Closing In On The Cross Of Jesus Christ - Part 7: God's Help For His Stumbling Saints Series

Closing in on the Cross of Jesus Christ

Part 7: God's Help for His Stumbling Saints

The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:69-75; Mark 14:53-54; Luke 22:59-62; Acts 4:5-12

Sermon by Rick Crandall

(Prepared April 24, 2023)

BACKGROUND:

*Today in Matthew 26, we are less than 12 hours away from Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. The Lord has been on trial before some horribly corrupt Jewish rulers. They broke all of their legal rules about giving Jesus a proper trial. But no charge worthy of death could be found until the high priest required Jesus to testify under oath whether or not He was the Christ. Of course, the Lord rightly said yes. But those elite rulers refused to believe. They rejected Jesus with bitter hatred, and they charged the Lord with the high crime of blasphemy.

*God's Word tells us about this in Matthew 26:62-68:

62. And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing? What is it that these men testify against You?''

63. But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I adjure You by the living God that You tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God.''

64. Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.''

65. Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy!

66. What do you think?'' They answered and said, "He is deserving of death.''

67. Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands,

68. saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?''

*Today God's Word turns the focus to the Apostle Peter and his denial of Christ. We will see one of God's finest servants at his worst. But in order to see the whole picture, we will have to look at some other Scriptures too. Let's get started by reading Matthew 26:69-75, and as we read, please think about God's guidance for His stumbling saints.

MESSAGE:

*Do you ever stumble in your walk with the Lord? Oh yes, we do. I have to tell you that I've skinned my knees many times. And if you think you never stumble, you are probably stumbling over your pride and self-righteousness right now.

*In Psalm 143:1-2 King David said, "Hear my prayer, O LORD, Give ear to my supplications! In Your faithfulness answer me, And in Your righteousness. Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no one living is righteous."

-James 3:1-2 says, "My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things."

-And in 1 John 1:8 the Apostle said, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." Thank God that in vs. 9 John went on to say, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

*Christians: It takes time for us to learn how to walk as babies, and it takes a lifetime for us to learn how to walk with the Lord, so sometimes we are going to stumble. But God's Word shows His stumbling saints what to do.

1. FIRST: REMEMBER THE WAYS THAT WE CAN STUMBLE.

[1] ONE WAY IS BY GETTING OVERCONFIDENT IN OURSELVES.

*That's what happened to Peter when the disciples were headed to the Garden of Gethsemane with Jesus. On the way, the Lord Jesus tried to warn them about stumbling. Verses 30-33 above say:

30. And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

31. Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: 'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'

32. But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.''

33. Peter answered and said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.''

*The Lord tried to tell them that they were going to stumble. That's what "be offended" in the KJV means. It's the idea of being tripped, or trapped, or lured into sin. But Peter told Jesus, "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.'' And Peter wasn't the only disciple to get overconfident. Mark 14:31 tells us that all of the other disciples did too. So remember that we can stumble by getting overconfident in ourselves.