacted Peter. I bet you Peter was bound and determined to prove the Lord wrong, but we know that the Lord would be right. The Garden of Gethsemane happens; then the betrayal [happens]; then Jesus is seized, and they bring Him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest. Were going to pick up the story at the end of Verse 54. It says Peter followed at a distance when they had kindled the fire in the middle of a courtyard and had sat down, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw them seated in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, This man was with Him. But he denied it. Woman, I dont know him, he said. A little later someone else saw him and said, You also are one of them. Man, I am not! he replied. About an hour later, another asserted, Certainly this fellow was with Him for he is a Galilean. Peter replied, Man, I dont know what youre talking about! Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times. And he went outside and wept bitterly. That is drama, isnt it? What kind of look did Jesus give Peter? Just think of the shame Peter felt inside. He wanted to be a hero, Im willing to surrender my life… His heart was in the right place, but he failed the Lord. Hed failed Him again just that day in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was asked to pray, and he said, Ill pray, and he couldnt even do that. He fell asleep. That is sometimes the destitute lot of you and I who really want to please the Lord, really want to serve Christ, but we fail. On the good side, the good side is that there is a battle, right? The good side is were trying. We long to. The bad side seems to be tripping on that rock over and over. Think about this: this would be the last exchange that we know of between Peter and Jesus before the cross. Think about if the last experience you had was somebody you loved and cared about was to utterly fail them miserably. Then they look at you. That look says, Remember what I said? Remember what I said you would do? As far as you know, that will be the last exchange. It would have been a loving, caring relationship, and now it ends this way. Peter was devastated. Now were going to turn to the Resurrection. Were going to turn to Marks Gospel, and there is an important point I want you to catch here. That is when we fall, when we fail, where is the heart of our Lord? Is the Lord out to get us because we failed Him? Is He somehow trying to get back at us? I know people that do that, that think that way. [That is] their theology. I knew somebody who had a skiing accident and was lying in bed. He was a friend of mine. He said, God must really be punishing me. He could tell what he did and this is the reason why Im here. So God sent him into that tree because he sinned over here. There are a lot of people who view God in that way. Do you know of anybody who looks at God that way, that God will punish you when you fail Him? So that sickness, that death, or that heartache was sent by God? What kind of a god is that? Vindictive, revengeful. So we read the story in Marks Gospel, the 16th chapter (page 1010). This is the oldest Gospel; even though it is second in its order, it is our oldest Gospel we believe. When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome… Ive heard people pronounce that salami, and thats not good. Its actually a beautiful name, so dont mispronounce it like that. … brought spices so that they might anoint Jesus body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb? But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. Dont be alarmed, he said. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But His Disciples and Peter, He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you. Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. Did you catch the phrase here? It is two words that are significant. Tell the Disciples…and the two words are? And Peter. Why would Jesus do that? It would be sufficient to say, Tell the Disciples since Peter is a Disciple, but He doesnt say that. He says, Tell the Disciples and Peter. Janet [Bales, the music and arts minister at FCC- Pastor is asking for her during the sermon] are you still back there? Is she in there? Okay, thats fine. She doesnt have to come out. I just pick on her because she is here. If I say, Tell the staff and Janet this message. Right away, thats singling out Janet, and its saying to her, There is something significant in that fact that he singled you out. Tell the Disciples and Peter… Jesus is sending a message to Peter, and its a message of hope. Its a message of restoration. When they finally meet one another, we wont read the text in John, but He says three times, Simon, do you love Me? Peter says, Lord, You know I love You. Then He says, Feed My sheep. Three times He asks him. Remember the prophesy? …Satans desire to sift you as wheat, and when you turn, strengthen your brothers. Thats the fulfillment of that prophesy. He says, Now that youve repented, Peter, feed My sheep. Tend My lambs. So, thats our dilemma, right? We think that through our willpower, through our sheer determination, were going to live for Christ. We soon learn that doesnt work because Christianity is not about self-help. You can read plenty of books on willpower and self-help books out there. Christianity is not that. Christianity tells us the truth about ourselves that we dont want to hear. That is that you and I are morally bankrupt and that we are spiritually lost. We need a savior. The promise of Scripture-lets turn to the book of Ezekiel-is that God will do a supernatural work in the heart of the believer. Ezekiel 36:26 (page 857), God says to the Prophet Ezekiel these words in regard to their impurities and their sins. He says, And you will work really hard, and try really hard and exercise great willpower. Because of your shear raw determination, you will succeed in crucifying your flesh and committing righteous acts. Is that what it says? If that were the case, who would get the glory? We would, right? If that were the case, we dont really need a savior if we can do it ourselves. But God says (in Ezekiel 36:26), I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Those areas that are callous; those areas that are hard toward God; those areas that are bent towards sin, God says, I can remove that and give you a heart which is tender, which is pliable, which is shapeable. …And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep My laws. So when we keep the decrees of God, when we keep the laws of God, who even gets the glory for that? God does. Thats why Paul says so that no man can boast. I had a physical problem. Under my arm, I was putting on deodorant one day, and I noticed it hurt. I began to probe around a little bit, and I felt a bump. I said, Well, thats unusual. It was just a little nodule, and then it began to grow over a period of days. Then I noticed another one. I said, Well, this isnt right. Now Ive got two lumps that are getting bigger; theyre sore; so Im going to go to the doctor. The doctor said, Well, you have some tumors underneath your arm, so were going to have to remove those. Well have to go in and see what they are, and well probably have to take them out. Now, is that something I could do for myself? No. I cant go in the mirror and hey, I can do this a lot cheaper than the old doc can. I cant do that. So my job was to submit to the doctor to do for me what I could not do for myself. I lay down on the table. I remember the last words I spoke were something like this, I dont think this stuff is working. Then, I heard laughter. The next thing I knew, I was waking up. I dont think this stuff is working, ha, ha, ha, and then I wake up. There was a big bandage under there. How do I know the doctor did what he said he was going to do? First of all, I see the evidence of it. I see that when I feel my arm now, those lumps are gone. Im still a little sore. There is evidence of change. How do I know all the lumps are gone? I know that because number one, hes a doctor with a good reputation. Number two, he said so. He promised me he took them all out. So, really, what it boils down to is faith. You see, I believe God for righteousness in my life the same way I believed him for salvation. How do you know youre saved this morning? Do you have a plaque on your wall from Heaven? Is there a plaque on your wall that says, On this date, so and so: Saved. Signed, the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you have that? You dont have that. How do you know youre saved? Well, I see evidence of Christ in my life. I see evidence of the work of the Spirit. The main way you know youre saved is because God made a promise. You received that promise, so by faith, you believe you are saved. In that same way, Paul says in the Book of Romans 6:11 (page 1117). He says, In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. So when I come to Christ with a problem, and Im serious about it…because it doesnt matter what your weakness is: if your weakness is pride; if your weakness is lust; if your weakness is greed; if your weakness is dishonestly; a need for power of envy. Whatever you weakness is, or any variety of the weaknesses that you have, the cure is always the same. Thats why were not going to go down a list and say, Well, what about this? What about that? Because at the core or the root, its all the same. When youre serious about that area of your life, the way you gain victory is to admit defeat. There is not a self-help book that is going to teach you that. Paul says, When I am weak, then I am strong. If I come to Christ, and I am truly and genuinely repentant of my sin; I am sick and tired of being sick and tired; I am disgusted by it; I am repulsed by it; I want it removed from my heart and my life, I come to God and confess it and say, You have to take this away from me. Thats when action takes place; thats when it happens. If youre playing a game, and youre not really serious. You say, That was bad. Please forgive me, but youre not really serious about it, chances are nothing is happening there. But if you come to God in genuineness and sincerity and say, God, do for me what I cannot do for myself. I am coming to You. I am falling on Your mercy, you can expect God to act. Thats when you exercise faith that says, I believe God will not only forgive my sin but cleanse me from unrighteousness. Thats His promise. There has been testimony after testimony after testimony of people who have for instance kicked an alcohol habit, maybe an anger issue or a forgiveness issue, you name it. Theyve tried and tried, and they keep tripping on that same rock until they finally come to Christ with a reckless abandon and throw it at the foot of the cross. They say, Lord, I cant do this. Thats when God takes your heart of stone and gives you a heart of flesh. No matter what the area, the solution is the same. Its a supernatural work. I cant perform surgery on my own heart, physically; neither can I do it in the realm of the spirit. A person who thinks they can is just deceiving themselves. Because we got ourselves in the predicament we are in; who are we to think were going to get ourselves out? We need a Savior. What a fitting way for us to wind down our series on Heroes by talking about the one true hero. There is a song that has really ministered to me over the years. Its a song I really think will set the stage and prepare our hearts to receive of the Lords Supper. Its a song by Chris Rice. It just wraps up not only this message, but it wraps up our series. We need a hero, and that hero is Christ. Lets listen to the words of this song. Its called I Need a Hero. (This is a link to read the lyrics: http://www.christianlyricsonline.com/artists/chris-rice/i-need-a-hero.html) Father, we can identify with Peter. There have been times we have been so determined and so focused, This time, this time I wont let You down. Our willpower has failed us time and time again. We want so desperately to be a hero. We want so desperately to please You. Lord, we have acknowledged today there is a war within. Theres an enemy without, and there is a war within. We have been freed from the penalty of sin. We are not free from the presence of sin. We are very much people who if left our own accord, we would leave our lives to destruction. You did send a Savior into the world. Lord Jesus Christ is our hero, and He does for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Its fitting, and its right. We will conclude this series with focusing on the true hero, the one who took our place, the one who bravely faced sin, death and the grave and conquered them. Its through Him that we conquer; its not through ourselves. We humbly admit our defeat. Its then that You reign through us. So, Lord, as we receive the communion this morning, we celebrate Your victory, and we ponder Your love, we reflect on Your goodness. As we partake of the elements, we partake of your life. We affirm our covenant with You. We are so glad that we belong to You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen. Im going to ask the ushers to pass out the communion. Lets just have a moment of reflective and quiet personal prayer between you and the Lord. Then, well receive together. I hope this series has been a blessing to you. I hope youve been challenged. I hope youve been ministered to these last six weeks. Were going to start a new series on worship next week. One aspect of worship as we come together to sing and pray, reflect on His word, thats one aspect. Thats certainly not the entirety of worship, so were going to be focusing on what is worship? Why is it important? Does God just need His ego stroked? Is He insecure in some way and needs us to affirm who He is? No. There is a whole lot more to it than that, so next week well begin talking about that. After a few weeks, Easter is coming, and then well return to the Gospel of Luke together. Thats what lies ahead. Lets close in prayer. Father, the Book of Psalms 103:14 says that You are mindful of our frame. You remember that we are but dust. Sometimes we think we are more than that, but we are reminded again and again that we are not. We are the created one; we are the creature, and You are the creator. We have a dependency upon You from the time we take our first breathes until the time we take our lasts and then into eternity. Father, I pray you would help us to take these lessons weve learned over these last six weeks as we study men like Gideon, Elijah, Nehemiah, Peter and Paul, they did heroic things for You because they lived a life of abandonment of faith through themselves upon Your mercy, through themselves upon Your grace. Then, and only then, were they able to be used by You. So, Father, we commit ourselves to you again this morning. We pray that Youd use our lives in a way that glorifies Your name. Lord, I also want to pray for those who have been traveling. I pray for these who are here as they travel home that You would keep Your hand upon the wheel of that care and bring them home safely. We also pray for those who are venturing out at 9:30 and 11 that Your hand would protect and rest upon them as well. Lord, You are our hero. Youre the one we want to be like. Youre the one we worship and love. We pray this in Your name, Jesus, Amen.