WEBVTT 00:00:03.380 --> 00:00:06.700 Rejection. Something that all of us have experienced 00:00:06.700 --> 00:00:09.419 in life. Some of us, maybe a little bit. Some 00:00:09.419 --> 00:00:13.800 of us, maybe a lot. The word rejection, I looked 00:00:13.800 --> 00:00:16.300 it up in the dictionary, and it's this. To refuse 00:00:16.300 --> 00:00:22.710 to take, agree, use, or believe. To discard or 00:00:22.710 --> 00:00:27.170 to throw out as worthless, useless, or substandard. 00:00:27.170 --> 00:00:31.109 To pass over or to skip. To deny acceptance. 00:00:32.530 --> 00:00:34.609 Now as I start to talk about the definitions 00:00:34.609 --> 00:00:36.829 of the word rejection, maybe there's a handful 00:00:36.829 --> 00:00:39.229 of you in here today that it starts to kind of 00:00:39.229 --> 00:00:41.149 sting a little bit. It starts to hit home a little 00:00:41.149 --> 00:00:43.289 bit. And you go, you know, I've had moments and 00:00:43.289 --> 00:00:46.270 I've had times in my life where I have been rejected. 00:00:47.049 --> 00:00:49.509 Arguably one of the greater pains that we can 00:00:49.509 --> 00:00:52.369 feel. I have a saying, and I use it with our 00:00:52.369 --> 00:00:54.609 staff, and I use it at home, and it's this. We 00:00:54.609 --> 00:00:57.789 expect the attack from without. What we don't 00:00:57.789 --> 00:01:00.409 expect is the attack from within. You go, what 00:01:00.409 --> 00:01:03.250 do you mean? We have our circles, right? Could 00:01:03.250 --> 00:01:05.450 be our family, could be our workplace, could 00:01:05.450 --> 00:01:07.150 be our neighbors, could be our friends, could 00:01:07.150 --> 00:01:10.349 be our dormitory. Whatever it is, we have the 00:01:10.349 --> 00:01:12.950 circle of people that we just kind of typically 00:01:12.950 --> 00:01:15.930 travel in and do life with. And when you have 00:01:15.930 --> 00:01:18.730 that circle, you don't expect anything to come 00:01:18.730 --> 00:01:21.450 toward you from them. Outside of that, yeah, 00:01:21.489 --> 00:01:23.909 it makes sense. The world's going to say what 00:01:23.909 --> 00:01:25.390 it's going to say. The world's going to do what 00:01:25.390 --> 00:01:27.469 it's going to do. And sometimes you expect that, 00:01:27.489 --> 00:01:29.870 and hopefully it doesn't impact you. But when 00:01:29.870 --> 00:01:33.069 it comes from within, it's a little more difficult. 00:01:34.230 --> 00:01:36.489 And maybe even now, as I start to say that, you're 00:01:36.489 --> 00:01:38.269 starting to think through, yeah, there was somebody 00:01:38.269 --> 00:01:39.950 in my life that I trusted, and I should have 00:01:39.950 --> 00:01:44.040 trusted, and they rejected me. They turned on 00:01:44.040 --> 00:01:48.739 me to some degree. You see, God has wired us, 00:01:48.760 --> 00:01:51.939 church, for relationship. He's wired us to belong. 00:01:52.680 --> 00:01:55.060 And if someone that we know, that we love, has 00:01:55.060 --> 00:01:57.040 at some point said, you know what, I just don't 00:01:57.040 --> 00:01:58.819 think I want to go there with you. I don't think 00:01:58.819 --> 00:02:01.599 I want to do that type of life with you. It can 00:02:01.599 --> 00:02:05.500 be a very, very difficult thing. Exhibit A, if 00:02:05.500 --> 00:02:08.639 you're on social media. It's all about the clicks, 00:02:08.780 --> 00:02:10.539 right? It's all about the likes. It's all about 00:02:10.539 --> 00:02:12.740 how many followers I have. I don't know if you 00:02:12.740 --> 00:02:16.879 know this, but Meta, Zuckerberg, Facebook, I 00:02:16.879 --> 00:02:18.580 don't know what they're called these days, they 00:02:18.580 --> 00:02:21.520 did a deep dive into Instagram because they wanted 00:02:21.520 --> 00:02:24.500 to just know the algorithm. They wanted to know 00:02:24.500 --> 00:02:26.460 just kind of feedback. And here's what they discovered. 00:02:27.319 --> 00:02:30.539 Amongst young girls that were on Facebook. Their 00:02:30.539 --> 00:02:33.159 suicidal thoughts, their suicidal tendencies, 00:02:33.580 --> 00:02:37.039 their suicidal attempts, and sadly, their suicidal 00:02:37.039 --> 00:02:40.419 successes went through the roof. Why? Because 00:02:40.419 --> 00:02:43.180 I've tried to belong to something. I tried to 00:02:43.180 --> 00:02:45.060 put something out there to get likes, and people 00:02:45.060 --> 00:02:47.120 didn't like me, and I feel like I can't measure 00:02:47.120 --> 00:02:50.979 up. I don't compare to all of those people that 00:02:50.979 --> 00:02:53.439 I'm looking at, all those fake profiles, by the 00:02:53.439 --> 00:02:57.039 way. Girls, just don't compare yourself. But 00:02:57.039 --> 00:02:59.439 I get it. It's just kind of the world that we 00:02:59.439 --> 00:03:02.479 live in. I have a really, really good buddy of 00:03:02.479 --> 00:03:04.840 mine, and he always says this, just quit the 00:03:04.840 --> 00:03:09.759 gram. Hashtag quit the gram. Unless you're following 00:03:09.759 --> 00:03:16.759 Town Center Church, then that's fine. So today 00:03:16.759 --> 00:03:18.860 we're going to look at what could be ultimately 00:03:18.860 --> 00:03:22.719 the greatest form of denial. It's been a couple 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:24.620 weeks. By the way, if you were with us last week, 00:03:24.639 --> 00:03:28.919 wasn't that just fantastic? Amazing. I can still 00:03:28.919 --> 00:03:31.439 feel kind of the, from the pulpit here, it's 00:03:31.439 --> 00:03:34.080 just. We're going to pick it up again in verse 00:03:34.080 --> 00:03:36.479 15. Last week, or two weeks ago, I should say, 00:03:36.520 --> 00:03:40.020 we left off, and it was this. It was in verse 00:03:40.020 --> 00:03:42.900 14. It says, now Caiaphas, it was Caiaphas who 00:03:42.900 --> 00:03:45.539 advised the Jews that it was expedient that one 00:03:45.539 --> 00:03:48.039 man should die for the people. He said something 00:03:48.039 --> 00:03:49.900 that was very profound, and I don't even think 00:03:49.900 --> 00:03:53.569 he understood how profound it was. He basically 00:03:53.569 --> 00:03:55.530 said it's really, really good. And the word expedient 00:03:55.530 --> 00:03:59.229 means advantageous. It's to our advantage that 00:03:59.229 --> 00:04:02.409 one man should die for the people. I think that's 00:04:02.409 --> 00:04:05.569 just the gospel in a nutshell. That one man, 00:04:05.689 --> 00:04:08.689 the Son of God, Jesus, would go to the cross 00:04:08.689 --> 00:04:12.430 and die for the entire world. That is basically 00:04:12.430 --> 00:04:15.599 John 3 .16. And so he utters this statement. 00:04:15.620 --> 00:04:17.360 Again, I don't think fully understanding the 00:04:17.360 --> 00:04:19.540 depth of what it was that he said. And that's 00:04:19.540 --> 00:04:21.439 where we left off two weeks ago. We pick it up, 00:04:21.459 --> 00:04:26.079 verse 15, and Simon Peter followed Jesus. Now 00:04:26.079 --> 00:04:28.839 at first read, you read that and you go, good. 00:04:29.769 --> 00:04:31.470 Right? I mean, it's a good thing to follow Jesus. 00:04:31.589 --> 00:04:33.730 As a matter of fact, when you look at Peter's 00:04:33.730 --> 00:04:37.269 life, the bookends of Peter's life was the exact 00:04:37.269 --> 00:04:40.009 same thing. The first time that Jesus saw Peter, 00:04:40.129 --> 00:04:42.310 he said, follow me. The very last thing that 00:04:42.310 --> 00:04:45.689 he said to Peter was follow me. In other words, 00:04:45.709 --> 00:04:47.870 Jesus was, I think, telling us something as well 00:04:47.870 --> 00:04:49.689 as telling Peter something. That is something 00:04:49.689 --> 00:04:52.470 very important. In the midst of that, in between 00:04:52.470 --> 00:04:54.990 those two bookends, two and a half to three years 00:04:54.990 --> 00:04:58.560 of a lot of things that Jesus taught Peter. And 00:04:58.560 --> 00:05:01.100 of course, through the word taught us. But I 00:05:01.100 --> 00:05:03.319 love how he just goes, listen, Peter, this is 00:05:03.319 --> 00:05:04.939 what you need to keep in mind, right? It's the 00:05:04.939 --> 00:05:07.980 main thing is to keep the main thing, the main 00:05:07.980 --> 00:05:11.259 thing. We can complicate the Christian life to 00:05:11.259 --> 00:05:14.439 its nth degree, church. But Jesus said to Peter, 00:05:14.540 --> 00:05:16.240 follow me in the very beginning and at the very 00:05:16.240 --> 00:05:19.360 end, follow me. He kept it very, very simple. 00:05:20.160 --> 00:05:22.220 So we look at that, we go, good, Peter's doing 00:05:22.220 --> 00:05:26.000 his job. This is why we use the Bible to study 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:30.139 the Bible. Matthew 26 verse 58. Matthew adds 00:05:30.139 --> 00:05:32.660 a little something in there that John does not. 00:05:32.879 --> 00:05:36.180 He puts this, but Peter followed him, Jesus, 00:05:36.319 --> 00:05:41.079 at a distance. Here's my first question to you, 00:05:41.120 --> 00:05:42.279 church, and I'm going to throw a bunch of them 00:05:42.279 --> 00:05:44.540 out this morning. Are you following Jesus at 00:05:44.540 --> 00:05:47.860 a distance? Are you at a place in life right 00:05:47.860 --> 00:05:49.740 now where you go, yeah, absolutely, I'm a Christian, 00:05:49.860 --> 00:05:52.759 but am I going to be a zealot for Jesus like 00:05:52.759 --> 00:05:54.480 you are, pastor? No, no, no, that's why you get 00:05:54.480 --> 00:05:57.629 paid. I'll go to church on Sunday morning. I 00:05:57.629 --> 00:05:59.009 ain't going to join one of these groups. Are 00:05:59.009 --> 00:06:02.129 you kidding me? Once a week is enough. I love 00:06:02.129 --> 00:06:04.430 Jesus. I love calling myself a Christian. I love 00:06:04.430 --> 00:06:06.889 going to church on Sunday morning, but I've got 00:06:06.889 --> 00:06:08.870 to keep a little bit of buffer between he and 00:06:08.870 --> 00:06:10.730 I because I don't know that I'm ready to be that 00:06:10.730 --> 00:06:14.670 kind of Christian. Do you know that the rabbis 00:06:14.670 --> 00:06:17.990 had a thought back in the day, and it was this, 00:06:18.149 --> 00:06:22.240 let the dust of your rabbi cover you. In other 00:06:22.240 --> 00:06:24.300 words, there were students, they would pick a 00:06:24.300 --> 00:06:26.540 rabbi, they would follow that rabbi, and the 00:06:26.540 --> 00:06:29.819 whole idea was you follow that rabbi so closely 00:06:29.819 --> 00:06:33.120 so that when they walk through the dust -covered 00:06:33.120 --> 00:06:35.199 streets of Jerusalem or wherever it is, that 00:06:35.199 --> 00:06:37.379 their sandals would kick up dust and it would 00:06:37.379 --> 00:06:39.860 actually get dust on you. You should follow your 00:06:39.860 --> 00:06:45.000 rabbi so closely that there's no daylight. Which 00:06:45.000 --> 00:06:47.240 brings the natural question, are we following 00:06:47.240 --> 00:06:52.399 Jesus that closely? Let me tell you, I look around 00:06:52.399 --> 00:06:54.399 a lot and I see a lot of cautious Christianity. 00:06:54.620 --> 00:06:56.740 I see a lot of casual Christianity. I even see 00:06:56.740 --> 00:06:59.980 a lot of carnal Christianity. Church, we live 00:06:59.980 --> 00:07:01.699 in a day and age where there needs to be some 00:07:01.699 --> 00:07:04.740 courageous Christianity right now. We're living 00:07:04.740 --> 00:07:09.620 in a time where there is only one form of Christianity. 00:07:09.639 --> 00:07:11.800 We're going to dig in a little bit deeper into 00:07:11.800 --> 00:07:15.220 that in just a few moments. But it said in Simon 00:07:15.220 --> 00:07:21.060 Peter, follow Jesus and so did another. Now, 00:07:21.160 --> 00:07:23.699 that disciple was known to the high priest and 00:07:23.699 --> 00:07:26.600 went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high 00:07:26.600 --> 00:07:28.300 priest. Now, real quick, for those of you that 00:07:28.300 --> 00:07:29.779 have been reading the Bible for a long time, 00:07:29.819 --> 00:07:33.019 you know that whenever John talks about the other 00:07:33.019 --> 00:07:36.319 disciple, he's referring to himself. Okay, he's 00:07:36.319 --> 00:07:37.959 just always kind of in the third person. You 00:07:37.959 --> 00:07:39.819 know, if you remember Bo Jackson, Bo Jackson 00:07:39.819 --> 00:07:41.540 would always talk about Bo. Bo knows baseball. 00:07:41.639 --> 00:07:43.759 Bo knows football. That's kind of what John is 00:07:43.759 --> 00:07:45.259 doing here. He's always talking about himself 00:07:45.259 --> 00:07:47.319 in kind of the third person. For whatever reason, 00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:49.240 he doesn't want to mention his name. I'm just, 00:07:49.300 --> 00:07:52.040 and notice what it says, another disciple. But 00:07:52.040 --> 00:07:54.500 what it really says in the Greek is the other 00:07:54.500 --> 00:07:59.339 disciple. So it could have been Nicodemus. It 00:07:59.339 --> 00:08:01.620 could have been Joseph of Arimathea. But most 00:08:01.620 --> 00:08:04.920 commentators believe that this is John talking 00:08:04.920 --> 00:08:07.720 about himself. And he says this. Now that disciple 00:08:07.720 --> 00:08:10.720 was known to the high priest and went with Jesus 00:08:10.720 --> 00:08:12.740 into the courtyard of the high priest. Now how 00:08:12.740 --> 00:08:15.779 was he known to the high priest? We don't fully 00:08:15.779 --> 00:08:19.120 know. But chances are it's because of who John 00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:22.699 was before he started to follow Jesus. John's 00:08:22.699 --> 00:08:26.399 father Zebedee owned Zebedee's high end. fishing 00:08:26.399 --> 00:08:30.560 company right he was known to be kind of he had 00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:33.139 like a fishing empire he would catch a lot of 00:08:33.139 --> 00:08:36.700 fish and and he would sell fish priests especially 00:08:36.700 --> 00:08:40.240 high priests were known for having a kind of 00:08:40.240 --> 00:08:44.159 elaborate appetite they wouldn't go to Long John 00:08:44.159 --> 00:08:48.809 Silver's They're going to like chop steakhouse. 00:08:48.870 --> 00:08:50.549 They're going to the place where they can get 00:08:50.549 --> 00:08:53.330 the finer meals in life. And chances are that 00:08:53.330 --> 00:08:56.929 could have been where the priest would have known 00:08:56.929 --> 00:08:59.429 who John was because he was a part of the Zebedee 00:08:59.429 --> 00:09:02.789 fish empire for a long time, possibly. But little 00:09:02.789 --> 00:09:05.610 tidbit there, we pick it up in verse 16. But 00:09:05.610 --> 00:09:08.320 Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other 00:09:08.320 --> 00:09:10.200 disciple, who was known to the high priest, and 00:09:10.200 --> 00:09:12.500 of course that's John, went out and spoke to 00:09:12.500 --> 00:09:15.659 her who kept the door and brought Peter in. My 00:09:15.659 --> 00:09:17.980 second question to you is this. Are you on the 00:09:17.980 --> 00:09:22.149 outside looking in? Are you on the outside looking 00:09:22.149 --> 00:09:23.669 in? I'm going to do something right now that 00:09:23.669 --> 00:09:25.549 I don't typically do. Typically, we will kind 00:09:25.549 --> 00:09:27.509 of wait toward the end of the service and just 00:09:27.509 --> 00:09:29.970 try to unpack and talk about the gospel a little 00:09:29.970 --> 00:09:31.850 bit. But I want to take a moment right now and 00:09:31.850 --> 00:09:34.250 talk to that person who may be visiting us today 00:09:34.250 --> 00:09:37.350 for the first or second time. You're kind of 00:09:37.350 --> 00:09:39.549 curious about your faith or you're curious about 00:09:39.549 --> 00:09:42.769 Jesus or just uncertain. And so you are somebody 00:09:42.769 --> 00:09:44.710 who I would say you're seeking, you're searching, 00:09:44.870 --> 00:09:48.629 you're open to the gospel. Maybe right now you 00:09:48.629 --> 00:09:50.090 just feel like you're kind of on the outside 00:09:50.090 --> 00:09:52.870 looking in. You look and you go, I'm curious 00:09:52.870 --> 00:09:55.169 about this whole Christianity thing. And I'll 00:09:55.169 --> 00:09:57.070 never forget the first time I walked into a church. 00:09:57.129 --> 00:10:00.509 I'm 25 years old. And, man, I felt like an outsider. 00:10:01.629 --> 00:10:04.470 All these kids, they were all 25, you know, 30 00:10:04.470 --> 00:10:06.850 years old, all my age. And I remember walking 00:10:06.850 --> 00:10:09.149 in and just looking at them and studying them. 00:10:09.289 --> 00:10:13.509 And they all had this smile on their face. But 00:10:13.509 --> 00:10:15.309 I could tell it was authentic. I could tell it 00:10:15.309 --> 00:10:18.610 was real. It wasn't fake or plastic. They had 00:10:18.610 --> 00:10:23.590 something I didn't. They had a peace. They had 00:10:23.590 --> 00:10:26.929 a joy. They had a contentment. They had something 00:10:26.929 --> 00:10:29.629 that I was searching for and I was looking for, 00:10:29.769 --> 00:10:38.549 and I remember thinking, what are they on? This 00:10:38.549 --> 00:10:40.549 is probably not right to say, but they were high 00:10:40.549 --> 00:10:44.490 on Jesus, man. I remember just walking in and 00:10:44.490 --> 00:10:48.950 just going, this is just different. Maybe you 00:10:48.950 --> 00:10:50.830 come in here today and you go, I kind of know 00:10:50.830 --> 00:10:52.269 what you're talking about, Pastor. I've been 00:10:52.269 --> 00:10:54.629 coming and just don't know that I fit into kind 00:10:54.629 --> 00:10:57.210 of this, you know, churchy kind of group. I'm 00:10:57.210 --> 00:10:59.750 just not sure. Can I just remind you? There were 00:10:59.750 --> 00:11:02.330 several times, several I am statements that Jesus 00:11:02.330 --> 00:11:04.629 made in the book of John. And one of them was, 00:11:04.809 --> 00:11:07.990 he said in John chapter 10, verse 9, I am the 00:11:07.990 --> 00:11:13.090 door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved. 00:11:13.149 --> 00:11:17.659 And go in and come out and find pasture. So I 00:11:17.659 --> 00:11:20.240 find it fascinating, right? Here's Peter. He's 00:11:20.240 --> 00:11:23.179 still not baptized with the Holy Spirit. We're 00:11:23.179 --> 00:11:25.220 going to see him as a man later on down the road 00:11:25.220 --> 00:11:29.379 who is fearless in all areas. But Peter is standing 00:11:29.379 --> 00:11:33.019 outside the door, and he can't get in. Why? Because 00:11:33.019 --> 00:11:35.580 there's a bouncer there, and it's not just a 00:11:35.580 --> 00:11:38.759 bouncer. It's a female bouncer, and it's a little 00:11:38.759 --> 00:11:46.129 girl. Verse 17. And the servant girl who kept 00:11:46.129 --> 00:11:49.889 the door, so she's keeping the door, and she's 00:11:49.889 --> 00:11:52.809 not letting Peter go in. Church, are you following 00:11:52.809 --> 00:11:57.750 this? Peter is keeping his distance from following 00:11:57.750 --> 00:12:00.570 Jesus, and he gets to the door to go into the 00:12:00.570 --> 00:12:02.769 courtyard, and a little girl goes, no, no, no, 00:12:02.769 --> 00:12:07.750 you can't. You need to see your ID. You're not 00:12:07.750 --> 00:12:11.169 qualified to go in. So I love how John once again 00:12:11.169 --> 00:12:13.210 reminds us that he has to come to Peter's rescue. 00:12:13.970 --> 00:12:16.429 He goes out and he talks to the girl and he begins 00:12:16.429 --> 00:12:19.250 to bring her in. But she asks him a question. 00:12:19.409 --> 00:12:22.029 You are not also one of this man's disciples, 00:12:22.250 --> 00:12:25.230 are you? And Peter responds, I am not. Strike 00:12:25.230 --> 00:12:34.309 one. It's interesting. There are certain circles 00:12:34.309 --> 00:12:37.539 where I think it's a little bit easier. to stand 00:12:37.539 --> 00:12:41.179 up and proclaim our faith. There are some which 00:12:41.179 --> 00:12:43.759 I think are a little bit more difficult. I would 00:12:43.759 --> 00:12:46.419 think if Peter was standing there talking to 00:12:46.419 --> 00:12:48.820 a young girl and she asks him about his faith, 00:12:48.940 --> 00:12:50.799 that he would be a little more bold to say, yeah, 00:12:50.840 --> 00:12:54.080 I'm one of his followers. But yet in the face 00:12:54.080 --> 00:13:02.149 of that, he does not. He denies it. Verse 18. 00:13:08.870 --> 00:13:14.769 Quickly, my third question, guys, listen. Are 00:13:14.769 --> 00:13:19.169 you warming yourself by the enemy's fire? So 00:13:19.169 --> 00:13:23.379 here's Peter, right? He doesn't necessarily want 00:13:23.379 --> 00:13:25.500 to go in through the door. He finally walks in 00:13:25.500 --> 00:13:27.620 through the door, and now he finds a group of 00:13:27.620 --> 00:13:29.500 people, and we know it's cold outside, right? 00:13:29.539 --> 00:13:31.360 They're looking to warm themselves, and so they're 00:13:31.360 --> 00:13:33.500 standing around the fire, and Peter does his 00:13:33.500 --> 00:13:35.940 best just to kind of come in and blend in and 00:13:35.940 --> 00:13:37.799 pretend like he's one of them and just, yeah, 00:13:37.820 --> 00:13:39.419 I'm just going to warm myself here by the fire. 00:13:41.679 --> 00:13:43.960 I will tell you, I think that this is a problem 00:13:43.960 --> 00:13:46.100 within the modern Christian church these days. 00:13:46.990 --> 00:13:50.830 I think we're trying too hard to blend in with 00:13:50.830 --> 00:13:53.929 the world and become like the world as if we 00:13:53.929 --> 00:13:57.610 don't want the world to know who we are. And 00:13:57.610 --> 00:13:59.850 I think it's a huge problem and a huge issue. 00:13:59.950 --> 00:14:02.649 We are supposed to stand apart from the world. 00:14:02.730 --> 00:14:04.870 The Bible says that you and I are sanctified 00:14:04.870 --> 00:14:07.750 as believers. The word sanctified literally means 00:14:07.750 --> 00:14:10.509 set apart. The world should be able to look at 00:14:10.509 --> 00:14:12.970 us and go, you're different. You're different, 00:14:13.070 --> 00:14:17.019 right? Not that we need to be these zealot beating 00:14:17.019 --> 00:14:18.940 people over the head with the Bible. I'm not 00:14:18.940 --> 00:14:21.460 saying that. But living our lives in such a way 00:14:21.460 --> 00:14:22.940 that the world's just going to look on and go, 00:14:23.000 --> 00:14:25.480 there's something different about you. In a good 00:14:25.480 --> 00:14:29.019 way. I think we've tried so hard to blend in 00:14:29.019 --> 00:14:33.179 with the world that we've actually lost our witness. 00:14:35.080 --> 00:14:38.440 Listen to what Luke chapter 22 says. Luke 22, 00:14:38.580 --> 00:14:43.159 55. Again, we're going back to... The synoptic 00:14:43.159 --> 00:14:45.120 gospels, which are Matthew, Mark, and Luke, they're 00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:47.899 adding context to some things that John is not 00:14:47.899 --> 00:14:50.059 putting in here. So we already looked at one 00:14:50.059 --> 00:14:51.480 from Matthew. We're going to look at one now 00:14:51.480 --> 00:14:54.320 with Luke chapter 22, verse 55. Look at what 00:14:54.320 --> 00:14:57.039 it says. Now, when they had kindled a fire and 00:14:57.039 --> 00:14:59.960 in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, 00:15:00.279 --> 00:15:03.559 Peter sat among them. Now, why do I bring that 00:15:03.559 --> 00:15:06.730 up? Because John just told us that he was standing 00:15:06.730 --> 00:15:08.809 next to him. He's standing next to him, cooling 00:15:08.809 --> 00:15:11.509 himself by the fire. But Luke says, no, no, no. 00:15:11.529 --> 00:15:13.830 He went a step further and he sat down. And it 00:15:13.830 --> 00:15:16.429 made me think of this verse. Listen. Psalm chapter 00:15:16.429 --> 00:15:22.830 1, verse 1. Blessed is the man who walks not 00:15:22.830 --> 00:15:24.909 in the counsel of the ungodly or the wicked, 00:15:25.029 --> 00:15:29.570 nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in 00:15:29.570 --> 00:15:33.840 the seat of the scornful. So when we first see 00:15:33.840 --> 00:15:36.919 Peter, he's walking. Next we see him, he's standing. 00:15:37.259 --> 00:15:39.639 And now we see him and he's sitting. He has just 00:15:39.639 --> 00:15:42.960 fulfilled Psalm chapter 1 in something we were 00:15:42.960 --> 00:15:46.100 called not to do. And it's fascinating, church, 00:15:46.220 --> 00:15:49.639 right? Because if we, again, if we try to mingle 00:15:49.639 --> 00:15:53.179 in with the world, if we try to just ease our 00:15:53.179 --> 00:15:55.740 way into the world and try to blend in with the 00:15:55.740 --> 00:15:59.240 world, it shouldn't and it cannot work. The world 00:15:59.240 --> 00:16:01.220 should look at us and go, you shouldn't be sitting 00:16:01.220 --> 00:16:02.500 in this circle because you're different than 00:16:02.500 --> 00:16:08.960 me. And yet Peter does himself, does his best, 00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:11.980 excuse me, to blend in. with the world in that 00:16:11.980 --> 00:16:14.539 regard. I wrote it down this way. Beware of the 00:16:14.539 --> 00:16:18.840 false flames of fellowship. Trying to warm ourselves 00:16:18.840 --> 00:16:23.419 at the flames of the world. I'm going to illustrate 00:16:23.419 --> 00:16:27.220 it to you this way, and I need help. Matt Gambino, 00:16:27.259 --> 00:16:33.600 thank you for volunteering. Everybody give Matt 00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:37.919 a hand. All right. Matt, here's what I need you 00:16:37.919 --> 00:16:43.429 to do. I need you to stand. Right there. Okay. 00:16:43.509 --> 00:16:46.389 I need you to turn this way. You're going to 00:16:46.389 --> 00:16:51.649 shine your light here. Closer. Higher. Okay. 00:16:51.710 --> 00:16:57.129 Can you guys see that? On the paper. There we 00:16:57.129 --> 00:17:00.669 go. Okay. This might be an epic fail, but it 00:17:00.669 --> 00:17:04.349 might work. Okay. Watch this. Do you guys see 00:17:04.349 --> 00:17:10.900 anything? I'm going to try not to light this 00:17:10.900 --> 00:17:16.000 thing on fire. Flame does not have a shadow. 00:17:17.220 --> 00:17:19.059 Did you guys know that? Thank you very much, 00:17:19.079 --> 00:17:21.200 Matt. Matt, where is Jesus? Love you, sweatshirt, 00:17:21.220 --> 00:17:25.960 today, because he knew. I may or may not use 00:17:25.960 --> 00:17:28.660 that next service. We'll see. What's my point? 00:17:29.349 --> 00:17:32.150 But flame, scientifically, flame does not have 00:17:32.150 --> 00:17:34.329 a shadow. Where are you going with that? Listen 00:17:34.329 --> 00:17:37.490 to what 1 John 1, 5 says. The exact same author 00:17:37.490 --> 00:17:39.009 who wrote the book that we're going through right 00:17:39.009 --> 00:17:41.269 now. Listen to what he says. This is the message 00:17:41.269 --> 00:17:44.329 which we have heard from him. So John tells us 00:17:44.329 --> 00:17:46.650 this is firsthand information. I didn't hear 00:17:46.650 --> 00:17:49.369 it second, third, or fourth. Jesus himself told 00:17:49.369 --> 00:17:51.589 me this. This is the message that we heard from 00:17:51.589 --> 00:17:54.630 him. And declare it to you that God is light 00:17:54.630 --> 00:18:01.609 and in him is no darkness at all. And so here's 00:18:01.609 --> 00:18:04.769 Peter, right? I want to be kind of halfway in 00:18:04.769 --> 00:18:07.569 and halfway out. I don't want to be so zealous 00:18:07.569 --> 00:18:09.910 that people look at me and go, you're nuts. But 00:18:09.910 --> 00:18:11.450 I also don't want to be so part of the world 00:18:11.450 --> 00:18:13.470 that they question whether or not I'm a believer. 00:18:13.589 --> 00:18:15.970 Church, you and I do not have that luxury to 00:18:15.970 --> 00:18:19.170 straddle the friends. It doesn't work. We can't. 00:18:19.930 --> 00:18:22.089 Because you won't be a good heathen and you won't 00:18:22.089 --> 00:18:24.109 be a good Christian. You'll just be right there 00:18:24.109 --> 00:18:28.420 in the middle, failing on both sides. So Peter's 00:18:28.420 --> 00:18:30.440 doing his best just to kind of go undercover 00:18:30.440 --> 00:18:34.940 and not, you know, kind of tip his hand to anybody. 00:18:36.900 --> 00:18:38.980 And we're going to see a blow up in his face 00:18:38.980 --> 00:18:41.799 in just a moment. He tries to warm himself at 00:18:41.799 --> 00:18:43.759 the enemy's fire. Look at verse 19. And here's 00:18:43.759 --> 00:18:45.039 where we're going to park and spend some more 00:18:45.039 --> 00:18:48.140 time. And the high priest then asked Jesus about, 00:18:48.220 --> 00:18:51.319 listen, church, his disciples and his doctrine, 00:18:51.460 --> 00:18:54.440 his doctrine, his doctrine. This is so important. 00:18:55.529 --> 00:18:58.549 The word doctrine literally means, listen, it 00:18:58.549 --> 00:19:01.589 means teaching, instruction, or information. 00:19:03.180 --> 00:19:06.579 It is crucial that we as a church, we hold dear 00:19:06.579 --> 00:19:09.799 to the doctrine that is from God's word. It's 00:19:09.799 --> 00:19:11.740 the apostles' doctrine, right? If you remember 00:19:11.740 --> 00:19:14.019 all the way back in the beginning of Acts chapter 00:19:14.019 --> 00:19:17.759 2, verse 42, the disciples and the apostles, 00:19:17.880 --> 00:19:21.140 they stuck to this simple game plan. The apostles' 00:19:21.420 --> 00:19:24.259 doctrine, prayer, communion, and breaking of 00:19:24.259 --> 00:19:26.960 bread, they just simply did everything around 00:19:26.960 --> 00:19:29.519 those four things. They didn't try to add ingredients 00:19:29.519 --> 00:19:31.019 to it, and they didn't try to take ingredients 00:19:31.019 --> 00:19:35.410 away. It is crucial that we as a church stick 00:19:35.410 --> 00:19:38.269 to the doctrine that is the word of God. We do 00:19:38.269 --> 00:19:40.890 not have the luxury of deviating from this at 00:19:40.890 --> 00:19:42.869 all. Matter of fact, listen to what the author 00:19:42.869 --> 00:19:46.509 of Hebrews in chapter 13, verse 8 and 9 says. 00:19:46.650 --> 00:19:50.230 Listen, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, 00:19:50.470 --> 00:19:56.609 and forever. He doesn't change. He can't change. 00:19:56.690 --> 00:20:00.430 Why? Because he's perfect. You cannot improve 00:20:00.430 --> 00:20:03.589 on who he is. He is perfect from the beginning. 00:20:03.730 --> 00:20:06.170 He will never get better. He can't get better. 00:20:06.230 --> 00:20:07.970 He goes, I don't change. I'm the same yesterday, 00:20:08.130 --> 00:20:10.410 today, and forever. Now, for your own personal 00:20:10.410 --> 00:20:13.750 life, I pray that that is just, thank you, God, 00:20:13.789 --> 00:20:15.950 because I know that I struggle to stay who I 00:20:15.950 --> 00:20:18.509 am, and I'm thankful that you don't change. And 00:20:18.509 --> 00:20:20.490 so if I continue to look to you and come to you, 00:20:20.549 --> 00:20:21.890 you're going to keep me on that straight and 00:20:21.890 --> 00:20:26.390 narrow. He does not change. But then listen to 00:20:26.390 --> 00:20:30.720 what the author says. Do not be carried about 00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:36.539 by various and strange doctrines. The author 00:20:36.539 --> 00:20:38.599 of Hebrews knows there's going to be some things 00:20:38.599 --> 00:20:41.380 that the enemy's going to throw at us. He's going 00:20:41.380 --> 00:20:42.920 to throw it in front of us in hopes that you 00:20:42.920 --> 00:20:44.740 and I will be curious about it. We'll start to 00:20:44.740 --> 00:20:46.539 look into it. Man, maybe this is something I 00:20:46.539 --> 00:20:48.259 should follow. Maybe this is something I should 00:20:48.259 --> 00:20:49.839 like. Maybe this is something I should apply. 00:20:50.720 --> 00:20:52.440 Church, if it's not in the Bible, we have no 00:20:52.440 --> 00:20:56.700 business looking at it. Things such as Jehovah's 00:20:56.700 --> 00:21:01.089 Witness. Islam, Mormonism, Hinduism, Buddhism, 00:21:01.970 --> 00:21:13.289 Don Lemonism. You go, what? First off, Jehovah's 00:21:13.289 --> 00:21:18.210 Witness, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Mormonism, 00:21:18.250 --> 00:21:21.869 every single one of those, they acknowledge that 00:21:21.869 --> 00:21:25.079 Jesus is real. They acknowledge that at some 00:21:25.079 --> 00:21:27.819 point he was here and he was either a good teacher 00:21:27.819 --> 00:21:30.339 or he was a prophet. Why? Because this is what 00:21:30.339 --> 00:21:33.400 the enemy does. He always takes a lie and wraps 00:21:33.400 --> 00:21:35.819 it in the truth so that you and I look on the 00:21:35.819 --> 00:21:38.220 outside and we go, that looks fine. So you drive 00:21:38.220 --> 00:21:39.920 by a Mormon church and on the outside it says 00:21:39.920 --> 00:21:44.400 what? The church of Jesus Christ of Latter -day 00:21:44.400 --> 00:21:46.420 Saints. Right? So if you don't know any better, 00:21:46.480 --> 00:21:48.019 if you don't know your doctrine, you drive by 00:21:48.019 --> 00:21:51.000 and you go, they're great. No, they're not. Their 00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:53.619 doctrine is a mess. But we wouldn't know that 00:21:53.619 --> 00:21:55.779 unless we dig in and we study the word. You go, 00:21:55.839 --> 00:22:02.079 Don Lemonism. I don't know if you caught what 00:22:02.079 --> 00:22:05.859 happened last Sunday in Minneapolis. A group 00:22:05.859 --> 00:22:08.839 of people sitting just like we are. And the doors 00:22:08.839 --> 00:22:10.920 fly open and a whole group of people come in. 00:22:11.440 --> 00:22:15.799 And they start to peacefully protest their church 00:22:15.799 --> 00:22:19.380 service. Now I had several thoughts that went 00:22:19.380 --> 00:22:21.240 through my mind when I watched this. Number one. 00:22:24.649 --> 00:22:26.990 I would love to see them try to do that here. 00:22:28.630 --> 00:22:34.049 I'm just saying. The result would be just a little 00:22:34.049 --> 00:22:38.410 bit different. Just saying. But number two, I 00:22:38.410 --> 00:22:41.670 actually got heartbroken. Because I thought to 00:22:41.670 --> 00:22:43.630 myself, here's a group of people that are so, 00:22:43.789 --> 00:22:47.990 they're going to walk into God's house on God's 00:22:47.990 --> 00:22:51.960 day in the midst of God's people. on God's time 00:22:51.960 --> 00:22:54.000 and think that it's okay that they were going 00:22:54.000 --> 00:22:57.160 to do what they did? But that's not even the 00:22:57.160 --> 00:22:59.319 bad part, church. It's what I heard afterward 00:22:59.319 --> 00:23:02.339 that disturbed me because, yes, Don Lemon was 00:23:02.339 --> 00:23:04.000 interviewed afterward, and here's what he said. 00:23:04.079 --> 00:23:07.640 Listen, quote, Jesus Christ, if that's who you 00:23:07.640 --> 00:23:11.099 believe, if that's who you believe in, admittedly 00:23:11.099 --> 00:23:13.599 was not perfect when he was here on the earth. 00:23:15.779 --> 00:23:20.069 Wait, what? I've read this book over 50 times, 00:23:20.130 --> 00:23:30.309 cover to cover. 30. Let me back up. Because some 00:23:30.309 --> 00:23:32.690 of you are going, where did you? I've read the 00:23:32.690 --> 00:23:35.049 New Testament over 50 times, the Old Testament 00:23:35.049 --> 00:23:37.690 over 30. There we go. Okay, clarification. Why 00:23:37.690 --> 00:23:40.210 do I say that? Not one time did I ever read anywhere 00:23:40.210 --> 00:23:46.589 where Jesus said, oops. Not one time. He never 00:23:46.589 --> 00:23:49.190 admittedly was not perfect. But you see, that's 00:23:49.190 --> 00:23:52.769 what worldly doctrine will do. Because if someone 00:23:52.769 --> 00:23:55.049 doesn't know their Bible any better, they're 00:23:55.049 --> 00:23:56.430 going to listen to something like that and go, 00:23:56.490 --> 00:23:58.630 see, that's why I don't do the whole Christian 00:23:58.630 --> 00:24:00.170 thing. Because Jesus, he did. He made mistakes, 00:24:00.309 --> 00:24:04.950 right? No. So here's what I will say. Pray for 00:24:04.950 --> 00:24:08.240 that man. He needs Jesus. I'm not up here to 00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:10.339 bash him as if I don't like him. No, my heart 00:24:10.339 --> 00:24:12.180 actually breaks for him because he's in darkness 00:24:12.180 --> 00:24:13.759 right now thinking. And here's what he said. 00:24:13.839 --> 00:24:15.819 Here's the crazy part what he said. Ready? My 00:24:15.819 --> 00:24:19.140 Christianity is different than theirs. Hello. 00:24:19.700 --> 00:24:22.000 There is no my Christianity and your Christianity. 00:24:22.240 --> 00:24:24.240 There's just Christianity and it's found right 00:24:24.240 --> 00:24:31.700 here in the word. That's it. Am I yelling at 00:24:31.700 --> 00:24:33.920 you guys? I feel like I'm really yelling. I don't. 00:24:36.940 --> 00:24:39.319 I think it's the leftover from last week. I'm 00:24:39.319 --> 00:24:48.059 kind of... Verse 20. And Jesus answered, I spoke 00:24:48.059 --> 00:24:51.299 openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues 00:24:51.299 --> 00:24:53.859 and in the temple where the Jews always meet. 00:24:54.039 --> 00:24:57.019 And in secret, I have said nothing. Now quickly, 00:24:57.180 --> 00:25:00.130 this is what Jesus means by this. He's not saying 00:25:00.130 --> 00:25:04.029 I never said anything secretly. Here's what he's 00:25:04.029 --> 00:25:06.589 saying. I never said anything in secret that 00:25:06.589 --> 00:25:09.390 I did not say open and publicly. Everything I 00:25:09.390 --> 00:25:11.230 said publicly I've said in quiet. So there's 00:25:11.230 --> 00:25:13.490 no, it's not like I said different things over 00:25:13.490 --> 00:25:15.730 here. I didn't do that. I said the exact same 00:25:15.730 --> 00:25:18.829 thing in quiet to the disciples as I said publicly 00:25:18.829 --> 00:25:20.890 from the pulpits of the synagogues and the temple. 00:25:20.970 --> 00:25:24.049 It's all the same. But then he follows up with 00:25:24.049 --> 00:25:29.579 this. Why did you ask me? Ask those who heard 00:25:29.579 --> 00:25:34.420 me that I said to them, indeed, they know what 00:25:34.420 --> 00:25:39.740 I said. So here's what he's saying. Ready? Ask 00:25:39.740 --> 00:25:43.099 those who are my disciples. Ask those who follow 00:25:43.099 --> 00:25:47.480 me. Who is that church? Thank you, Courtney. 00:25:47.619 --> 00:25:49.059 Courtney's the only one who raised her hand in 00:25:49.059 --> 00:25:51.460 the entire congregation. Who is that church? 00:25:52.599 --> 00:25:57.920 It's us. So if God decides he wants to send somebody 00:25:57.920 --> 00:25:59.980 across our path so that they can hear about who 00:25:59.980 --> 00:26:02.779 he is, we're the disciples where he says, go 00:26:02.779 --> 00:26:05.359 ahead and ask them. They know what I've said. 00:26:07.470 --> 00:26:11.029 We are those who are called to be, and it's interesting 00:26:11.029 --> 00:26:14.410 because Peter, later on, again, after he's baptized 00:26:14.410 --> 00:26:16.849 in the Spirit, would say in his letter in chapter 00:26:16.849 --> 00:26:20.549 3, verse 15, 1 Peter 3, 15, but sanctify the 00:26:20.549 --> 00:26:23.769 Lord your God in your hearts and always be ready 00:26:23.769 --> 00:26:27.289 to give a defense to everyone who asks the reason 00:26:27.289 --> 00:26:30.750 for the hope that is in you with meekness and 00:26:30.750 --> 00:26:36.029 fear. I think that Peter, looking back to this 00:26:36.029 --> 00:26:39.480 moment, knows, and he's going to, we haven't 00:26:39.480 --> 00:26:42.240 even seen church, he's going to fall quickly 00:26:42.240 --> 00:26:45.759 in here in just a minute. He goes, you've got 00:26:45.759 --> 00:26:47.799 to be ready for someone that walks up to you 00:26:47.799 --> 00:26:50.900 and goes, what is it? What's this hope that you 00:26:50.900 --> 00:26:54.380 have? I'm looking for it. I'm searching for it. 00:26:54.420 --> 00:26:57.019 I just, I can't quite put my finger on it. What 00:26:57.019 --> 00:26:59.700 is it? And he goes, be ready, be ready, because 00:26:59.700 --> 00:27:02.180 when I send them to you, you're going to need 00:27:02.180 --> 00:27:03.559 to give a defense. You're going to need to give 00:27:03.559 --> 00:27:06.930 an answer. This doctrine that we have, which, 00:27:06.970 --> 00:27:10.230 by the way, let me just clarify something. Doctrine 00:27:10.230 --> 00:27:12.589 within the church, right, there are some things 00:27:12.589 --> 00:27:15.190 that we within the church, it's okay for us to 00:27:15.190 --> 00:27:21.250 disagree on. For example, the rapture. Every 00:27:21.250 --> 00:27:25.329 single mainline denomination, Baptist, Presbyterian, 00:27:25.329 --> 00:27:35.210 Methodist. Help me out, church. Not Catholic. 00:27:37.190 --> 00:27:40.230 Lutheran, thank you. All the mainline denominations 00:27:40.230 --> 00:27:42.549 believe that there is a rapture. Now, we may 00:27:42.549 --> 00:27:45.410 differ on when it's going to happen. Some churches 00:27:45.410 --> 00:27:47.329 believe we're a non -denominational church that 00:27:47.329 --> 00:27:49.150 believes it's going to be pre -trib. It's going 00:27:49.150 --> 00:27:50.890 to happen before the tribulation. We're a pre 00:27:50.890 --> 00:27:53.309 -trib church. But the rapture happens at the 00:27:53.309 --> 00:27:55.170 front. Some believe it's going to happen mid. 00:27:55.309 --> 00:27:58.150 Some believe it's going to happen post. But at 00:27:58.150 --> 00:27:59.470 the end of the day, we believe there's going 00:27:59.470 --> 00:28:01.630 to be a rapture. We may differ on when it's going 00:28:01.630 --> 00:28:03.569 to happen. You've heard me say this before. Wouldn't 00:28:03.569 --> 00:28:05.509 it be interesting if God decided to come based 00:28:05.509 --> 00:28:10.029 upon our belief? That right there is a reason 00:28:10.029 --> 00:28:13.369 to make sure you're a pre -trib believer. I want 00:28:13.369 --> 00:28:19.769 out of here. Baptism. Every mainline denomination 00:28:19.769 --> 00:28:21.950 believes that we should be baptized. Now, some 00:28:21.950 --> 00:28:25.380 believe it's okay to be sprinkled. Some believe 00:28:25.380 --> 00:28:28.119 you gotta be dunked. We happen to believe that 00:28:28.119 --> 00:28:32.240 the word baptism, it's baptismo, it's where we 00:28:32.240 --> 00:28:34.559 get the Greek word for immerse. We believe that 00:28:34.559 --> 00:28:36.940 you should be dunked. Now listen, what if you're 00:28:36.940 --> 00:28:39.700 here and you go, I can't, I'm paralyzed, I can't 00:28:39.700 --> 00:28:41.420 walk down to the water. No problem, we'll get 00:28:41.420 --> 00:28:43.539 some water, we'll bring it up to you, we'll sprinkle 00:28:43.539 --> 00:28:45.799 you, you'll get baptized. It's not a matter of 00:28:45.799 --> 00:28:49.019 the water, it's a matter of the heart. So we 00:28:49.019 --> 00:28:52.420 can agree to disagree on certain pieces. But 00:28:52.420 --> 00:28:55.720 we all agree, yes, you should get baptized. But 00:28:55.720 --> 00:28:57.700 there are certain parts of our faith that you 00:28:57.700 --> 00:29:00.359 cannot negotiate those. That Jesus was the one 00:29:00.359 --> 00:29:03.119 and only Son of God. That he was born a virgin. 00:29:03.619 --> 00:29:06.619 That he lived a sinless life. That he died and 00:29:06.619 --> 00:29:08.779 he was buried and he rose on the third day. If 00:29:08.779 --> 00:29:11.500 you take any one of those pillars out, our faith 00:29:11.500 --> 00:29:14.480 crumbles. Those are crucial and essential for 00:29:14.480 --> 00:29:17.299 who we are as believers. It's so important, church, 00:29:17.420 --> 00:29:21.250 that we stay true to the doctrine. That is in 00:29:21.250 --> 00:29:25.250 the word of God. It's interesting at this point 00:29:25.250 --> 00:29:27.509 right now, I find it very fascinating because 00:29:27.509 --> 00:29:30.829 I'm talking to a man before service this morning 00:29:30.829 --> 00:29:32.410 came up to me and he said, listen, I've been 00:29:32.410 --> 00:29:34.369 out evangelizing lately and it's not necessarily 00:29:34.369 --> 00:29:37.029 something that I normally do. And I absolutely 00:29:37.029 --> 00:29:42.190 love it. What happened? He goes, I'm just going 00:29:42.190 --> 00:29:45.779 to go and take a step of faith. He didn't wait 00:29:45.779 --> 00:29:48.480 to go through theology school or seminary or 00:29:48.480 --> 00:29:50.140 anything like that. He goes, you know what, Lord? 00:29:50.380 --> 00:29:52.640 I'm going to take a step, and if you want to 00:29:52.640 --> 00:29:55.500 use me, you'll meet me there, and I'll have some 00:29:55.500 --> 00:29:57.740 life -changing conversations with people. That 00:29:57.740 --> 00:30:01.539 is so crucial. Why? Did you catch what just happened? 00:30:01.960 --> 00:30:05.519 Jesus just pointed Caiaphas to his disciples 00:30:05.519 --> 00:30:08.319 that at this point, Peter can't even acknowledge 00:30:08.319 --> 00:30:12.619 that he's a follower of Jesus. And we may be 00:30:12.619 --> 00:30:14.640 here today going, I feel like that. I ain't ready 00:30:14.640 --> 00:30:16.660 to answer any of those hard questions. Isn't 00:30:16.660 --> 00:30:19.359 it fascinating? In Acts chapter 4, verse 13, 00:30:19.500 --> 00:30:22.140 listen to what it says. The Pharisees were talking 00:30:22.140 --> 00:30:24.240 about, of all people, Peter and John, the two 00:30:24.240 --> 00:30:27.380 very main characters of our text here. Now, when 00:30:27.380 --> 00:30:30.460 they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived 00:30:30.460 --> 00:30:33.940 that they were uneducated and untrained men, 00:30:34.099 --> 00:30:39.339 they marveled. And they realized that they had 00:30:39.339 --> 00:30:43.349 spent time with Jesus. Isn't it interesting, 00:30:43.490 --> 00:30:45.690 right? They look at Peter and John and they go, 00:30:45.869 --> 00:30:49.329 these guys don't know anything. Matter of fact, 00:30:49.329 --> 00:30:52.809 they're kind of morons. But they spent time with 00:30:52.809 --> 00:30:56.930 Jesus. I think that should be like the life verse 00:30:56.930 --> 00:30:59.289 for our pastoral team in the church here. Like, 00:30:59.289 --> 00:31:01.309 these guys don't know anything, but they spent 00:31:01.309 --> 00:31:05.130 time with Jesus. That's good. Pick it up in verse 00:31:05.130 --> 00:31:12.720 22. And when he had said these things, one of 00:31:12.720 --> 00:31:15.339 the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the 00:31:15.339 --> 00:31:17.480 palm of his hand, saying, Do you answer the high 00:31:17.480 --> 00:31:20.299 priest that way? And Jesus answered him, If I 00:31:20.299 --> 00:31:22.720 have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil. But 00:31:22.720 --> 00:31:25.359 if well, why do you strike me? Then Annas sent 00:31:25.359 --> 00:31:27.759 him bound to Caiaphas, the high priest. And here's 00:31:27.759 --> 00:31:29.200 where we dig in, and we're going to pause in 00:31:29.200 --> 00:31:31.579 this last section here at church as we have a 00:31:31.579 --> 00:31:35.519 chance to unpack Peter's, probably his darkest 00:31:35.519 --> 00:31:39.119 moment in his entire life. Now, when Simon Peter 00:31:39.119 --> 00:31:41.480 stood and warmed himself, so there he is still 00:31:41.480 --> 00:31:43.980 hanging out at the enemy's fire. Therefore, they 00:31:43.980 --> 00:31:46.039 said to him, you are not also one of his disciples, 00:31:46.119 --> 00:31:48.440 are you? And he denied it and said, I am not. 00:31:49.720 --> 00:31:52.480 Now, I want to draw your attention back to verse 00:31:52.480 --> 00:31:55.259 17 and see if you notice the difference between 00:31:55.259 --> 00:31:58.160 the two statements that he just made. In verse 00:31:58.160 --> 00:32:02.440 17, he said, I am not. In verse 25, he said, 00:32:02.480 --> 00:32:05.799 I am not! Peter's starting to get a little more 00:32:05.799 --> 00:32:09.619 passionate in his denial of the Lord. I'm not 00:32:09.619 --> 00:32:14.160 one of his followers. And he brazenly expresses 00:32:14.160 --> 00:32:22.160 that to those that are questioning him. Again, 00:32:22.240 --> 00:32:24.039 we're going to go back to Matthew 26, and he's 00:32:24.039 --> 00:32:26.690 going to give us a little more context. Matthew 00:32:26.690 --> 00:32:29.869 26, verse 73, look at what it says. And a little 00:32:29.869 --> 00:32:32.509 later, those who stood by came up and said to 00:32:32.509 --> 00:32:36.150 Peter, surely you are one of them for your speech 00:32:36.150 --> 00:32:38.470 betrays you. That's my fourth and final question, 00:32:38.589 --> 00:32:40.970 church. Are you being betrayed by your speech? 00:32:42.410 --> 00:32:45.930 In other words, when you talk, does the world 00:32:45.930 --> 00:32:48.829 take notice? Is it different? I don't know about 00:32:48.829 --> 00:32:53.390 you, but it was probably about two. or three 00:32:53.390 --> 00:32:56.650 months into my faith, into my walk with Jesus, 00:32:56.750 --> 00:32:59.829 that all of a sudden it just dawned on me that 00:32:59.829 --> 00:33:03.710 I had stopped cursing. I didn't even look to 00:33:03.710 --> 00:33:06.150 do it intentionally. It just, one day I was like, 00:33:06.269 --> 00:33:12.289 you know what? I haven't said in a long time. 00:33:13.329 --> 00:33:16.319 And I was actually kind of surprised by it. And 00:33:16.319 --> 00:33:18.700 throughout the course of my walk, I would have 00:33:18.700 --> 00:33:20.819 conversations because I still played sports. 00:33:20.960 --> 00:33:23.319 And if you know anything about sports, sometimes 00:33:23.319 --> 00:33:26.920 there's some language there. And I remember guys 00:33:26.920 --> 00:33:28.460 would say to me, like, dude, you don't curse. 00:33:30.279 --> 00:33:34.559 I'm like, yeah, I don't. God's touched me and 00:33:34.559 --> 00:33:37.420 changed my life. It just gave opportunity to 00:33:37.420 --> 00:33:40.039 be able to declare who God was and how he had 00:33:40.039 --> 00:33:43.309 changed my life. So they look at Peter and they 00:33:43.309 --> 00:33:48.529 go, surely your speech betrays you. Matthew 26 00:33:48.529 --> 00:33:52.089 verse 74, the very next verse. Then he began 00:33:52.089 --> 00:33:58.410 to curse and to swear saying, I do not know the 00:33:58.410 --> 00:34:04.470 man. Now for the longest time I thought. That 00:34:04.470 --> 00:34:07.269 what that meant was that when Peter was having 00:34:07.269 --> 00:34:10.409 this interaction with them, that he cursed like 00:34:10.409 --> 00:34:13.389 you do when you're driving down the 95. Okay? 00:34:14.170 --> 00:34:16.670 That's what I thought. Actually, the more I thought 00:34:16.670 --> 00:34:18.570 about it, I think it might be something different. 00:34:18.809 --> 00:34:21.230 I think maybe what Peter was actually saying 00:34:21.230 --> 00:34:25.670 was, if I am not telling the truth, may I be 00:34:25.670 --> 00:34:33.849 cursed? Ooh. That's a little different. That 00:34:33.849 --> 00:34:36.690 has a little more weight to it, right? Now all 00:34:36.690 --> 00:34:39.510 of a sudden Peter is saying, if I'm being dishonest 00:34:39.510 --> 00:34:42.650 here, may I be, I'll be honest with you, that 00:34:42.650 --> 00:34:46.389 makes more sense to me and here's why. You and 00:34:46.389 --> 00:34:48.449 I, we just, let's be transparent here. Okay, 00:34:48.449 --> 00:34:50.670 we're in church. Every once in a while, we just 00:34:50.670 --> 00:34:56.710 kind of let a word and you're like, right? Thank 00:34:56.710 --> 00:35:03.929 you. Leave me up here by myself. It happens. 00:35:10.349 --> 00:35:13.130 There's a cost to denial. I think this is starting 00:35:13.130 --> 00:35:17.420 to come. Clear to Peter, excuse me, because Jesus 00:35:17.420 --> 00:35:20.719 in Matthew chapter 10, verses 32 and 33, listen 00:35:20.719 --> 00:35:23.360 to what he says. Therefore, whoever confesses 00:35:23.360 --> 00:35:27.000 me before men, him I will also confess before 00:35:27.000 --> 00:35:30.199 my Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies 00:35:30.199 --> 00:35:33.840 me before men, him I will also deny before my 00:35:33.840 --> 00:35:38.019 Father who is in heaven. Think about what Peter 00:35:38.019 --> 00:35:41.920 just did, church. This is no small thing. Peter 00:35:41.920 --> 00:35:44.780 given the opportunity. Would it have cost him 00:35:44.780 --> 00:35:48.199 in front of all those people to say, yes, I'm 00:35:48.199 --> 00:35:51.019 a follower of Jesus? Absolutely it would have. 00:35:51.019 --> 00:35:54.340 To what degree? We don't know. I mean, he would 00:35:54.340 --> 00:35:56.619 later on pay with his life. Peter would get to 00:35:56.619 --> 00:36:00.039 a place later on where he actually said to those 00:36:00.039 --> 00:36:02.460 who were getting ready to crucify him, crucify 00:36:02.460 --> 00:36:05.519 me upside down. I'm not even worthy to be crucified 00:36:05.519 --> 00:36:09.219 like my Savior. So a radical shift happened in 00:36:09.219 --> 00:36:11.320 Peter's heart. Obviously, the baptism of the 00:36:11.320 --> 00:36:13.579 Holy Spirit took him to a place where he had 00:36:13.579 --> 00:36:16.139 a holy boldness that was absolutely amazing. 00:36:16.400 --> 00:36:22.440 He doesn't have it at this point. He says, I 00:36:22.440 --> 00:36:27.139 am not, strike two. One of the servants of the 00:36:27.139 --> 00:36:29.659 high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter 00:36:29.659 --> 00:36:32.619 cut off, said, did I not see you in the garden 00:36:32.619 --> 00:36:36.820 with him? And Peter denied again. a third time. 00:36:38.460 --> 00:36:40.500 Now I opened up in the very beginning and I talked 00:36:40.500 --> 00:36:43.800 about rejection and just how difficult it can 00:36:43.800 --> 00:36:46.360 actually be. That is literally the Greek word 00:36:46.360 --> 00:36:48.400 of the word deny here that we just saw twice. 00:36:49.150 --> 00:36:52.110 Peter denied him back to back. In a matter of 00:36:52.110 --> 00:36:55.349 moments, he denied his Savior. He ultimately 00:36:55.349 --> 00:36:58.630 rejected his Savior. Now, if you've ever been 00:36:58.630 --> 00:37:00.929 rejected or you've been that person, there could 00:37:00.929 --> 00:37:03.030 be a variety of different emotions that you may 00:37:03.030 --> 00:37:05.329 go through. It may be hurt, and I'm sure it is. 00:37:07.050 --> 00:37:08.809 But there also might be a point where you get 00:37:08.809 --> 00:37:12.340 angry. You shouldn't have done that to me. You 00:37:12.340 --> 00:37:14.900 were trusted. Your role in my life, whatever 00:37:14.900 --> 00:37:18.199 it is, you were supposed to protect me, love 00:37:18.199 --> 00:37:20.599 me. Whatever it might be, you look on and you 00:37:20.599 --> 00:37:25.079 go, that hurt and now I'm angry. Some of us probably 00:37:25.079 --> 00:37:27.420 wonder, like, I'm sure Jesus went through those 00:37:27.420 --> 00:37:34.659 same emotions as well. Because notice, again, 00:37:34.780 --> 00:37:37.070 we're going to look to another. Another passage 00:37:37.070 --> 00:37:39.090 to get a little more context here in Luke chapter 00:37:39.090 --> 00:37:42.769 22, verse 62. It says, so Peter went out and 00:37:42.769 --> 00:37:51.570 wept bitterly. This is not just a couple of tears 00:37:51.570 --> 00:37:58.650 rolling down the face. This is convulsing where 00:37:58.650 --> 00:38:04.940 you can't breathe. This is how hard he. is weeping 00:38:04.940 --> 00:38:09.019 now what what triggered that was it his own conscience 00:38:09.019 --> 00:38:13.519 you know i just oh that's right jesus told me 00:38:13.519 --> 00:38:16.760 something remember in john chapter 13 verse 38 00:38:16.760 --> 00:38:18.780 we looked at it a few months ago will you lay 00:38:18.780 --> 00:38:20.820 down your life for my sake peter jesus asked 00:38:20.820 --> 00:38:24.329 peter Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster 00:38:24.329 --> 00:38:26.949 shall not crow till you have denied me three 00:38:26.949 --> 00:38:29.630 times. Did it just click right then in Peter's 00:38:29.630 --> 00:38:31.809 heart and in his mind the third time he denied 00:38:31.809 --> 00:38:34.989 Jesus that all of a sudden those words came rushing 00:38:34.989 --> 00:38:37.170 back to him and all of a sudden he started to 00:38:37.170 --> 00:38:42.530 weep bitterly? Possibly. But I believe it was 00:38:42.530 --> 00:38:46.630 also something else. Because before Luke 22, 00:38:46.750 --> 00:38:52.210 62, In Luke 22, 61, it says, and the Lord turned 00:38:52.210 --> 00:38:55.809 and looked at Peter. And then Peter remembered 00:38:55.809 --> 00:39:02.170 the word that the Lord said. Here's my question. 00:39:02.710 --> 00:39:08.010 What was that look? Was it the look that you 00:39:08.010 --> 00:39:11.230 and I give our sons and our daughters when we're 00:39:11.230 --> 00:39:13.889 so fed up with them? I can't believe you're mine. 00:39:14.090 --> 00:39:16.349 You're not mine. You're my wife's daughter. That's 00:39:16.349 --> 00:39:19.050 who you are. Right? And you give him just like 00:39:19.050 --> 00:39:25.309 the stink eye. I don't think that's what it was. 00:39:28.030 --> 00:39:31.949 I think Jesus turned and looked at Peter with 00:39:31.949 --> 00:39:38.849 a look of, I still love you. Even with all of 00:39:38.849 --> 00:39:43.110 this, I still love you. I absolutely believe 00:39:43.110 --> 00:39:45.610 that was the look that he gave him. And I think 00:39:45.610 --> 00:39:48.820 that's what broke Peter. Peter's a tough dude, 00:39:48.900 --> 00:39:50.679 right? Remember, he was the one who said, Lord, 00:39:50.760 --> 00:39:53.260 I'll go die with you. There was no fear with 00:39:53.260 --> 00:39:54.699 him. Well, there was fear. He feared a little 00:39:54.699 --> 00:39:57.599 girl at the outside of the door. I'll have to 00:39:57.599 --> 00:40:06.320 rethink that for second service. What about you? 00:40:10.260 --> 00:40:15.710 You ever blow it and think? There's a line in 00:40:15.710 --> 00:40:18.289 a 10th Avenue North song, if I have this correctly, 00:40:18.469 --> 00:40:21.050 I'll verify it with Pastor Andrew after service. 00:40:22.349 --> 00:40:27.469 I think they say, am I one sin away from you 00:40:27.469 --> 00:40:32.690 leaving me this way? And I would imagine for 00:40:32.690 --> 00:40:40.710 Peter, this was such a difficult moment. But 00:40:40.710 --> 00:40:43.369 we're going to see Jesus do something so profound 00:40:43.369 --> 00:40:46.389 in his life. when we get to John chapter 21, 00:40:46.510 --> 00:40:52.190 that it is unbelievable. But as we start to bring 00:40:52.190 --> 00:40:59.190 it to a close this morning, maybe you're here 00:40:59.190 --> 00:41:06.429 and you go, man, I just keep messing up. I want 00:41:06.429 --> 00:41:08.989 to read a passage to you. This is from Paul wrote 00:41:08.989 --> 00:41:11.809 this in 2 Corinthians chapter 7, verses 9 and 00:41:11.809 --> 00:41:17.980 10. He said, now I rejoice. Not that you were 00:41:17.980 --> 00:41:20.699 made sorrow, sorry, excuse me, but that your 00:41:20.699 --> 00:41:25.739 sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorrow 00:41:25.739 --> 00:41:29.039 in a godly manner that you might suffer loss 00:41:29.039 --> 00:41:32.480 from us is nothing. For godly sorrow produces 00:41:32.480 --> 00:41:36.159 repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted, 00:41:36.159 --> 00:41:39.599 but the sorrow of the world produces death. What 00:41:39.599 --> 00:41:42.199 is Paul saying? There's a difference between 00:41:42.199 --> 00:41:44.599 being sorry that you did something and sorry 00:41:44.599 --> 00:41:48.639 you got caught. Right? I mean, when you get caught 00:41:48.639 --> 00:41:51.159 doing something and you go, man, I really wish 00:41:51.159 --> 00:41:52.679 I wouldn't have done that because I didn't want 00:41:52.679 --> 00:41:55.619 to get caught, that's worldly sorrow. And Paul 00:41:55.619 --> 00:41:58.940 goes, that's going to lead to death. The other 00:41:58.940 --> 00:42:01.719 sorrow is godly sorrow, where your heart is so 00:42:01.719 --> 00:42:03.659 broken and you're so crushed because you go, 00:42:03.699 --> 00:42:07.679 I cannot believe that I did that to my Savior 00:42:07.679 --> 00:42:10.440 for something that he would go and allow his 00:42:10.440 --> 00:42:13.719 body to be whipped and broken and beaten and 00:42:13.719 --> 00:42:16.639 pierced on the cross for me, and yet I chose 00:42:16.639 --> 00:42:21.400 to do something. And prayerfully, if that's us, 00:42:21.440 --> 00:42:25.079 there is a work that the Spirit is doing within 00:42:25.079 --> 00:42:31.159 our hearts. that just leads us to that place 00:42:31.159 --> 00:42:35.820 where there's godly repentance. Paul says in 00:42:35.820 --> 00:42:39.519 Romans 8, 1, there is therefore now no condemnation 00:42:39.519 --> 00:42:43.420 for those who are in Christ Jesus. If you are 00:42:43.420 --> 00:42:46.800 in Christ, listen, he does not condemn you. Now 00:42:46.800 --> 00:42:48.920 the Holy Spirit will convict us, praise God, 00:42:49.059 --> 00:42:51.340 and that's a good thing. So that when you and 00:42:51.340 --> 00:42:54.019 I start to warm our hands at the fires of the 00:42:54.019 --> 00:42:56.079 world and the enemy's fire, and he will whisper 00:42:56.079 --> 00:42:57.739 and go, no, no, no, that's not who you are anymore. 00:42:57.900 --> 00:43:00.179 I grabbed ahold of you and I changed you and 00:43:00.179 --> 00:43:04.820 you belong to me. We don't do that anymore. That 00:43:04.820 --> 00:43:07.699 is a glorious thing. Condemnation is from the 00:43:07.699 --> 00:43:11.440 enemy. Conviction is from the Lord. And if you 00:43:11.440 --> 00:43:14.820 have been, had one of those weeks, and maybe 00:43:14.820 --> 00:43:16.699 you got involved in something or you did something, 00:43:16.760 --> 00:43:23.860 just know he loves you. He loves you. And I want 00:43:23.860 --> 00:43:25.420 to take a moment if I can and just speak to the 00:43:25.420 --> 00:43:27.159 person maybe you're visiting for the first or 00:43:27.159 --> 00:43:30.900 second time today. Maybe you have for the longest 00:43:30.900 --> 00:43:33.519 time just kind of been on the outside looking 00:43:33.519 --> 00:43:36.460 in. And you're going, is there a place for me 00:43:36.460 --> 00:43:39.199 in this church? Or is there a place for me in 00:43:39.199 --> 00:43:41.480 Christianity? Is there a place for me within 00:43:41.480 --> 00:43:43.579 the family of God? And the Bible says absolutely. 00:43:44.000 --> 00:43:46.980 To those who receive him, he gives the right 00:43:46.980 --> 00:43:49.179 to become a child of God. It's not based upon 00:43:49.179 --> 00:43:51.579 our goodness. It's not based upon our works. 00:43:51.679 --> 00:43:54.940 It's not based upon our position in life. It's 00:43:54.940 --> 00:43:57.579 not based upon any of those things. It is a free 00:43:57.579 --> 00:44:00.360 gift, the grace of God, that he loves the world 00:44:00.360 --> 00:44:02.760 so much that he sent his son to the cross to 00:44:02.760 --> 00:44:04.360 pay the penalty for the entire world. world. 00:44:04.440 --> 00:44:06.820 And if anyone would put their faith and trust 00:44:06.820 --> 00:44:09.000 in him, we will be saved and we will be forgiven. 00:44:15.300 --> 00:44:17.320 Let's pray. Our Father, we thank you, God. We 00:44:17.320 --> 00:44:20.019 thank you for your unending grace that just you 00:44:20.019 --> 00:44:24.760 continue to lavish upon us, Lord. It's hard to 00:44:24.760 --> 00:44:27.340 even wrap our minds around. It's hard to even 00:44:27.340 --> 00:44:30.300 explain. But yet we know it to be true because 00:44:30.300 --> 00:44:33.750 we see it in your word every time we read. Your 00:44:33.750 --> 00:44:35.429 love, your mercy, your grace. Your word says 00:44:35.429 --> 00:44:37.610 that your mercies are new every single day. Today 00:44:37.610 --> 00:44:41.630 we woke up and your mercies were new. A new day. 00:44:42.530 --> 00:44:46.809 A clean slate. I believe actually represented 00:44:46.809 --> 00:44:50.250 in the crow of the rooster. Rooster's crow in 00:44:50.250 --> 00:44:52.690 the morning. That's when Peter heard that and 00:44:52.690 --> 00:44:55.489 I pray for him. It was just that sign of a new 00:44:55.489 --> 00:44:58.349 day, a fresh start, a clean slate, a new opportunity. 00:44:58.610 --> 00:45:00.710 Father, I pray that we're reminded the same thing 00:45:00.710 --> 00:45:10.980 awaits us. if we would just look unto you. Lord, 00:45:11.039 --> 00:45:12.860 maybe today, maybe we've been looking in other 00:45:12.860 --> 00:45:19.320 places. Please draw our attention back to you 00:45:19.320 --> 00:45:20.980 and back to the cross so that we can be reminded 00:45:20.980 --> 00:45:31.380 of your love that is so great. Father, we pray 00:45:31.380 --> 00:45:33.199 that you would speak to the heart of the person 00:45:33.199 --> 00:45:35.400 here today that is searching, seeking, wondering, 00:45:35.599 --> 00:45:40.460 questioning. Lord, that you would draw them to 00:45:40.460 --> 00:45:43.360 yourself. That's our prayer, Lord, please. And 00:45:43.360 --> 00:45:44.559 we pray this in Jesus' name.