The Messiah and Failing Forward
Text: Matt. 26:31-35
Introduction
1. It is the expressed purpose both corporately and individually of New Life Assembly of God Church to:
a. Worship: We were created to worship our Lord and Creator in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24).
b. Witness: We have been commanded to share the truth of the Gospel with every living creature (Mark 16:15).
c. Walk: We have been commissioned to make disciples to follow Jesus (Matthew 29:18-20)
d. Work: We are committed to minister to one another and our community through humble service (John 13:1-17).
e. Welcome: We come together to love, honor, and encourage one another (Acts 2:42).
2. This morning we are going to talk about the 3rd "W" on that list, and that is the word "Walk."
a. This word of course represents the Biblical concept of discipleship.
b. We choose to use the word "walk" to describe our daily "walk" with Jesus.
c. One thing I found about taking a walk with someone you have to continue to walk.
d. You can be walking with someone and all of the sudden they stop walking, and you find yourself walking alone.
e. The point is, you either continue to walk or your not walking at all, or you walk in the opposite direction.
f. The reality is, if we are not walking with Jesus we are no longer following Him, and in fact, if we do that long enough we will end up walking away from Him.
3. From the story of Jesus' warning to Peter we learn that falling away...
a. Is Possible for all of us
b. Is Perpetuated by a lack of humility
c. Is Propitiated by the resurrection
4. Let's stand together and read Matt. 26:31-35
Proposition: Even when we walk away from Jesus He will not give up on us.
Transition: The most important thing we need to understand about walking away from Jesus that it...
I. Is Possible For All of Us (31).
A. All of You
1. One of the unfortunate realities of life after the fall of Adam is there will be times when we disagree with each other. An area where even the closest of Chritians sometimes disagree on is a theological concept know as Eternal Security.
a. Perhaps you have heard this concept described in this way, "Once saved, always saved."
b. There are some wonderful Christian people, some them are dear friends of mine, that believe wholeheartedly that once you give your life to Jesus there's no going back, and nothing you do after that point matters.
c. While I love and respect these Christian brothers and sisters, this is a concept that simply does not work for me, because I feel it is contrary to what the Bible teaches.
d. The New Testament places great value on the word "continue."
e. John 8:31-32 (NASB)
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
f. Only if we continue walking with Jesus are we truly His disciples.
2. As a result, there is always that threat that we could come so far and yet come up short. Short not because Jesus no longer loves us or because anyone takes our salvation from us, but rather because we gave it back.
3. This danger is not just for the week, but it is genuine threat for all of us. This fact is illustrated for us in v. 31 where Jesus says to His disciples, “Tonight all of you will desert me."
a. These are not some fly by night wanna be disciples that He is talking to. No these are the 12; had picked by Jesus himself!
b. The same guys that said, "we have given up everything to follow you."
c. We are talking about James and John, the "Sons of Thunder."
d. We are talking about Peter, "the Rock."
e. They are most likely on their way back to Bethany, where they have spent each evening during Holy Week (cf. 21:17).
f. The two-mile walk to Bethany from Jerusalem takes them over the Mount of Olives, on which is located the Garden of Gethsemane.
g. This garden was a favorite place of prayer for Jesus, as well as a gathering place for people camping during their pilgrimage to the Passover.
h. Along the way Jesus startles the disciples with another ominous prediction: "This very night you will all desert me."
i. desert: to cause someone to no longer believe - 'to cause to give up believing, (Louw and Nidda, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Symantic Domains).
j. Matthew 26:31 (NIV)
"Then Jesus told them, "This very night you will all fall away on account of me..."
k. Earlier Jesus predicted that one of the Twelve would betray him; now he implies that all of them will lack courage (Wilkins, NIV Application Commentary: Matthew).
l. If these guys aren't secure without continuing to walk with Jesus are any of us?
4. However, as Jesus has stated all week, it was part of the plan. He says, "For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’"
a. The Scripture that Jesus is quoting come from Zechariah 13:7, and is considered by many to be a Messianic prophecy.
b. Jesus uses it here to emphasize that the killing of the Shepherd is a divine action.
c. Jesus was the promised Good Shepherd, and this prophecy illustrates that the Good Shepherd would have to go through tremendous hardship and be killed. The result of this action would cause the sheep to scatter.
d. This shepherd was the servant of the Lord, and He would accept the sinners place in judgment (Horton, 581).
e. So yes, this was predicted by the Prophet Zechariah long ago. However, does that relieve of the responsibility to continue to walk with Jesus? Does that make it alright?
B. Backsliding
1. Illustration: In his song "It Could Have Been Me," Phil Keaggy wrote, "But it could've been me, I could've been the one to lose my grip and fall. It could've been me, The one who's always standing tall. For unless you hold me tightly, Lord, And I can hold on too, Then tomorrow in the news It could be me, it could be me."
2. Falling away from Jesus is a dangerous and serious situation.
a. Hebrews 6:4-6 (NLT)
For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— 6 and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.
b. It was our sin that took Jesus to the cross the first time.
c. However, when we fall away it is like taking Him back to the cross.
d. Our sin caused Him to face the humiliation of the cross the first time.
e. Our falling away submits Him to that same humiliation all over again.
3. What a shame to come so far with the Lord to miss out in the end.
a. 1 Corinthians 9:27 (NLT)
I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
b. Falling away would be like doing all the training and then missing the bus on the day of the race.
c. If it is possible for Paul, it is possible for us.
d. If it is possible for Peter, it is possible for us.
e. We need to walk with Jesus.
f. We need to continue to walk with Jesus.
g. We cannot look back, we cannot take our eye off the prized, we cannot take our hand off the plow, we must continue to move forward!
Transition: Let us continue to walk with Jesus!
II. It Is Perpetuated By A Lack of Humility (33-35).
A. I Will Never Desert You
1. At the heart of walking away from Jesus is spiritual pride.
It either says God I don't need you, or God I don't trust you.
Regardless of which reason, the root cause is I can do this myself.
2. We plainly see this in the person of Peter. Rather than saying to Jesus "Oh, Lord please don't let that happen to me!," he says, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.”
a. Peter's bold reaction here comes from his emotions, which often got the better of him. His arrogance caused his to fail in three areas. 1) He did not accept what Jesus has just said. 2) Contempt for his fellow believers, and 3) an overly inflated opinion of himself (Horton, 583).
b. He is both an imperfect disciple and a leader in process of development.
c. The difference between growth and failure is whether Peter continues to be receptive to God's will.
d. When he remains open to the things of God, he grows both in his personal discipleship and in his leadership responsibility.
e. When he does not remain receptive to the things of God, he fails in both (Wilkins).
3. Now I sure that Peter, in his arrogance, expects Jesus to say, "Good for you Peter!" However, Jesus, ever the straight shooter, tells Peter, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
a. Ancient sources typically regarded the rooster as a reliable reporter of the advent of dawn, and night guards, shepherds and others who were awake at night were also familiar with other crowing’s, which, depending on the time of year, varied between 11:30 p.m. and 3:30 a.m. The point is that the denial was imminent (Keener, IVP Bible Background Commentary – New Testament).
b. Jesus uses this statement to warn Peter of the timing of his rejection to Jesus. It would happen before morning.
c. Furthermore, not only would Peter do it once, but he would do it 3 times!
4. Again, Peter shows his arrogance. Instead of saying, "Jesus help me," he says, “No! Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!”
a. Peter showed the depth of his arrogance by ignoring everything that Jesus had just told him, and by increasing the boldness of his claim.
b. His over-confidence was caused by comparing himself with others. Peter could not believe what he was hearing.
c. Others may, Peter thought, but not him. There was not a chance, and he wanted Christ to know it.
d. Peter committed the terrible sin of humanity: pride.
e. Peter thought himself stronger than others, above and beyond them spiritually.
f. Peter's over-confidence was also caused by not knowing himself, his own personal weaknesses, the weaknesses of his sinful nature.
g. Peter's self-image was strong. He saw himself above serious sin and failure.
h. He asserted with all the confidence in the world that he would die for Christ before denying Him.
i. He let his own pride cloud his judgment and cause him to ignore the warnings of what was about to come.
B. Spiritual Arrogance
1. Illustration: Again I refer to the Phil Keaggy song, "It Could Have Been Me," "I heard the news today, that another soldier tumbled, a fragile warrior slipped and fell from grace. The vultures swooped to tear his heart, and pin him to the ground, and from the shadows someone took his place. Today we talk amongst ourselves, We never bought his words. We say we've seen the madness in his eyes. Tomorrow he's forgotten as, we've scrubbed him from our hearts, and as he bleeds we slowly turn our eyes. But it could've been me, I could've been the one to lose my grip and fall. It could've been me, the one who's always standing tall. For unless you hold me tightly, Lord, and I can hold on too, then tomorrow in the news it could be me, it could be me."
2. Never let your pride tell you, "You would never do that!"
a. Proverbs 16:18 (NLT)
Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.
b. Pride tells you that you are indestructible.
c. Pride tells you that you are a spiritual giant.
d. Pride tells you that you don't need anybody's help.
e. But pride will take you down like a boulder in a stormy sea!
3. If you think you are too strong be careful, you might be next!
a. 1 Corinthians 10:12 (NLT)
If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.
b. Be careful because none of us are as strong as we think we are.
c. Be careful because the devil prowls about like a lion seeking whom he may devour.
d. It was pride that caused Cain to fall.
e. It was pride that caused David to fall.
f. It was pride that caused Peter to fall.
g. You might be next!
4. Remember you can't do anything without Jesus!
a. John 15:5 (NLT)
“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.
b. Without him we cannot stand in the face of temptation.
c. Without him we cannot stand when life gets tough.
d. Without him we cannot stand against the devil.
e. Without him we cannot do anything.
f. But with him all things are possible!
Transition: It could be you, but take heart my friends, because there is hope.
III. It is Propitiated By the Resurrection (33).
A. After I Have Bee Raised
1. In this message today, I have purposely skipped over one verse. The reason for this is that in between Jesus announcement that they would all desert him and Peter's arrogance is a message of hope.
a. We live in a world without hope, and among people who see the future as hopeless.
b. However, that is not so with Jesus, because with Jesus we have the forgiveness of the cross and the hope and power of the resurrection.
2. Look at what Jesus said after he announced they would all desert him. He says, "But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.”
a. Four times Jesus predicted his arrest and crucifixion.
b. In the first three he also predicted his resurrection, which he now does for the fourth time: "But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee."
c. Jesus prophesied judgment for Judas's betrayal, but the promise to the other disciples is that after they falter, they will be restored in fellowship with him. (Wilkins).
d. Jesus arrest, trial, crucifixion, and death produce a time of falling away. However, His resurrection would usher in a time of restoration, reunion, and hope.
e. Part of Jesus reason to have the disciples meet Him in Galilee was so He could deal with Peter and restore Him after the devastation of rejecting Jesus on this night. We find this encounter in detail in John 21:15-25.
f. None of the disciples ever abandoned Jesus after that, even to the point of death.
g. Jesus wanted His disciples to be aware as to what was going to happen to them this night so that they would be prepared.
h. They understood that Jesus was in danger, but even after all the warnings didn't comprehend about His resurrection.
i. Peter's reacting only to the first part of Jesus statement illustrates that fact (Horton, 583).
j. But the resurrection would change everything! Then there would be joy in Galilee.
B. Resurrection Hope
1. Illustration: Let me refer one more time to Phil's song, "But I believe there is a place where we can run and hide, when we know that we can't stand for one more day. And I believe You're waiting, Lord, to hold me very close. For You know without Your love I'd lose my way. But it could've been me, I could've been the one to lose my grip and fall. It could've been me, the one who's always standing tall. For unless you hold me tightly, Lord, and I can hold on too, then tomorrow in the news it could be me, it could be me."
2. Today my friend you have resurrection hope.
a. 1 Peter 1:3-4 (NLT)
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.
b. No one understood this more than Peter.
c. He had broken his promise to Jesus.
d. He had not only abandoned Jesus in his hour of need, but he denied even knowing his name.
e. He had let his pride keep him from Jesus help.
f. But the resurrection and Galilee brought forgiveness, healing, and hope.
3. Today my friend you have resurrection power.
a. 1 Peter 1:5-6 (NLT)
And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. 6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while.
b. Peter knew the power of the resurrection.
c. He knew that before the resurrection he was just a big mouthed, blow hard.
d. After the resurrection he was a man of power and conviction.
e. After the resurrection he became what Jesus predicted he would become, "the Rock."
f. After the resurrection he would stand before priests, princes, and kings declaring that Jesus is the Messiah.
4. Jesus is calling you today to meet Him in Galilee.
a. 1 Peter 1:7 (NLT)
These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
b. Galilee doesn't mean the ancient city by the sea.
c. Galilee means that place in your heart where you know you have deserted Jesus and you need to be forgiven, healed, and restored.
d. Galilee is right here at this altar.
e. Come and let us pray with you and for you today, that you may be healed.
f. Jesus is calling you to Galilee; won't you come?
Conclusion
1. For some of you that part of the message doesn't apply to you, but it could have been you!
2. Won't you come and pray for God's strength to stand, even though you are weak.
3. For some of you, it means you know someone who needs to meet Jesus in Galilee. Come and pray for them that they may be healed.
4. Just remember it could have been me!
