Not Where We Once Were

HOW MANY OF US COULD LOOK BACK WEEKS, MONTHS OR YEARS AGO AND SAY YOU WERE MORE COMMITTED TO THE LORD THEN; THAN YOU ARE TODAY, IT’S NOT A GOOD PLACE TO BE. OUR EXCUSES CAN BE MANY

LUKE 24:54-62 - 5 4So they arrested him and led him to the high priest’s residence, and Peter was following far behind. 55The guards lit a fire in the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there. 56A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!”57Peter denied it. “Woman,” he said, “I don’t even know the man!”58After a while someone else looked at him and said, “You must be one of them!” “No, man, I’m not!” Peter replied. 59About an hour later someone else insisted, “This must be one of Jesus’ disciples because he is a Galilean, too.”60But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” And as soon as he said these words, the rooster crowed. 61At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered that the Lord had said, “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny me three times.” 62And Peter left the courtyard, crying bitterly.

PETER’S COMMITMENT LEVEL HAD ALREADY DRAINED AWAY IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE. PETER FELT HELPLESS, POWERLESS TO MAINTAIN THE PROMISE HE HAD MADE.

MATTHEW 26:35- 35“No!” Peter insisted. “Not even if I have to die with you! I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same.

1) HIS FOLLOWING BECAME “DISTANT”

“ FAR AWAY IN SPACE OR TIME, REMOTE, NOT CLOSELY RELATED”

LUKE 22:54 - 5 4So they arrested him and led him to the high priest’s residence, and Peter was following far behind.

PETER BEGAN FOLLOWING AT A DISTANCE, PETER WAS STILL FOLLOWING JESUS BUT HE WAS “INCOGNITO” -“ “NOT BEING RECOGNIZED AS YOU ARE” PETER NO LONGER IS WILLING TO LAY IT ALL DOWN OR DIE FOR THE SAVIOR.

JOHN15:5 - 5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing.

THE MOMENT WE ALLOW DISTANCE IN OUR WALK IS THE MOMENT WE LEAVE ROOM FOR DOUBT, DISBELIEVE AND DISORDER.” JUDAS CREATED DISTANCE, DEMAS CREATED DISTANCE.

2) HIS FELLOWSHIP BECAME “DIVIDED”

“ TO SEPARATE, SPLIT UP”

LUKE 22:55 -55The guards lit a fire in the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there.

PETER SAT AMONG THEM, NOW PETER WHO FOLLOWED AT A DISTANCE HAS NOW MADE ROOM TO SIT AND FELLOWSHIP WITH THE UN - COMMITTED. PETER’S DISTANCE MADE HIM APATHETIC- NO STRONG FEELINGS, NOT INTERESTED. WHEN YOU GET THIS WAY YOU’LL FELLOWSHIP WITH ANYBODY.

JAMES 1:8 - 8A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

WHEN UN-STABILITY FOR YOUR BELIEF’S MANIFEST YOU’LL BEGIN TO ASSOCIATE AND FELLOWSHIP WITH ANYONE

I SAMUEL 28:8 - 12 -8So Saul disguised himself by wearing ordinary clothing instead of his royal robes. Then he went to the woman’s home at night, accompanied by two of his men.“I have to talk to a man who has died,” he said. “Will you call up his spirit for me?”9“Are you trying to get me killed?” the woman demanded. “You know that Saul has expelled all the mediums and psychics from the land. Why are you setting a trap for me?”10But Saul took an oath in the name of the LORD and promised, “As surely as the LORD lives, nothing bad will happen to you for doing this.”11Finally, the woman said, “Well, whose spirit do you want me to call up?”“Call up Samuel,” Saul replied.12When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed, “You’ve deceived me! You are Saul!”

3) HIS FAITH BECAME “DELUDED”

“ MISLEAD, TRICK, FOOL”

LUKE 22:57 - ”57Peter denied it. “Woman,” he said, “I don’t even know the man!”

PETER WORDS DENIED THE LORD: WHEN OUR FAITH BECOMES DELUDED; IT REVEALS HIS WEAKNESS IN PRONOUNCING HIS FAITH EVEN AMONG MEN AND WOMEN WHO POSE NO IMMEDIATE THREAT TO HIM.

I KINGS 19:2-4 - 2So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods also kill me if by this time tomorrow I have failed to take your life like those whom you killed.”3Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. 4Then he went on alone into the desert, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.”

WHEN OUR FAITH BECOMES DELUDED; OUR LIVELIHOOD CAN BECOME INTRUDED WITH DECEPTION AND DECEIT.

4) HIS FERVOR BECAME “DENIAL”