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Standing Afar Off · Wetumpka Church of Christ Online

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Good morning to everyone. Good to see you today.
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You're a fine-looking crowd as you always are.
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I want to I want to study with you a little bit this morning.
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This this for me will not be one of your regular intro, three
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points, conclusion, kind of lessons.
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I felt a little bit scatterbrained as I Was
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preparing this and even after I've got it done and I've got my
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three sheets of paper here. I look at it and I hope and pray
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to myself that I Don't Stray too far, and I know that you hope
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and pray the exact same thing that I do.
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Not. Stray too far.
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Sometimes I do that when I got just a hodgepodge of a whole
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bunch of things that I want to talk about.
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So this is how we'll start. I want to try to direct our
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minds back to the Garden of Gethsemane.
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Maybe even if you want to take your Bibles and open up to the
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Book of John, and as I'm kind of bringing up some of these things
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that we read in those chapters chapters 13 through, Maybe.
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Teen. Maybe we can even start.
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As far back is is chapter 13 in just me help remind you of some
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of the things that are going on, remember before they even find
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themselves. They being Jesus.
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And his Apostles find themselves even going into the Garden of
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Gethsemane all the way back in John Chapter 13, you have the
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the Last Supper we were talking about this.
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Just a few moments ago. When our Young Adult class that
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that in John, Chapter 13 is where you have Jesus washing the
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disciples feet. As supper has come to a
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conclusion. He's already told them about the
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the unleavened bread. He's already told them about the
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fruit of the vine. And now supper has come to a
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conclusion and he takes a towel and girded himself and he begins
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to wash their feet. And then teaches him a value, a
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valuable lesson of being a servant, what it truly means to
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serve one another. And from there, as you look in
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the Book of John Chapter 13, 14, 15 16, And 17, every one of
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those chapters. You have Jesus during that
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particular point in time at that supper teaches them valuable
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lesson upon valuable lesson upon valuable lesson.
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So much good is found in those few chapters.
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And you have Jesus talking about how people will be able to tell
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that you're my disciples by the love that.
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You have for one another in chapter 14.
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He talks about how there will be a place that will be prepared
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for them and And he'll return and take his disciples and
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receive them unto himself and on and on you you can look there in
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your Bibles and you can see all those great promises that Jesus
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makes to his disciples and and all of the wonderful pieces of
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advice that he gives them and as he concludes or wraps up, I
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don't know if you want to call it a sermon that he gives them
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or devotional or but when he when he concludes this
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discussion that he has with them full of all kinds of knowledge
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for them. They leave they Reached into
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what Jesus often would do, go to a place to pray and they've gone
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into now the garden. He's taking his disciples with
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them. Then he takes a few of his
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closest closest friends of those disciples.
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They go a little bit further with him and he asked them to
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stay and to pray with him and he gone goes on about a stone's,
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throw away a little further from them and he prays for an hour
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and he prays fervently, and the Bible tells us that he prays.
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Fervently, he's in such anguish and Agony that sweat Falls from
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his brow as great drops of blood and after an hour of praying, he
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returns. And he finds his his closest
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friends asleep and even chastise them that, you know, could you
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not pray for an hour? Pray that you enter not into
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temptation. And he goes again to pray and he
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prays for another hour and he comes back and he finds them
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asleep. You know, he's begged and
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pleaded with them. Pray.
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Pray with me, you know the hour. ER, is at him and he goes and he
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prays for another hour. He lets them sleep.
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This time, he goes and he prays for another hour and then he
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comes and he wakes them and he tells him to arise because the
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hour is at hand. In fact, the scriptures tells us
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that that while he is actually saying this.
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Here comes the band of soldiers could have been upwards of 200
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men. Carrying swords and clubs.
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And here comes Judas to betray Jesus with the kiss.
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There's a there's a discussion there for a moment Peters rage,
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you know just takes over and he comes out with a sword swinging
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and he cuts off. Malka, Susie ear and Jesus
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chastises Peter for for what he's done.
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In fact, in John chapter 18 and verse 11.
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Jesus says to Peter put up thy sword into the sheath the cup.
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My father hath given me shall I not drink it.
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Jesus in essence, says to Peter, you know, it's time.
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We're here. We're at the point of which I
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have come to Earth to to do. Am I not supposed to go and do
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what God has called me to do. So he chastises, Peter and tells
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him to put the sword up and he picks up the ear and he puts it
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back on Malcolm's his head and heals him.
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And I want you to remember at this particular point in time
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before. Before any of these other things
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begin to take place. Remember, starting all the way
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back in John Chapter 13 and John chapter, 14 and 15 and 16 and
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17. All of that, that Jesus had had
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spent talking with his disciples specifically Peter, who were
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going to talk about here in just a moment but talking to them and
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encouraging them and telling them what's going to happen and
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telling them about the place that he's going to prepare in
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the need for for love that. They ought to have one for
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another and the need to be of service.
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One to another, you know, he's uplifted them and we might even
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think he's given them everything that they could have needed to
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make it through this difficult point in time.
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But then as the gospel of Matthew records, it in verse 56
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of chapter 26. We find that every single one of
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his disciples fled from him. As Jesus is being led away,
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bound to be tried. You're all that Jesus had said,
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just and they're too scared to afraid maybe too embarrassed to
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frightened. To stick with him.
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And so they flee. Now you have John and Peter who
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they kind of linger around and stick behind.
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But but specifically, I want to talk about Peter because God
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word God's word tells us in verse 58 of Matthew chapter, 26,
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that Peter, however, followed some versions, say a far-off
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some versions say at a distance, and some might think, well,
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that's good. You know, he wanted to be as
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close as he could, you know. On Peter for being so scared and
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afraid to really continue to stick up and to even go to a
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cross himself with Jesus on that night.
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But actually what we find is, we find that Peters really only
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reason for sticking around is found in verse 58, that it tells
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us that Peter, followed to see the end.
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He wanted to see what was going to happen.
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It was it's almost as if really Peters curiosity of what's going
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to take place, really was outweighing.
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The love that he should have had for his savior.
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Okay. So most of us have been raised
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in the church. Most of us here this morning.
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We know how all this plays out. We know that Peter eventually
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betrays Jesus by denying that he even knew him.
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But let's let's look at, this may be from the perspective of,
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you're a first-time Bible reader and your beginning at the
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beginning of the gospels, which that's how I would recommend.
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You read a book, you know, start at the beginning instead of the
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end. It's how most people read?
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When you start at the beginning and you begin to read the
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gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and you begin to learn
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about the life of Peter. And then eventually we get to
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verse 58 of Matthew chapter 26 where we where we read that
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Peter followed a far-off, you know, if this is the first time
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you're ever reading it this should blow your mind.
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God wait a second. What Peter's following Jesus
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from afar off and the reason that it ought to blow your mind,
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the reading the reason, it might should really grasp you as a
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first-time Bible reader is because that's not the Guy that
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you had been reading about up until this point.
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Let me quickly take you through some passages of God's word and
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explain to you. This is not something that we
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would have expected from Peter for him to to flee and then
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follow Jesus at a distance and eventually even pretend that he
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doesn't even know who Jesus was. And the reason for that is, is
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we know, now, Peter to be a boisterous individual at times
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to be completely. Fearful, as we read, just a
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moment ago, a man willing to take out a sword and go Swinging
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with it. In John chapter 1, we find that
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that Peter was one of the very first apostles, not the first,
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but one of the very first apostles that Jesus called to
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follow him. So, so that means that Peter had
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the better part of three years to follow Jesus, and listen to
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Jesus teachings to witness Jesus perform Miracle after Miracle
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after miracle. Peter witness, Jesus restore
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sight to the blind to allow people who had not walked since
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birth to stand up, to take up their bed and to walk Peter had
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witnessed. Jesus raised people from the
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dead. Peter even witnessed Jesus, come
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to his own home, where his mother-in-law was deathly, ill
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and heal her, to the point that she didn't just feel better and
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they could finally bring her some juice and she nursed
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herself back to help. But, no, he healed his
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mother-in-law and she popped right up and began to cook and
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prepare a meal for everybody. Peter had seen all that Jesus
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had done in Matthew, chapter 4, and verse 20.
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We're told and reminded of the fact that Peter had done like
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the other Apostles. They had actually left all
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behind in order to follow Jesus. They were so sold on the fact
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that this is the messiah. In fact, when when someone came
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to Peter and said, we found the Messiah, the one who's been
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prophesied from from the Books of Moses.
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Peter was willing to leave it. All behind to drop his Nets.
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After a day of fishing, leave it behind leave his family.
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Leave his home. To follow Jesus for three years.
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In Matthew chapter 14. I've always loved this
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particular count. This is where Jesus comes
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walking on the water in the middle of the night.
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Somewhere around 3 a.m. The disciples.
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See Jesus. And they think it's they think
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it's a ghost and Jesus says don't be afraid.
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It's I and then you have Peter speak up in verse 28 of Matthew
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chapter 14, you know, I think a lot of times we We often
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remember the story as Peter saying, Lord.
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Can I come out of the boat and walked to you?
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But that's not how it happened. Was it?
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Jason, Peter says, if it's you Lord, command me.
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Command me to come to you on the water.
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I mean, what kind of Bravery are we?
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Are? We seeing here?
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Lord, if that's you off there in the distance that at first, we
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thought it was a ghost and it's in the middle of the night and
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we're on the see if it is. You just tell me to Out of the
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boat Peter and step out on the water and walk to you and I'll
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do it. And he says will come, and so
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Peter. What is he doing?
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Hikes his legs over the edge and he hops down there on the water
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and he started to walk to Jesus. in Matthew chapter 16, when
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Jesus asks his disciples, who are people saying that I am They
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said, well, some are saying your this and some are saying, but
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but who do you say that? I am in Matthew chapter 16 and
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verse 16. Peter confesses that that you
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Jesus, you are the Christ. You're the son of the Living.
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God Yugi, you know, Peter knew Peter had experienced the
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presence of God with him. In John, chapter 6 when Jesus
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was teaching a very difficult teaching and there were many who
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London left because they could not listen to what he was saying
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anymore. Jesus turns to his Apostles and
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ask them, are y'all going to to leave too?
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And Peter is the one and verse 68 of John 6 who speaks up and
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says Lord to whom, shall we go? For you have the words of
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eternal life. Peter knew there wasn't there
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wasn't any other person that they could go to.
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There was no other place that they could travel to that could
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offer them. What Jesus was offering them
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Lord. We're not going to go anywhere
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else because we know you offer salvation.
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In fact in the very next verse in verse 69, Peter goes on to
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say you are the Christ, the son of the Living God.
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I'll take your Bibles. Go over to Matthew chapter 26.
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Matthew chapter 26. And start in verse 31.
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One more page, one more page in verse 31.
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Then Jesus said unto them. All ye, I'm reading from the
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King James version. All ye shall be offended because
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of me this night some versions say that you will be you will be
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you will stumble because of me this night you will I guess one
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way to look at his you'll fall away.
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You'll give in to Temptation because of me.
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For it is written. I will Smite the shepherd and
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the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
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But after I'm risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.
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And then Peter says, in verse 33, Peter answered and said unto
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him though. All men shall be offended or
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stumble, because of thee, yet. Will I never be offended?
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I will never stumble. I will never be made to stumble.
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Some powerful powerful, strong words, you're saying there,
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Peter. And then in Luke chapter 22 and
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verse 33. Peter says, again Jesus.
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Reminding them of what would become of them because of,
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because of Jesus having to go to the cross.
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And Peter again, is adamantly opposed to what Jesus is saying.
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And so Peter speaks up and Luke 22, 33, Lord.
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I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.
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With. Now all these examples that I've
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just given, this sounds like the guy who's going to go the
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distance. This sounds like the guy who's
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going to go all the way. This sounds like the guy who's
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never going to quit, never going to give up.
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Never, never slip off into a sinful life.
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He's going to be the one that will stick by Jesus side.
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And instead of going the distance.
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He follows at a distance. So again, if you can look at
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this, maybe with the eyes of a first-time reader of the
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Gospels, it really should just take us back for a moment as we
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realize Peter. Not you not after not, after all
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these strong and bold statements, statements of
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Courage, even saying Lord, I'm ready to go, not only to prison
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with you, but I'll even go to the Grave with you.
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However, when we see that Christ is arrested, Peter decides to
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follow it, a really a safe distance from afar.
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Matthew tells us as I mentioned, a moment ago in Matthew 26 and
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verse 58 that he followed to see the end, not really out of love,
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but he just wanted to see how things were going to go.
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Is curiosity more than what he really was feeling for the Lord.
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And eventually we read on to find that that Peter even gets
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to a point that he tries to blend in with the crowd.
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He's ashamed of even being a follower of Jesus Christ to the
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point that he's asked three different times.
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There'sthere's. One account where, one of the,
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the men recognizes recognizes him.
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Someone else, even says your speech betrays you, because you
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sound like one of those galileans, you have the same,
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you talk to. Same way.
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And in all three instances we recall that one just Peter do he
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denies? And he denies and he even curses
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and swears with an oath that he does not know who Jesus is.
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You know, it's a shame, you know, to see a guy who made such
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powerful statements throughout throughout those three years his
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willingness to to, you know, claim he's going to go all the
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way, but then he finds himself falling, terribly terribly
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short. Now, the good news.
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To Peter's credit. He eventually as the rooster
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crows and Jesus turns and looks on Peter, Peter recollects.
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He remembers what Jesus had said to him.
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And what does he do? In my opinion, he repents he
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goes out and he weeps bitterly as Luke. 22 verse 62 tells us
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Peter made some enormous changes in his life.
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Peter became an immense. Public figure and an enormous
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force of change in the first century.
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He became an incredible Apostle for the Lord.
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In fact, we look at the first twelve chapters of the book of
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Acts. And what do we see?
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They mostly surround the life of Peter in those first?
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Twelve chapters Peter being. The one mentioned specifically
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by name who stands up on the day of Pentecost, giving that
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powerful lesson as all 12 of the Apostles, preached and 3,000
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souls are added to the Lord's Church on that day.
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Peter made some enormous changes in his life.
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I made some mistakes and he made some changes through those few
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verses that we've looked at this morning.
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And from the things I've tried to remind you about what
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happened on that night. I think there's really four big
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takeaways that we can take for valuable lessons.
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And I don't think when I get to the fourth and final one that
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the sermon will be ending because I got a few more things
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that I want to talk about. So these aren't your main points
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if you will, but I think there are four main lessons that we
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can learn from Peter during this time.
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The first one, is this, that there is no amount of Of
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Christian strength that we can gain in this life that can keep
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us from Temptation. There's no amount of strength
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that we can have that can keep us from Temptation.
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That was something that Jesus tried to press upon the mind of
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Peter during his, during his time, before Jesus went to the
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Cross. But, but Peter was having a
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difficult time of understanding to, to getting that.
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You're never so strong in Christ as to be above temptation.
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You can be a preacher right? Jason, right?
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You can be a youth Minister. You can be an elder.
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You can be an older person who's been in the church for 70, 80
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years. But we all face Temptation,
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don't we? We need to not be so naive and I
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think that's one of the reasons that many times really faithful,
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Christians slip back into a life of sin is because they're naive
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to the to the point that they think.
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Well, I'm really serving God. I'm the preacher.
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I stand up every Sunday and I preach gospel, essence, you
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know, Satan. He can't get me.
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Paul writes in First Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 12.
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Therefore, let anyone who thinks he stands take heed, lest he
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fall. James chapter 1 verses 14
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through 15. Tells us that every man is
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tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed it can
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happen to anyone of us, no matter how old, no matter.
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How young, no matter. How faithful, no matter how long
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we've been in the church, no matter how many Bible verses we
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read. How many Bible verses we
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memorize how many Sunday Services we come to in a row?
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No matter how many. How many years we've spent in
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service to the Lord? There's no amount of strength
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that can free us from The Temptations that each and every
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one of us will continue to face until we go to the Grave or the
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Lord returns. And we need to remember that as
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long as we live will face Temptations and therefore, will
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be susceptible to giving in to those Temptations number two.
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Not only not only is there no amount of strength that frees us
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from temptation, but also, One of the lessons that I think that
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we learn from what Peter experienced, especially on that
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night of the Lord's, crucifixion is that it gets incredibly dark
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when we hide our lights. You know, we sing that song as a
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kid is little Christian light of mine.
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I think there's a version that This Little Light of Mine, but
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always grew up, singing it this Crystal Christian light of mine.
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I don't know if that messes it all up or not.
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But, but in that song, it comes from The Sermon on the Mount.
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Matthew Chapter 5 where Jesus tells us that Person doesn't
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light a lamp and hide it under a bushel.
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Think that's a basket. Right?
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Jason bushel basket. They don't hide it under a
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basket, but they put it on a lampstand.
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So everyone can see the light. Of course.
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Jesus is making a an application, our Christian Life.
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If you're following me. Jesus says, if you're going to
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be a Christian, a follower of Christ, you don't hide that from
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people, you let them see it. And when you when you don't,
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when you hide that light. You're in the first, some dark
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dark days. And that's where Peter found
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himself. Peter found himself afraid to
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let his light shine. Peter found himself ashamed that
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he even knew who Jesus Christ was.
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It was not that Peter was was like no, I mean, yeah, I know
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who he is, but we're not, you know, we're not Compadres, you
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know, I see him every now and then we grew up in the same same
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town, but I know Peter goes on to say, I don't know him.
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What a dark dark place for Peter to find himself in.
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And we know it's, it's the case. Because when Jesus looks upon
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him and he comes to the realization of the promises that
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Jesus had made, he was so distraught.
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So distraught that he goes out and he balls his eyes out.
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He'll grown man. Yes, men cry, you know,
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sometimes even over some silly commercial, you know.
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But here's Peter he is so upset with what he has done.
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He goes out and he weeps bitterly.
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We all know of Romans 1:16 and encourages not to be ashamed of
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the gospel because it's where salvation is found, but may be
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less familiar. One is Mark chapter 8 and verse
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38, which reads for whoever is ashamed of me.
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This is Jesus. Jesus saying for whoever is
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ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous, Sinful
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generation of him. Will the son of man also be
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ashamed when he comes in the glory of his father with the
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Holy Angels. It gets dark when we hide our
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light and I think that's one of the things that we learn when we
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look at Peter, a third thing. Is we don't fall away overnight?
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We don't find ourselves just waking up one morning and being
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like, huh. I'm not going to be a faithful
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Christian anymore. That's not how it works.
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It doesn't work. That way.
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You don't roll out of the bed one day and just say, you know,
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I think, you know, who he would the Bible and all them Christian
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folk? I'm just not, I'm just not going
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to live that life anymore. That's not how it happens.
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The way that it happens is we start to slowly back off.
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We start attending Services a little less.
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We start reading our Bibles, a little less.
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We start to pray a little less, we start to care about others, a
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little less and with every day that passes by, we slowly are
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pulling ourselves a little bit further away a little bit
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further away. And we're like Peter, that
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follows Jesus, but follows him at a distance.
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He kind of wants to know what's going on with this whole idea of
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Jesus, but he doesn't want to be right up in it.
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He doesn't want to experience. What Jesus is going to have to
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experience. He's not willing to Completely
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and wholly, give his life as a Living Sacrifice.
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Romans chapter 12, and verse 1. He wants to sit back, keep
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himself safe, but he wants to kind of see what's going on in
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sadly. There are people in churches
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around the world like that. That are sitting in pews today
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on a beautiful Sunday morning and they're worshipping Jesus at
26:41
a distance from afar and they're not wholly, giving their life to
26:45
God. And eventually what happens is
26:48
one finds themself in the same predicament that Peter finds
26:51
himself in where people want to know.
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Are you a Christian? Are you one of his disciples and
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eventually, you throw it all away, you throw it away, out of
27:02
out, of fear, out of frustration, out of guilt.
27:08
And you say, no? I don't know him.
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I don't know who Jesus is. We don't fall away overnight.
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It's something that happens gradually.
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We need to be aware of whether we're fitting into the category
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of someone who slowly slipping away.
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How is your spiritual life this morning?
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I'm not offering them at station yet.
27:29
But how is your spiritual life this morning?
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Are you taking a count of the things that you've been doing
27:36
with your life in service to God?
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I think the fourth thing that we learn from what we see in Peters
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mistake in all of his Bold, full statements leading up to this
27:47
night and then eventually as mistake.
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I think the fourth thing that we can learn a valuable lesson is
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that we can start over. We can start over.
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In Isaiah, chapter 55 and verse 6, we read seek the Lord while
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he may be found. Call upon him while he is near.
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You know, we as long as we're breathing, as long as we're
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alive on this Earth. Before death, or before the Lord
28:19
returns, we have an opportunity to make changes and to start
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again. And I'm incredibly encouraged by
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what we see in the life of Peter.
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That that's exactly what he did. He took account of what he had
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done about all the promises that he had made and eventually just
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threw it all away out of fear, and he comes to realization
28:39
that. That's not who I want to be.
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Sometimes we have to take an account of our own lives.
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We have to ask ourselves. Is this who I want to be?
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We can start over if we're following from a distance or
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not. Following it all you can begin.
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You can begin even this very morning before we close out this
29:02
morning. There are real quickly, three
29:05
other people in the New Testament.
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I want to look at We're Not Gonna spend as much time as we
29:08
spent on Peter, but there's two men's in particular that ended
29:12
up having somewhat of a similar scenario to what Peter
29:16
experienced it. They had an interesting turn in
29:19
their lives and what His Nicodemus and one of them is
29:22
Joseph of Arimathea. And for their, I guess for sake
29:26
of the rest of the lesson was calling Joseph.
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So I don't have to say of Arimathea every time, that's
29:30
where he was from. But if you do a little bit of
29:32
reading on Nicodemus and Joseph in the New Testament, they're
29:36
not mentioned a whole lot of times.
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But once you do find is very, very intriguing, at least, it
29:41
was to me as I Was preparing for this lesson.
29:43
In fact, I found some things that I did not even know and I
29:45
was like, whoa, you serious and had to write that down.
29:47
I didn't even know that. But let's talk about Nicodemus
29:51
first for just a moment. Nicodemus is mentioned, several
29:54
times as I've already mentioned in the New Testament.
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He's first introduced in John chapter 3, as you recall, he
29:59
comes to Jesus at night and I think we begin to see why he
30:04
chose to come and visit Jesus at night is because Nicodemus was a
30:07
very prominent Jewish individual, and he was not fully
30:12
sold on letting himself be outed as one of the Disciples of Jesus
30:18
in John chapter 3. He comes asking, How is a person
30:21
going to inherit eternal life? How are they going to become
30:24
part of this Kingdom? In John chapter 7, verses 45 and
30:28
following. We find out some other extra
30:31
information about Nicodemus. He was a member of the Sanhedrin
30:34
Court. He's it.
30:35
Like I said a prominent Jewish individual.
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And in Luke chapter, 19. He eventually assists in the
30:43
burial of Jesus Christ will talk about that more in just a
30:45
moment, but I want to go to John chapter 7 together.
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John 7 verses 45 through 52. And what you have happening here
30:54
is some of the members of the Sanhedrin Court, some prominent
30:59
scribes and Pharisees have actually sent some soldiers to
31:03
catch. Jesus.
31:04
Okay, and it didn't work out the the soldiers, get there to catch
31:08
Jesus and they're like this. They're just listening to Jesus.
31:12
Do you like they couldn't, they couldn't take him because they
31:14
were so enthralled with what Jesus was teaching.
31:17
And not only that, but they were afraid of all the followers.
31:19
And so they come back and give the report that, hey, we didn't
31:23
catch Jesus. We didn't bring them back.
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So John chapter 7, verses 45 and following.
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Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees and
31:32
they said unto them. Why have you not brought him?
31:35
And the officers answered? Never, man, spake like this,
31:38
man. They were just amazed.
31:40
Okay, then answered them. The Pharisees are you also
31:44
deceived a neat trick. You just like he's tricking
31:47
everybody else with his little tricky words and all his fancy
31:50
lessons and his magic tricks. Did he?
31:52
Did he Swindle? You too.
31:55
And then they say, have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees
32:00
believed on on them. And in my mind, I don't know if
32:02
it happened like this, but in my mind I see whoever saying that
32:06
looking around at the Sanhedrin court and all these prominent
32:10
Jewish individuals who are in places of authority and them
32:13
asking, do you see any of us? Give an end to all of his his
32:16
his crazy talk? No.
32:19
No, you don't see any of us giving in because it guess who's
32:22
sitting up there with him? Nicodemus, have any of the
32:27
rulers or the Pharisees believed on him verse 49, but this people
32:32
who knoweth not the law are cursed, all them weak-minded,
32:36
non Old Testament law. Following people, all the
32:39
peasants out there. They're the ones that are
32:41
listening to Jesus, but look at us.
32:43
We're smartypants up here. We know the Old Law.
32:45
We're not listening to anything. We're not going to be any of his
32:47
disciples verse 50. Nicodemus Nicodemus, saith unto
32:53
them. He that came to Jesus by Night,
32:56
came to him before being one of them.
32:59
That's a whole lot of parentheses statement there.
33:01
So he's reminding us. This is the guy who came to
33:03
Jesus by Night, verse 51. This is what Nicodemus said does
33:07
our law judge any man before it here him and know what he do it.
33:12
So he's trying to bring in a little common sense into the
33:14
whole scenario here. Nicodemus is trying to say, hey,
33:17
are we supposed to condemn a man?
33:19
Before we actually bring him before?
33:20
For us and ask him questions and try him.
33:23
You know, what we're doing is that's really not by the books,
33:26
guys. And then here's what they say.
33:28
They answered and said unto him. Again, I apologize Marine from
33:32
the King James. The sounds will old and stilted
33:35
art. Thou also of Galilee they like.
33:38
Hey, Nicodemus. Are you a Galilean to like all
33:42
his followers, you know, basically, they're saying crush,
33:46
it crush it Nicodemus, hush it. Are you also a galley, a search
33:51
and look for out of Galilee arises?
33:53
No profits. And every man went into his own
33:56
house. So.
33:56
So, I think one of the things that we learn here real quickly
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about, Amos and his discipleship of Jesus Christ.
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Is it still in secret? He's not yet.
34:06
Fully made himself known that he's willing to give up life and
34:11
Liberty to follow. Jesus Christ.
34:14
That's what we learn about Nicodemus.
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Now, real quickly about Joseph, and then I'm going to time
34:18
together and we'll be done. Okay, so stick with me.
34:20
Joseph of Arimathea in Mark 15, he's described as a counselor of
34:26
the Jews. In fact, Mark 15 verse 43,
34:28
concerning Joseph of Arimathea calls him, a prominent council
34:33
member. He eventually just like
34:35
Nicodemus. And with Nicodemus request, the
34:37
body of Jesus to bury his body. In Matthew 27, verse 57 Joseph
34:44
is described as Jesus disciple in Mark, 1543.
34:48
He's described as one who was looking for the kingdom.
34:52
He was looking for the kingdom. He knew the Old Law, he would,
34:55
he could recall some of the Old Testament prophecies.
34:58
And he was convinced that this Jesus was the one who was
35:01
bringing the kingdom that was prophesied in the Old Testament.
35:05
In Luke 23, and verse 51. He's referred to as a good and
35:11
some versions calling a righteous man, some versions
35:13
call him. A just man who had not consented
35:16
to their deeds, meaning all the scribes and Pharisees, who were
35:20
calling out for the blood of Jesus Christ.
35:22
Joseph on the other hand in even though he was a wise council
35:26
member of the Jews. He was not consenting to what
35:29
they were asking for. They he was not being a part of
35:32
let's crucify. Jesus.
35:34
He was not a part of that. However, what we learn about
35:38
Joseph is very similar to what we learned about Nicodemus in
35:42
John 19, verses, 38 and following and I apologize.
35:46
I don't know if it's Jackson or dug up there.
35:48
Trying to follow along with me, but I'm throwing them all out at
35:50
you real quick. John tells us that Joseph was
35:55
like, Nicodemus. He was a disciple in secret.
35:58
Look at verse 38 of John 19. And after this Joseph of
36:01
Arimathea being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly For the fear
36:07
of the Jews, besought pilate, that he might take away the body
36:11
of Jesus, and pilate gave him leave and he came therefore and
36:14
took the body of Jesus. So, here's the question.
36:17
I'm going to ask after I've given you a little bit of
36:19
information rather quickly was Nicodemus and Joseph were they
36:24
faithful or were they not, you know, they were following Jesus,
36:29
but they were following Jesus in secret.
36:32
Well, I think the answer is yes and no, where they?
36:36
Full or not. Well, I think the in a sense
36:38
that they were in a sense that they were not at first, they
36:42
were ashamed. In fact, we're told in John
36:44
1938, as we just read a second ago, that Joseph, specifically,
36:48
he was ashamed because of fear. He was, he was afraid of what
36:53
the Jews would do to him, him, being a prominent, prominent,
36:57
Jewish individual. He was too afraid to speak out.
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Yes. This is the Messiah.
37:03
Yes. He is, my Lord.
37:05
Yes. Yes, he is.
37:06
Establishing the kingdom. That will last forever.
37:10
I'm going to follow him to the Grave.
37:12
I'm willing to forsake all and follow him.
37:15
I'm going to give my life as a Living Sacrifice to him.
37:18
He was too afraid to admit that. However, what we see is is very
37:24
similar to what happens to Peter.
37:25
Again, Peter made bold statements, then Peter followed
37:29
from a distance. He was afraid of what would
37:31
happen to him and eventually Jesus by looking upon him.
37:36
And after after Peter had denied the three times, he recalls
37:39
everything that Jesus had said to him and he felt ashamed for
37:43
what he had done. And then he goes on to witness
37:46
what Jesus would experience on the cross and eventually die.
37:49
And that's the same thing that Nicodemus and Joseph.
37:52
Witnessed is a cruel death of their Master.
37:56
They were disciples followers of Christ, even though they were
37:58
following in hiding in. Shame in secret, but they
38:02
witness the cruel death of Jesus on the cross and then something
38:06
changes in their life. Look with me if you would at
38:09
Mark, 15 verse 43. Joseph of Arimathea, a respected
38:23
member of the council who was also himself looking for the
38:27
kingdom of God. Look at this took courage, some
38:31
versions say, went boldly took courage, and went into pilot.
38:36
This is after Jesus has died, and they are, his body is
38:41
hanging on the cross. Where people can see it in the
38:46
light of day. There it is.
38:48
There is the the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
38:50
He is now dead on the cross. His side has been pierced with a
38:54
spear there is blood running down his body, and he is now
38:57
dead and Joseph comes into pilot and took courage.
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And he asked him for the body of Jesus in Luke 23 and verse 53.
39:07
See got to kind of jump around to different gospels.
39:09
See, kind of get the whole picture and Luke. 53.
39:14
We're told that Joseph of Arimathea.
39:16
He took it down and he and he took it.
39:21
You know, what the it is there, in that passage?
39:24
It's the body of Jesus. Joseph of Arimathea went up and
39:29
took down the body of Christ before all.
39:34
Before the eyes of anyone who wanted to watch and see, not
39:38
only that but we see in John, 19 verse 40, that they took his
39:43
body down both Nicodemus, and Joseph of Arimathea took down
39:48
Christ's body. And again, I want to remind you
39:51
before all who were watching. No longer.
39:54
Are they following Jesus in the shadows of secrecy?
39:59
But they have come out and boldly taken courage and asked
40:03
pilate. Can we take his body and they go
40:06
up and they take his body down off the cross.
40:08
In front of, whoever wanted to watch their no longer ashamed.
40:11
Of the fact that they're Jews prominent council members
40:16
members of the Sanhedrin. They're no longer afraid of the
40:19
fact that they're willing to follow Jesus Christ.
40:24
Mini people. Today, many people in the past
40:30
have been like Peter, Nicodemus, and Joseph of Arimathea.
40:36
There may even be people here of our congregation today.
40:40
Who are in a way like these three individuals?
40:45
Following at a distance, but upon learning of the gospel for
40:49
the last 2000 years. People have been learning of the
40:52
Gospel, seeing what Jesus did for them and now they're willing
40:56
to Proclaim. He is my Lord.
40:59
He is my savior. And I'm willing to obey.
41:05
There's an unnamed disciple in Matthew chapter 8, and a few
41:08
verses there versus 21. 22, and 23 where he wants to follow
41:12
Jesus, but he asked, Jesus. Can I go back first?
41:14
And I need to bury my Father and Jesus says to him.
41:17
You need to follow me. Let the let the dead go bury the
41:21
dead and Jesus wasn't being rude and insensitive.
41:24
What Jesus was trying to convey to the man is that you need to
41:27
have your priorities straight because following me means
41:30
leaving all behind. Nothing else can take
41:34
precedence. Not even family.
41:38
If we put others other things, other people, other
41:41
responsibilities, if we put other things before, Jesus
41:44
Christ were doing just as Peter did just as Nicodemus, did just
41:49
as Joseph of Arimathea did, we're following Jesus at afar
41:53
because he's not. What's most important to us.
41:58
There are two classes of people in the Lord's church today.
42:03
There are those who are Faithfully serving God, and
42:06
there are those who are following Jesus from afar.
42:10
They've not I don't know what it is.
42:12
I don't know if they have not fully bought in.
42:13
I don't know if they're fully willing to sacrifice those
42:16
things that are holding them back.
42:18
Those who are following Jesus from afar.
42:20
They're the ones who attend, but they're not moved to action in
42:25
service to God. There are those who are content
42:31
to let other people do all the work in the church.
42:34
And I'm not talking about building this building that I'm
42:36
talking about reaching the lost their content to let other
42:39
people do that. The people who are following
42:41
from afar, they're the ones who are irregular in their meeting
42:45
with the family of God. And they're becoming more and
42:50
more and more irregular in their attendance.
42:53
Those who are following a far-off.
42:55
There are those who never read their Bible during the week.
42:58
They only crack it open when they're hearing services.
43:00
They don't read it at home. They're not allowing God's word
43:03
to be a light to their feet and a lamp to their path, or did I
43:08
get that backwards, the lamp to their feet and the like to their
43:11
path? They're the first people to
43:14
murmur and complain. And they're keeping Jesus at a
43:18
distance because there's a lot of other stuff in their life.
43:20
That's a little bit more important.
43:24
Where do you fit in this morning?
43:28
Are you following God from afar? Are you following Jesus?
43:31
From afar other other things that are causing you to be
43:35
ashamed? Are taking up too much of your
43:38
time. Please don't allow The
43:42
Temptations that we face in this life.
43:45
The calls you to be ashamed of making Jesus Christ.
43:48
The most important thing in your life today, one of those
43:52
valuable lessons that we mentioned a moment ago that we
43:54
can learn from the Apostle Peter is that we can change.
44:01
We can start again following after the Lord.
44:03
If you're here this morning and you're not a child of God, we
44:06
encourage you to become a Christian become a Christian by
44:08
hearing his word. Is you've done this morning
44:10
believe in it, repent of your sins confess.
44:12
That Christ is Lord and be immersed in water.
44:14
So those sins can be washed away.
44:16
We have a baptistery prepared this morning.
44:18
If that's the decision that you need to make this morning.
44:20
We're here for you. If you're here this morning and
44:23
you already are a child of God, but you have given in to The
44:25
Temptations of life, or maybe you've not been following Jesus
44:28
as closely as you have needed. To make a change.