After The Service Series

• A Sunday school teacher asked her children where the disciples and Jesus went after the Last Supper Church Service. After a moment of silence, one of the little girl said, “The probably went to Denny’s”.

• The disciples had just finished one of the most meaningful and moving Church services in their lives.

• We have experienced this in our lives many times.

• What they experienced is very much like what we experience. Let’s read it together.

Mar 14:26-31 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 27 And Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.' 28 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee." 29 Peter said to him, "Even though they all fall away, I will not." 30 And Jesus said to him, "Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." 31 But he said emphatically, "If I must die with you, I will not deny you." And they all said the same.

• Here is a little story Mark included in his record to the Gentiles because of the truths God wanted us to see.

• The church service had just ended.

• The congregation, so to speak, dismissed and went to a place of prayer.

• I think you could say there were all fired up.

• In the height of emotions, Jesus lets the air out of the balloon.

• “You will all fall away, for it is written, “I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.

• You talk about a downer after a great Church service!

• “Wait a minute!” Peter said. “The rest of these guys may fall away, but not ole Pete.”

• Jesus replied to him, “Before the rooster sings his second verse, you will be singing your third in denying me.”

• Peter was still filled with resolve. “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.”

• There was a round of “Amen’s” from the group.

• There are three things that I want us to consider in this story.

I. The Rule of Revision:

• Life isn’t determined by our high moments, but how we persist in our low moments.

• The disciples were all fired up.

• If that were what God was seeking in their lives, they had arrived.

• However, I don’t believe that is what God was seeking; unchallenged bravado.

• Several weeks ago, Greg Tennyson and I were meeting for an accountability session.

• That is a time when be both honestly speak about where we are in our lives.

• During our time, I said, “Greg, I have some very bad news.”

• He asked what it was, and I said, “I am in a very good place spiritually.”

• He shook his head and said, “Oh-oh. I wish you hadn’t said that.”

• We both had learned, through life and especially over the last few years, that when we are in a good place, that is like the calm before the storm.

• It is a respite before the test reaches a new level of stress.

• I believe that is what these disciples were facing now, a spiritual and emotional high before the toughest test.

• Jesus didn’t want for them to be totally blind-sided, so He said, “All of you are going to slip on the next slippery surface.”

• Our life growth isn’t determined by the spiritual highs. It isn’t defined by the victories.

• Ill. A factory worker went into the break room at break time amidst a group of grumbling, complaining, dissatisfied workers.

• This worker, however, was chipper and happy, smiles and laughs.

• One of the other workers was irritated by the overly-happy mood of this worker.

• “Why are you so happy? Did you get a promotion?”

• “No,” smiled the worker. “I am happy because it is break time.”

• Everyone scowled at the worker. One of them said, “Don’t you know break will be over in six minutes?”

• Jesus wasn’t irritated because of the disciple’s spiritual and emotional highs.

• He was just concerned they would become overly disillusioned when “break was over.”

• And for them, “break was almost over”.

• We don’t judge a job on how great the break-time is.

• And we don’t evaluate our Christian life on how high we get spiritually and emotionally during a great Church service.

• I honestly want to stay on a spiritual high, even an emotional high for Jesus.