Are You Spiritually Insecure? Series

Sermon Brief

Date Written: March 4, 2010

Date Preached: March 7, 2010

Where Preached: Oak Park (AM)

Sermon Details:

Sermon Series: The Great Adventure – Rediscovering the Adventure

Sermon Title: Are You Spiritually Insecure? Part 5 of 6

Sermon Text: Luke 22:54-62; John 21:15-17; John 14:12

John 14:12 [ESV]

12"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do…

Introduction:

Do you feel spiritually INsecure today? Have you ever questioned your salvation? Have you ever thought that God could NOT use you because you have sinned and you no longer feel worthy to be used by God? Have you asked God to forgive you but cannot seem to forgive yourself or forget the sin God has already forgiven?

I find that many believers today fall into this insidious cage of guilt and they believe that God cannot use them because of their past or some recent sin in their lives. Well, I am here to tell you that God can use ANYONE… God forgives and uses us, but only when we accept that forgiveness and move beyond our past failures can God use us…

How many in here remember Peter… Peter had some pretty memorable moments with Jesus didn’t he? We know by reading through the Gospels that Peter was someone special, but we also know that Peter was human and was flawed just like you or me...

When we read Scripture we see that Peter was the 1st disciple called by Jesus…

Mark 1:16-18 [ESV]

16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men." 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him.

We can also see how Peter was part of an inner circle that Jesus trusted and mentored.

Matt 17:1-2 [ESV]

1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.

Peter was not afraid to ‘get out of the boat’ he actions within the group were actions of one who fully trusted Jesus…

Matt 14:28-29 [ESV]

28 And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." 29 He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.

Peter was the one who was willing to speak up…He proclaimed that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God…

Matt 16:15-16 [ESV]

15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

But sometimes Peter’s willingness to speak up got him into some hot water…

Matt 16:22-23 [ESV]

22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you." 23 But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.".

My point is simple this morning, I use Peter as an example of one called by God, who was part of God’s plan, who served God with zeal, but also who was human, had faults and frailties and even allowed himself to be overwhelmed by the situation at hand.

Peter was a man called by God, set aside by God and we find in these verses that Peter fell FLAT when the chips were down…

Luke 22:54-62 [ESV]

54 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance. 55 And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, "This man also was with him." 57 But he denied it, saying, "Woman, I do not know him." 58 And a little later someone else saw him and said, "You also are one of them." But Peter said, "Man, I am not." 59 And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, "Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean." 60 But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are talking about." And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, "Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times." 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.