Are You Denying Jesus?

‘ARE YOU DENYING JESUS”?

MATTHEW 26:69-75

David Brainerd, the famous missionary to the American Indians, proclaimed this truth throughout his ministry. He said, “I never got away from Jesus and Him crucified in my preaching. I found that once these people were gripped by the great evangelical meaning of Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf, I did not have to give them many instructions about changing their behavior.”

Peter later on after the death and resurrection of Jesus would preach Jesus on the day of Pentecost and 3,000 would be saved. But before this would take place, we read this account of Peter denying Jesus. We are amazed to read that Peter would deny the one he

said he would never deny.

But before we get to hard on Peter, let us remember that many Christians deny Jesus every day in some way. I want to call to your attention to seven ways a Christian can deny Jesus.

I-SOME DENY JESUS BY THEIR WORDS:

Matthew 26:74 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.

1.John Maxwell was pastoring Skyline Wesleyan Church in San Diego he was asked "Are you praying that your people will get the gift of tongues?" "No" he replied, "I’m praying they’ll learn to control the one they’ve got now."

2. I have read that one strain of virus was responsible for what was probably the greatest pestilence civilization has ever experienced -- the flue epidemic of 1918-19. That scourge took more lives than all the years of World War I. The Bible tells of another small thing that can inflict great harm. It’s that "little member" known as the tongue. Unfortunately there is no vaccine to bring its deadly effects under control.

3.The way we speak and what we say reveals a great deal about our Christian character or lack of Christian character. The tongue is the most powerful influence in the Church and it is able to build people up or tear them down.

4.Have you ever squeezed too much toothpaste onto your toothbrush? And then have you ever tried squeezing toothpaste back into the tube? That calls to mind the old proverb, "Three things once released will not return again: an opportunity neglected, and arrow released from its bows, and a word spoken in haste." May we add a fourth--toothpaste squeezed from a tube.

Psalms 19:14- Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

II-SOME DENY JESUS BY THEIR WALK:

Jude 16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.

1.A rather pompous-looking deacon was endeavoring to impress upon a class of boys the importance of living the Christian life. "Why do people call me a Christian?" the man asked. After a moment’s pause, one youngster said, "Maybe it’s because they don’t know you."

2.He made free use of Christian vocabulary. He talked about the blessing of the Almighty and the Christian confessions which would become the pillars of the new government. He assumed the earnestness of a man weighed down by historic responsibility. He handed out pious stories to the press, especially to the church papers. He showed his tattered Bible and declared that he drew the strength for his great work from it as scores of pious people welcomed him as a man sent from God. Indeed, Adolf Hitler was a master of outward religiosity--with no inward reality!

3. Fifty-four years ago on December 7,1941, the Japanese planes bombed Pearl Harbor. The United States suffered tremendous losses, including the death of 2,400 military personnel. Franklin D. Roosevelt described December 7,1941 as "A DATE THAT WILL LIVE IN INFAMY."

Enemy planes were still 50 minutes away when two U.S. soldiers manning a small radar station in the Pacific saw many dots show up on their radar screens. They immediately reported it to their superior officer, a young lieutenant. Assuming the dots were U.S. planes, he said, "Don’t worry about it." This man failed the nation because of his unwatchfulness. (His walk did not match his position)

I John 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

III-SOME DENY JESUS BY THEIR WORKS:

Matthew 12:33 "Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by his fruit"

1.Good works are not what saves the Christian. However, if a person is truly saved, this fact will be evidenced by the work they do for Christ, and they will do it effectively. Not only do I have to practice what I preach, you have to practice what you hear.