Following at a Distance

Let's pray together father we are grateful for today We're grateful lord because you've allowed us to come and be a part of this worship service to hear What you want for us on this day? You brought us here not by by accident but by divine appointment That somehow lord we might know your plan and will for our lives Today as we learn once again from that night that greatest of all nights May we learn to follow christ Not from a distance but up close and intimately We pray in jesus name amen If you have your bible turn with me to luke chapter 22 luke chapter 22 We continue our study in the most magnificent of all nights The night before the crucifixion of jesus christ our lord Lord It's a very familiar story we're going to study this morning one that most of you know fairly well It's a story about failure and forgiveness It's a story about renunciation Yet restoration It's a story about a man named peter And how he fell To great heights And how god used the events in his life to make him and mold him into the man of god He came to be We want you to be able to understand everything about that night And while we don't have all the information We have exactly what the lord wants us to have for that night Behind me on the screen you might not be able to read it, but it's there That's because you're sitting too far back You sit up close You had no problem seeing it.

Do you marlene? No, not at all And so anyway It is a night of renunciation We've seen everything else leading up to this Next week we'll see it's a night of interrogation And while what happens truly happens between 1 a.m And 3 a.m in the morning the house of caiaphas It's still Nighttime, it's still dark And yet it comes as no surprise to us as to how our lord orchestrated the events of that night Let me read to you the narrative for this morning, it's luke 22 verses 54 to 62 And having arrested him they led him away and brought him to the house of the high priest But peter was following at a distance And after they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together peter was sitting among them A certain servant girl seeing him as he sat in the firelight And looking intently at him said This man was with him, too But he denied it saying woman.

I do not know him And a little later another saw him and said you are one of them too, but peter said man I am not And after about an hour had passed Another man began to insist saying certainly this man also was with him for he is a galilean, too But peter said man, I do not know what you are talking about and immediately While he was still speaking a cock crowed The lord turned and looked at peter And peter remembered the word of the lord How he had told him to four cock crows today You will deny me three times He went out and wept Bitterly what happens in this story Happens because of what has already taken place earlier in the night You must understand this disciple's decline Once you understand his decline You understand his collapse In the courtyard And then you can understand the look of our lord And then you'll be able to see how this repentant sinner Was restored But it all begins earlier in the evening with peter's decline And it goes in a very simple pattern and maybe you'll notice that in your life That would lead peter to follow from afar Matthew's account says he follows from afar.

Luke's account says he follows from a distance it's never good to follow the lord from a distance And you can begin to see how far you are following the lord based on where you see yourself in peter's life Because he followed from a distance he was unable to do the things he would like to have done but Lord had spoken to him earlier that night Remember in luke chapter 22 verse number 31 simon simon behold satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat But i prayed for you That your faith may not fail And you when once you have turned again Strengthen your brothers And he said to him lord with you.

I am ready to go both to prison and to death the operative phrase is with you But you will notice In our account this morning.

He wasn't with jesus He followed him from a distance But with you i'm ready to go to prison with you. I'm ready to die And jesus says I say to you peter the cock will not crow today until you have denied me three times that you know me Our lord had predicted peter's denial Because it was a night of prediction But also notice what matthew's account says For in matthew's account they would leave the upper room They would be on their way to the man of olives and he would say to his men that all of them would deny him says You will all fall away because of me this night for it is written I will strike down the shepherd and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered But after I have been raised I will go before you to galilee But peter answered and said to him even though all men fall away because of you I will never Fall away They might do it, but I will not I will stand by you lord And christ would go on to say Truly I say to you that this very night before it caught crows you shall deny me three times And peter said to him even if I have to die with you I will not deny you and all the disciples said the same thing, too Peter's decline Began With his indolence in insolence his pride his arrogance I will not fall I will not deny I am stronger than everybody else And all that was fueled because of the discussion earlier that night about who was the greatest in the kingdom and i'm sure that that to some degree peter would lead in that discussion because he saw himself as the greatest of all the disciples That no one was like him He was the pillar.

He had been called by the lord rock And because he was the rock no one would stand with him because he would stand alone and never deny his god But his pride his arrogance his insolence would rise And the bible says In first corinthians chapter 10 verse number 12 to him who thinks he stands take heed lest he falls Peter really believed that he was better than everybody else.

He was stronger than everybody else He was more spiritual than everybody else That he somehow would not deny his lord And that that insolent spirit Would lead to an independent spirit an independent spirit Because they would go to the garden And christ would say to his men Watch and pray lest you enter into temptation And peter couldn't do that And that independence would stem from his insolence. The reason we don't pray is because of our arrogance It's not because you don't have enough time to pray It's simply because we don't want to pray.

We don't have to pray. We don't need to pray And that's why peter didn't pray and that's why the other men didn't pray Yes, they were overcome with sorrow but christ would on three occasions say watch and pray lest you enter into temptation But they believed they were strong enough to overcome temptation because of their insolence It led to their independence But our lord didn't live a life of independence he lived a life of dependence upon his father And he would pray and he would pray with great Drops of blood because of his commitment to live in obedience to his father But the other men they didn't And the reason you and I don't pray Is simply because of our insolence Our arrogance Our pride we don't need God, you can say any excuse you want to say But the reason you don't pray Is because you don't think you need god You're better than god You're great without god.

You can make it on your own That was peter. That was the 12th That was all of them They didn't think they needed god And so his insolence would lead to his independence that independence would lead to his impatience Listen, if you're not willing to wait upon the lord to do his work You're going to go ahead of the lord and you're going to do your own thing You're going to make your own decisions and that happened in the garden We talked about last week when the the the soldiers came to to arrest christ And peter would take out out of sword and he would cut off the the earlobe of of malchus He was ready to go to war He was impatient He thought that the kingdom would now come He was unwilling to wait on the lord and the lord says put away your swords Put them all away This is not what it's about But an independent person Acts in a very impatient way They don't have time to wait upon the lord because they don't have time to pray and give things to the lord So his insolence would lead to his independence his independence would lead to his impatience his impatience would lead to his impotence He was powerless He was powerless before a little girl I will not deny you Though all men deny you I will not I will go to prison for you.

I will die for you Unless a little girl asks me if i'm a follower of yours and then i'll deny you That's exactly what happened But there was a this this decline that happened His his his arrogance his insolence his pride would lead to an independent spirit. I don't need god I can make it on my own and because he thought he could make it on his own. He lived a life of impatience Trying to take matters into his own hands And do all he could to prove That he That god was wrong That jesus was wrong about his prediction the problem with that is is that Jesus is never wrong Hadn't been wrong in three years Hasn't been wrong for eternity But for the three years that peter was with him, he was never wrong But peter thought he could prove him wrong And so they came and they arrested jesus The bible says they took him to the house of the high priest The house of the high priest is the house of annas and caiaphas We know that because john 18 tells us that And this begins the the three-phase trial with the jewish leaders John 18 says they take him to the house of annas For he is the father-in-law of caiaphas They take him to annas Then they take him across the courtyard to caiaphas Caiaphas is the high priest at that time You know that when jesus came into jerusalem and that first time in in john chapter 2 He cleansed the temple and at the end of his ministry.

He cleansed the temple again and when he did that he had spoken out against annas and caiaphas because Their economic system was based on what took place There in the temple and the money changers And so they were not very pleased with christ to begin with And so they would take jesus according to john 18 to annas first Then they would take him to caiaphas and then they would remain at caiaphas until dawn Because they had to make sure they pronounced a verdict during the daylight because it was illegal to try anyone again We'll talk more about that next week but that's what they did they tried him at night and that was against the mishnah the The holy law of god that they had developed in their own minds about the way things should happen And so they did their own thing And while they were there between the time of annas and caiaphas There are three denials by peter three denials All predicted by our lord that before the cock crows you will deny me three times They did If you go back to the narrative in luke chapter 22 peter was following at a distance This begins his courtyard collapse It is truly a courtyard Annas in the house of caiaphas would be one in the same separated by a courtyard Because that's what jewish families did in those days.

And so their home was in the same location And they would take him first to annas then to caiaphas And then the third trial of course would be at caiaphas as well as they would seek to trump up some kind of accusation against our lord But they would bring him to this place And the bible says that peter Followed at a distance It says verse 55 And after they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together peter was sitting among them If you go to john's account in john 18 that adds a little bit more to the story It says in verse 12 So the roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the jews arrested jesus bound him and led him to annas first For he was father-in-law of caiaphas Who was high priest that year?

Now caiaphas was the one who had devised the jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people Simon peter was following jesus And so was another disciple. Who's that? That's john And now that disciple was known to the high priest And entered with jesus into the court of the high priest But peter was standing at the door outside so the other disciple Who was known to the high priest went out and spoke to the doorkeeper and brought in peter The slave girl therefore who kept the door Said to peter you Are not also one of this man's disciples.

Are you? and he said I am not Denial number one John was with peter John somehow knew caiaphas He knew the slave girl who was the gatekeeper at the house of caiaphas In order for peter to get through the gate someone had to let him in john led the way If you go back to luke's account it tells us After they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and it sat down together peter was sitting among them and a certain Servant girl seeing him as he sat in the firelight and looking intently at him said this man was with him too So you read matthew's account you read mark's account you read luke's account you read john's account All different scenarios of what was actually said by this slave girl about peter This is her chance to to impress the men around the fire to impress them with her knowledge that somehow she knows this galilean You were with him You're one of his are you not?

And peter flat out denied it You see peter's problem was his carelessness His carelessness would lead to his watchlessness His watchlessness would lead to his prayer Lessness his prayer lessness would lead to his foolishness He was careless He was careless about the word of his god Our lord had told him That they would deny him our word our lord told him it was a quotation from the book of zachariah Chapter 13 he quoted scripture to them What's going to happen is going to happen because it's already been predicted god said it was going to happen Let me read to you.

Let me quote for you what the bible already says And peter was careless in his Belief of what the word of god actually said He wouldn't believe it Even though it was in black and white Even though it was the authoritative word of god.

He just simply would not believe What god's word said He was careless in his handling of the word of god he was careless in who he hung around with He hung around with the enemy He should have been with jesus he should have been side by side with jesus instead he hung around the courtyard He hung around with the enemy And because he was careless in those things when the pressure came To him once the slave girl looked intently into his eyes and said to him. Hey, I know you You're one of his followers too, aren't you I am not outright denial I'm, not one of his And all this happens over a two hour span time You can read the narrative in matthew and read the narrative in in in mark and luke and it happens in a very short paragraph But it's really over over two hours because jesus is in with Caiaphas and in with anise and this is all happening during that time And then if you read on the text in luke chapter 22 it says A little later another saw him and said you are one of them, too But peter said man.

I am not this was another servant girl according to matthew's account two girls He can't even stand up to a little girl completely impotent No power no strength. I am not I am not one of his And the accusations would begin to mount because all eyes are on him as he hangs around the enemy As he sits around the fire with some of the soldiers To warm himself in the in the in the cool of the of the of the evening air He sits there and in in denies it. All right Nope I'm not And then it says and after about an hour had passed another man began To insist saying certainly this man was with him for he is a galilean, too Do you know who that man is turn to john 18 tell you that man is Says Verse 18 Now the slave and the officers were standing there having made a charcoal fire For it was cold And they were warming themselves And peter also was with them standing and warming him self That's not the verse I was looking for Where was the verse I was looking for?

I'll tell you it is John 18 verse number 26. I'm, sorry Now simon peter was standing and warming himself verse 25 They said therefore to him you are not also one of the disciples Are you he denied it and said I am not and one of the slaves of the high priest being a relative to one whose ear peter cut off Who's that That's malchus He was a relative of malchus Said did I not see you in the garden with him? Peter therefore denied it again and immediately a cock crowed malchus's relative Said hey I saw you Three matthews account.

He says hey, I can tell by your galilean accent That you're one of his And in matthew's account it says he began to curse and to swear Well that stopped all Accusations because people who follow jesus don't talk like that. Do they? Do they I don't think so All accusations stopped at that point Must not be one of his because the followers of jesus don't talk like that And this galilean began to curse and to swear Swear by the name of god that he was not one of his And to curse himself and to damn himself if he was one of his and the cock crowed And then luke is the only one who records this It says these words and the lord turned and looked At peter the lord turned and looked Can you imagine that?

If you read the account He's been in with kaiathus. He's been in with with the sanhedrin They they have they have already punched him in the face. They've already spit upon him And so when the lord turns to look at peter down the corridor of the courtyard His face has already begun to to swell There is spit that has covered his face And so as he looks at peter through a spit covered A a a face that has already begun to swell He looks at peter through those swollen eyes And doesn't say a word Just looks at him And that would cause peter to go out and weep Bitterly As much as he tried as much as he did all he could to prove that what jesus said was not going to happen It did It did Even though he vehemently denied it I will not deny you he did Because jesus said he was and jesus turned and looked it was a look of knowledge a look of omniscience It was almost as if he looks and says I told you it was going to happen this way You didn't believe me It was a look of knowledge.

You know john chapter 2 tells us that jesus knows what is in the heart of man He knows He knows what's in your heart. I don't have to know what's in your heart The lord knows it's all matters He knows what's in your heart He's omniscient Omniscient and so when he looks at peter it was it was a look of knowledge It was also a look of A look of pain because peter had joined with his tormentors Because of his disobedience If our obedience pleases him our disobedience Must pain him It was a look of pain But it was also a look of supreme love toward peter There was no withdrawal There was no angry words that came out of his mouth It truly was a look of love Yes, it was a look of knowledge because he knows he knows everything But here's the key point Even though he knows The filthiness of your heart He looks at you with love Only he can do that And that's exactly what took place He looked at peter with those loving swollen spit-filled eyes And peter could only weep bitterly He would go out and weep profusely over what had happened And they were tears of true repentance How do we know that How do we know that how do we know that when judas was remorseful He wasn't repentant And peter when he wept and was remorseful was repentant It's very simple It's not as hard as you think it is Because false repentance weeps over sin's consequences True repentance weeps over sin's Condition That's the difference One weeps because they got caught The other weeps because of their heart's sinful condition That's the difference That's true repentance versus false repentance.

That's godly sorrow versus worldly sorrow We can read about in second corinthians 7 verse number 10 What godly sorrow looks like because it leads to repentance and peter had truly a godly sorrow He truly was broken Over his sin.

Oh, he tried so hard not to But he couldn't Why because he was careless? He wasn't vigilant. He did not watch under prayer lest he entered into temptation And therefore because of his arrogance and independent spirit, he didn't go to his knees and pray and cry out to god So when it came time to face the temptation he failed miserably miserably whenever Whenever we fail To bow before our master in our closets We will always always Always fall before our enemies in the courtyard And he did He fell Big time But to to a degree Every one of us has been there to some degree or another We have failed our lord.

We've denied our lord And the lord looks with his eyes his piercing eyes And the bible tells us that it's the goodness of god that leads us to repentance And that's why at the end when the angel says to to the women at the tomb go tell his disciples and peter Because peter would receive the forgiveness of sins he would Because he was truly repentant He was truly broken over sin. Our lord would come back to him on on the shores of the galilee and say peter Do you love me? Feed my sheep peter Peter, do you love me?

Tend to my lambs peter. Do you love me? Peter was grieved because the lord had asked him three times. Do you love me? He said lord, you know That I love you feed my sheep Three times he asked him based on three denials Do you love me supremely? Do you love me singularly? Do you love me with all that you have peter? Peter said lord, you know, I love you. I do Oh the the the spirit is willing but the flesh was so weak for peter And the lord would recommission him The lord would reinstate him for service Recommission him in his mission The lord would do something unique in him.

He would re-empower that man And he would use him to die for him in john 18. He talks about what kind of death he would die When you were younger you did what you wanted to do, but when you're older you're gonna stretch forth your hands john 18 You'd be crucified for me peter. You're gonna die for me You follow me peter you follow me not from a distance But up close You follow me in uh, you follow me dependently You follow me intimately You follow close to me peter and I will use you for the glory of my kingdom Remember christ said You're gonna deny me, but I prayed for you peter that your faith will not fail It never failed fully nor finally It failed temporarily Because he denied his lord But it never failed fully And peter would say these words, we love these words in second peter chapter one Peter says these words Simon peter a bondservant an apostle of jesus christ to those who have Received a faith of the same kind as ours Those of you who have received The same kind of faith as ours listen your faith will fail god's faith never fails The gift of faith that god gives never fails Ours does His is not And peter says those of you who have received the same kind of faith that we have received That kind of faith the fun the kind that never Finally and fully turns its back on its guard on its god.

Will it be tempted? Yes. Will it be tried? Yes It will But he tells him to continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our lord and savior Jesus christ as he concludes his second epistle continue to grow in the grace continue to grow in your knowledge of christ He says look if I would have known if I would have known That my lord Had quoted to me scripture And believed what he said Then maybe I would not have failed in my attempt to stand with him But I did But you grow in your knowledge of god you grow in the grace of god so that you can remain steadfast and strong In your walk with the lord peter in spite of his trial Peter in spite of all of his terror peter in spite of all of his tears Became the ultimate teacher of truth Because he learned He learned his lesson.

Well He learned to be humble And not arrogant He learned to say hey, you know what you younger likewise Live in humility god God opposes the proud Oh, he gives grace to the humble, but he opposes the proud Therefore Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of god and he will exalt you he says in first peter 5 6 in his due time peter learned You can read his first epistle You can read his second epistle and you can go back and say man this man learned so much About life and so much about his god that when he began to pin it He pinned it from experience As he under the inspiration of the spirit of god, he would write the truth of god down Peter was a man who helps us understand proverbs 24 verse number 6 16 a righteous man May fall seven times But will rise again Peter was a righteous man He fell And maybe you're here today and you have fallen You have denied your lord You have spoken out against your lord.

You have not been one Who would stand with them because you followed so far from a distance? You can turn all that around because of peter's example By repenting of your sin That you might receive the forgiveness of sins That you might be restored to the fellowship of your savior That you might be reinstated and re-empowered by the spirit of god to accomplish great tasks For your god peter was peter did Because he was a broken man A broken man broken over his sin broken over his disobedience broken over his rebellious spirit broken over his arrogance his pride And he did not follow the way that peter did And god used him in a great way He had to learn not to follow from a distance to follow up close How about you What will you learn from peter today?

That you might live a life to the glory of your king Let's pray together father. We thank you for your word the truth. That's there Father, we thank you for the example of Peter the Apostle, the man who said so many great things and yet said some bad things. And yet he repented. He turned his life around like you want to turn all of our lives around. And our prayer, Father, is that there be one among us today who has strayed from their God. May you turn them to follow you and serve you. May they come to a place of repentance.

May they come to a place where they are reconciled to the fellowship of their Father in heaven. They might serve you with a spirit of grace and humility for the glory of your kingdom. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.