Peter: The Man, His Message, and Ministry, Part B

Mark chapter 14. This is where we're going to begin this evening. Because I want you to notice four steps in Peter's life that caused him to spiral downward.

And as he would begin to fall, you will notice that he will fall to great heights. He will fall to a place where God will use him in a very significant manner. But as Peter begins to fall down, I want you to notice four things.

Four steps. that cause him to fall greatly. Insulence was his first step downward. Independence was his second step downward.

Insulence leads to independence. Independence leads to impatience. And impatience, listen carefully, leads to impotence. Powerlessness. And that's what Peter was. It says, verse 50, and they all left him and fled. They all left him and fled. Go down to verse number 66 of Mark 14. And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, You too were with Jesus and Nazarene, but he denied it saying, I neither know nor understand what you were talking about.

about. And he went out onto the porch, and the maid saw him and began once more to say to the bystanders, this is one of them. But again, he was denying it. And after a little while, the bystanders were again saying to Peter, surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean too, but he began to curse and swear, I do not know this man you are talking about. Wait a minute. Where was Petra? Where was Rockman? Where was, though all deny you, I will not. Though everybody else flees, I will stay. Where is he?

He's completely impotent, powerless, unable to do anything. Some little girl says, hey, I saw you up there. Not me. All of them say, he's scared of a little girl. some bystanders here's the guy who do the sword yo tough guy what happened to you you see that's what happens an impatient man is that way because he's an independent man the independent man is that way is because he's an insolent man all the while thinking he's a powerful individual but in reality he is impotent He is unable to stand strong for his God because he relies totally on the flesh.

And that was Peter. He relied completely on the flesh. He didn't have the courage. Stand by Jesus. He failed. You know, we deny the Lord too. When I'm too busy to pray, I deny that God is the authority and center of my life. When I neglect the word of God, I deny that God is competent to guide me and lead me in his will. When I begin to worry, I deny that God is Lord of my circumstances. and Peter denied his God it says in verse number 72 and immediately a cock crowed a second time and Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him before cock crows twice, you will deny me three times and he began to weep Luke 22 62 says he began to weep bitterly he cried profusely and yet Peter's failure was not fatal.

I want you to turn with me to 1. Peter. Back in Mark 16, there are two words that forecast Peter's turn around. After the resurrection of our Lord, the angels told the women who came to anoint Jesus' body, go tell his disciples, and Peter. That was the beginning of Peter's turnaround. Peter didn't know it, but it was. And that turnaround is found in John Chippa 21. But I want you to notice what Peter learned.

It's important for you to understand this. Remember, step one to falling down is insolence, pride. in arrogance. And Peter learned the way of humility. He learned the way of humility. First Peter chapter 5, verse number one, listen to what it says.

Therefore, I exhort the elders among you as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed. He looked at himself as a fellow elder. He didn't look at himself as an elder than every other elder.

He looked at himself as one among many elders. He understood their problems. He says, listen, I'm a witness of the Transfiguration. I'm a witness of the resurrection. I'm a witness of the suffrage of Christ. I'm a witness of all those things where I failed. And I failed miserably. The events of the cross, the most painful episode in his life. You know why he gives those things? In 1 Peter 5-1? Not to show, listen, this is what I did. This is where I was. This is who I am. No, he says them to emphasize this one true fact that you can be restored even from the most grievous of all sins.

That's why I listen. I'm a fellow elder. I'm one of you because of God in my life. Read on in 1. your five. It says in verse number five, these words, you younger men likewise be subject to your elders and all of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another. For God is opposed to the proud, but he gives grace to the humble. Believe me, he says, God rejects the proud. But boy, sure does give grace to the humble. So clothe yourself with humility. He says, humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God and he may exalt you at the proper time cast all your anxiety upon him because he cares for you well here's a totally different attitude he's saying look man you need your God you got to depend upon your God you got to humble yourself before your God he will exalt you he will do it in his due time but he's the one who exalt you.

Proverbs 1533 says that before honor comes humility. He says, verse 8, be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary the devil prows about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. He says, Satan will stop at nothing to destroy your life. Believe me, he says, I know. I told my Lord, though all deny you, I will stand by you. I will stand by you. I told him and he even told me Satan wanted to sift me like we but my lord prayed for me and i didn't fail and when i would be restored he said i would strengthen my brothers and i'm here to strengthen you humble yourselves under the mighty hand of god god's in charge you're not i'm not but god is he learned he learned the way of humility.

Step two was independence, and point number two, under the practical, is that he learned to walk dependently.

He learned to walk dependently. Before he wasn't a man of prayer. Now, all of a sudden, he is. First Peter chapter four, verse number seven, he says this, the end of all things is at hand.

Therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. Of prayer. I mean, everything is coming to an end. And because it is, you've got to be a man of prayer, you've got to be a woman of prayer, you've got to be on your knees, I wasn't. But you need to be. I learned to walk independently. I'm done walking independently. I'm walking with my God. And that's the way you need to be, he says. 1. Peter 4, verse number 19, what do you say? Let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful creator in doing what is right.

Deposit your souls to the one who can keep you safe. Entrust yourself to him. First Peter 5.9, he says this.

resist him that is the devil firm in your faith knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the word listen Satan goes around like a roaring line he says seeking to devour you seeking to destroy your life this is what you need to do resist him that's what you need to do be firm steadfast in the faith He says, don't attack him. Don't rebuke him. Don't bind him. That's God's job. Your job is to resist him. How? Steadfast in the faith, depending upon the word.

Boy, when we get to 1st Peter 5, you're going to learn some biblical principles about how there should be no gaps. in your armor. None. Stand strong in the faith. That's why you've got to know the Word of God. You've got to be in the Word of God. So there's no gaps in your life. Because Satan looks to find his way in there. But you resist him steadfast in the faith. Peter says, listen, every Christian's getting the same treatment. Verse number nine. all of our brethren are suffering in this capacity and we got to depend upon the Lord we can't do without him you see that before he was you can count on me I'm the man now he says boy it's tough going it's a battle and you got to stand in the faith you got to stand strong with God you got to be a man of prayer you got to watch with soberness and you've got to walk dependently.

Over in the book of Acts fourth chapter, listen to what it says. Verse number 13, excuse me, verse number seven. It says, and when they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire by what power or in what name have you done this? Then Peter Phil, what the Holy Spirit said to them, rulers and elders, of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by this name, this man stands here before you in good health.

Here's a man who learned to walk dependently upon his God. So much so that God used him to heal a man who was sick. Peter couldn't do it himself. It was all the power of God himself. It says in verse number 13, Now as he observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling and began to recognize them as having been with, Jesus. See that? God had worked his life. In his insolence, he learned the way of humility. In his independence, he learned to walk dependently.

And in his impatience, he learned to wait with certainty. He learned to wait with certainty. First Peter chapter two, listen to what he says.

verse number 21. He says, for you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in his steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth. And while being reviled, he did not revile and return, while suffering, he uttered no threats, but kept entrusting himself to him who judges righteously. You see, he learned to wait with certainty. He says, listen, I know you're suffering. And next week we'll talk about the suffering, these people, these aliens and sojourners that Peter wrote to and the difficulty that they went through, the persecution of the Christian.

He says, listen, I know you're going through hard times. I know it's difficult, but I want to let you know something. What our Lord went through when they beat him and they spat upon him, he did not retaliate, he did not seek revenge. He kept committed himself to him who judges righteously. Listen, I saw it all. all. I watched from a distance. I was there in the courtyard. I saw what my Lord did. He could have killed them all. He could have wiped them all out because vengeance is his. He will repay, but he did not do that.

He kept committed himself to him who judges righteously. Peter learned to wait with certainty, knowing that God would take care of business in God's time. He says, listen, I sought the revenge root I cut off malchus his ear I wailed my little sword against 600 men I thought that that was the way to do it I was hack and I was whacking I was whacking I was whacking I was aiming for his throat I just got his ear but you know what didn't do anything because I wasn't waiting upon my God and you know what peter teaches us to wait with certainty to wait he learned that look at it says the first peter three wow this is so good he says to sum up everything he says let all be harmonious sympathetic brotherly kind-hearted humble and spirit not returning evil for evil or insult for insult but giving a blessing instead, for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.

For let him who means to love life and see good days, refrain his tongue from evil, his lips from speaking guile, and let him turn away from evil and do good, let him seek peace and pursue it, for the eyes of the Lord or upon the righteous. And the years attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. What the principle is? God doesn't miss a trick. He sees it all. He hears it all. He knows it all. Therefore, commit yourself to him, the one who judges righteously. Wait with certainty.

Wait knowing that God will handle it properly in his time, his way. Peter learned that. And lastly, through his influence. He learned, listen, to welcome adversity. He learned to welcome adversity. You see, when he was there in the garden or in the courtyard, and the little girl would say, well, I know that you're one of his because I saw you with Jesus, the Nazarene. and when when when when when when when when he was cornered and questioned and had to give an answer and he couldn't do it he realized he realized he needed to welcome adversity welcome it folks let me tell you something through our study of first peter my prayer for you and for me is that when we get all through you will openly openly receive adversity with welcome arms listen to what Peter says 1.

Peter 412 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you which comes upon you for your testing as though some strange thing were happening to you. You know what he says? This is what you need to do. You need to expect. it. Why do you think this is a strange thing happening to you? Why is that this would be a strange thing? You should expect this. This fiery ordeal coming your way. Expect it. That's why Christ said in John 1633, in this world you will have what? Tribulation. You will. He says over in chapter 1, verse number 6, he says this.

in this you greatly rejoice even though now for a little while if necessary you have been distressed by various trials meaning that you know what it's necessary for you to have these things so beloved don't think it's strange when the fiery ordeal comes your way expect it and then he says get excited about it what Yeah, look what says. But to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exaltation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed because the spirit of glory and of God rest upon you.

He says, not only do I want you to expect it, I want you to get excited about it. rejoice with exaltation why because if you're suffering for the sake of christ if you're standing firm in the gospel if you're honoring your god and you are being reviled peter says you're blessed you are a blessed person because the spirit of god rests upon you folks let me tell you something if you can't get excited about that you're probably not even a christian they'd say it that way the spirit of god rest upon you the spirit of god enables you to endure encourage you to persevere, God's spirits with you.

Knowing that, the trial comes, not only should you expect it and get excited about it, but you better examine it. Says the verse number 15, by no means let any of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or evildo or a troublesome meddler. Listen, if you're suffering, listen, don't do it because you're a murderer. Don't do it because you're a troublesome person. That's not what we're talking about here, he says. He says, but if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God.

For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God. And if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome of those who do not obey the gospel of God?

Examine that trial, examine that difficulty, examine your problem. Make sure that you are suffering for the sake of the gospel, and you're not suffering because of your own sin. that Peter was the one who said in 1st Peter 2 verse number 7 unto you who believe he says what he is precious unto you who believe he is precious it was William Goldsmith who said our greatest glory consists not in never failing but in rising every time we fall. That's based on Proverbs 24, verse number 16, for a righteous man may fall seven times, but he'll rise again.

Peter was a righteous man. He fell. He fell greatly, but he rose again because of the power of God and his life. Tell his disciples, and Peter, And John chapter 21, Peter was in the boat. He recognized the Lord. He jumped in the water. He swam to shore. And our Lord recommissioned him. Peter, do you love me? Feed my sheep. And he would recommission that man and tell him that he would die for the sake of the gospel. And Peter did. Tradition tells us that his wife was crucified. and he stood there beside her, whispering these words in her ears as she was hanging, dying for several days, he said, remember the Lord, remember the Lord, remember the Lord, that's all I said.

And when she died, they came to crucify him, and he requested that he would be hung upside down because he wasn't worthy to be crucified right side up like his Lord and Master. And so they crucified him upside down because that's what his request was. And yet it was this man who in Acts Chapter 1 moved to replace Judas with Messiah. Acts Chapter 2 became a spokesperson at Pentecost. Acts chapter three, healed the lame man. Acts chapter four defied the Sanhedron. Acts chapter five dealt with hypocrisy in the church with Ananias and Safira.

Acts chapter eight dealt with the problem of Simon the magician. Acts chapter nine, he healed Anius and raised Dorcas from the dead. Acts chapter 10, he took the gospel to the Gentiles, and then he wrote first and second Peter.

Let me tell you something. God used that man in a great way. in spite of all of his sin, his insolence, his independence, his impatience, his impotence, he learned the way of humility, he learned to walk dependently, he learned to wait with certainty, and he learned to welcome adversity. And so he closes his epistle in First Peter 3 and says, these words, but grow up.

in grace into the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. That's our desire, that we might all grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Thank you.