On Track, Getting Derailed, and Getting Back on Track
Good Morning, the God of heaven who is intimately concerned and intimately involved in our daily lives has seen fit for each and every one of us to be together in this place at this time, the Lord’s Day. And I do not take it lightly, for we are called to come together on the first day of the week Acts 20 and verse 7. And when we are together what is it that we should do? I am glad that you asked, we are to:
Mark 16:15-16 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Those that went into all the world did not have an easy job. They did not have the red carpet rolled out for them. They did not have a silver spoon in their mouths. They struggled. They had to navigate difficult situations. One in particular that I relate to and is probably the most well known was the Apostle Peter.
You all know him, One of Jesus’s first followers. The aggressive one. The passionate one. Peter was enthusiastic, strong-willed, impulsive, and, at times, brash. Peter is the one that told Jesus, “Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. Peter the one who said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Peter the one who stated, “I will never deny you.”
We can relate to Peter’s ups and downs. He always meant well. Peter had a good heart. Peter had perfect intentions.
Are we so different from Peter? In our minds, it made sense to us at the time.
John Calvin taught that If you have been justified before God you cannot lose your salvation. Once a person is truly saved, this salvation is eternally secure.
But the bible teaches something that is different than what John Calvin taught. This dogma of “Once Saved Always Saved,” is a false teaching and I am here to prove that today.
For us to learn about Peter being “On Track,” Getting Off Track, and ultimately Getting Back on Track. It infers that If I am on track there has to be a possibility that I can get off track, Need some correction, Need some guidance, to get back on track.
For Peter was on a Spiritual High Point and there was a point where Peter got Derailed and needed to be put back on track if he was to make heaven his home.
Being on track, getting off track, and getting back on track
It is possible for Christians to sin so as to lose his soul
It is possible to be forgiven regardless of how severe your sin is through the blood of Jesus Christ
Paul said to the Galatian Christians who were being infiltrated with false teaching:
Galatians 5:2-5 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
If you go back, if you get off track, the blood of Jesus doesn’t do anything for you
Paul is stating that you need to get back on track
You don’t want to be indebted to the law again. Not us. Not you or I. Because when you are guilty of one, you are guilty of them all
James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Peter teaches us that we should never go back.
II Peter 2:20-22 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
How can we escape something if we were never in. Peter said we have escaped the pollutants, the influences, the teachings, the doctrine, of the world. Do not get off track.
Peter says, the latter end is worse than the beginning. We have stricter judgement to go back. To be Derailed. To fall off track.
But what about the person that says:
“How can God forgive me for what I’ve done?”
Even when Peter denied Christ three times and he was being taken from judgment hall to judgment hall and he saw Jesus’s face.
Luke 22:61-62 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.62 And Peter went out, and wept bitterly
Even that was forgivable through Jesus Christ.
I imagine that Peter felt pretty low.
I imagine he felt that what he had done was unpardonable.
I imagine that he felt that there was no return for him
What about Paul when he said:
I Timothy 1:15-16 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
And Paul was a prosecutor of the church.
Now we know he should not have been forgiven.
Look at the pattern verse 16
The bible teaches us to ask God. Who in here today needs to ask God?
I John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.
17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
He will hear you.
The idea of an unpardonable sin coupled with the execution of forgiving yourself
All unrighteousness can be forgiven if we confess our sins with a penitant heart. You got to want it. You have to want help. You have to take that step. Pray to God and ask for what you need.
James 1:5-8 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
I John 1:8-10 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Peter On track
On track 10 years in ministry since Pentecost, Tabitha, Healed the beggar at gate called beautiful
Acts 10
I Corinthians 14:20 {The Corinthians believe that speaking in tongues is the top} Peter the Gospel is for all men. This speaking in tongues is a sign for you to believe
Peter thought he was on track. It is possible to think you are on track when in fact you are not on track. Look at the denominational churches. It is possible to be morally good but not on track. Look at Cornelius. Submit to the Lord’s will when you know better. Courage of Peter went into the house of a Gentile a soldier of the Roman army none the else.
Peter Derailed at Antioch
Galatians 2:11-14 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
Fear causes you to back track even when they know the truth
Even an Apostle is not infallible
Paul withstood Peter
This is Peter’s low point
Peter bowed to the pressure (You to will be pressured), (Had a literal Fear of those of the circumcision), (He disregarded what he had learned previously), (He influenced others to do what he had done)
Peter Back on Track Restored and Rehabilitated
Getting back to what you were or could do before is Rehabilitated (restoring them to useful service in God’s Kingdom)
John 21:15-22 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
18 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.
19 This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.
20 Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?
21 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?
22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.
Two different types of love
Three times
If you will love me, Follow Me
Restore and Rehabilitate
Give them something to do
Follow Me
Feed my lambs
Feed my sheep
Follow thou me
Responsibility supports a person’s drive
Getting them back on track
Peter’s final words for us:
II Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen
If you have strayed away from the home that God has provided, its time for you to come home.
Nothing is too hard for God
God is not new to fixing what is broken
If you do not see your brokenness, or if you do not see that you may be off track, Ask yourself the questions that Jesus asked Peter…”Do you lovest me more than these? Lovest thou me (now that is an unconditional love)? Lovest thou me?
Jesus said Feed my lambs, Feed my sheep, Feed my sheep.
And Follow me
How do you Follow Jesus
Hear the Gospel
Believe the Gospel
Repent
Confess
Be Baptized
Live Faithful unto Death
