SERMON OUTLINE:
English Word #1: ‘debt’:
English Word #2: ‘trespass’:
English Word #3: ‘sin’:
(1). Peter’s love!
(2). Peter’s failure!
(3). Peter’s hope.
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• The most famous prayer on the planet,
• Also contains the most well-known verses of the Bible.
• It is a Christian prayer that Jesus taught to his disciples.
• And it appears in two forms in the New Testament:
• The shorter version in the Gospel According to Luke (chapter 11: verses 2–4)
• And the longer and best-known version, part of the Sermon on the Mount,
• In the Gospel According to Matthew (chapter 6 verses 9–13).
• Hundreds of millions of Christians pray it regularly,
• As do tens of millions of non-Christians who pray fit for comfort or maybe good luck.
• In our sort of Churches we don’t often say, set or written out prayers.
• We tend to pray more spontaneous unstructured prayers.
But twice a month on a Tuesday and Wednesday I pray the Lord’s prayer!
• Question: Why twice a month on a Tuesday and Wednesday I hear you say?
• The answer being,
• I say it when I take a service at Hawthorn Court Nursing Home for dementias patients.
• Also, when I take an assembly at Sarisbury Green Junior School.
• At Hawthorn Court Nursing Home we say the traditional version.
• At Sarisbury Green Junior School we say a modern version.
When it comes to prayers or songs, children can be easily mishearing the words,
• And sometimes you get some funny responses and insights.
• For example.
• e.g. Original Line: “Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name.”
• One time came out as, “Our Father which art in Heaven, HAROLD be thy name.”
• e.g. Original Line: “Deliver us from evil.”
• One time came out as, “Deliver us some E-MAIL”.
• TRANSITION: Now there is one word of the Lord’s prayer,
• That can change whenever it is recited.
• Not because it was misheard,
• But because there are various alternate ways to say the prayer.
• At least three variations to one line of the prayer.
• We can say either “…forgive us our sins, our debts or our trespasses.”
Question: Why? Which is correct?
Answer:
• All three are correct,
• Unless you want to be pedantic & nitpicking!
• The terms debts, trespasses, and sins all basically mean the same thing,
• With just a slight difference.
English Word #1: ‘debt’:
• e.g. The word "debts" we get from the very first English translation of the Bible,
• By John Wycliffe in 1395 (translated the New Testament from Latin into English)
• (Wycliffe used the word, “debt” spelling "dettis" in his translation).
Ill:
• In Jewish rabbinic teachings and also some of the parables of Jesus,
• (see Matthew chapter 18 verses 21-35 the parable of the debtor).
• A person's sin before God,
• Was often symbolized by debt owed to a king, landowner, or other person.
English Word #2: ‘trespass’:
• e.g. We get this term, ‘trespasses’ from William Tyndale in 1526.
• (He was first to translate the New Testament from Greek into English)
• (“and forgeve us oure treaspases, even as we forgeve them which treaspas us”).
• The word ‘trespasses’ has the idea of breaking a rule that has been established.
• That is, you have crossed a line, trespassed, gone where you should not have gone!
• e.g. No entry sign and we ignore it! Likewise, we ignore or break God’s laws.
English Word #3: ‘sin’:
• The biblical term for sin, whether in Hebrew or Greek, signifies “missing the mark.”
• e.g. Imagine an archer aiming at a target.
• If the arrow veers off course and fails to hit the bullseye, it misses the mark,
• That’s sin.
This definition highlights two crucial aspects:
• Target: There exists a standard or goal set by God,
• We find that standard in his word, his commands, and his desires.
• Intention:
• Sin involves a conscious choice to either hit or miss that target,
• We make those choices day by day.
• Therefore, sin is the failure to be what we might have been and could have been.
Question: Why does sin matter?
Answer: three reasons why it matters
• (a). Sin Separates.
• i.e. Like a cloud separates us from seeing the sun in the sky.
• Isaiah chapter 59 verse 2.
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”
• (b). Sin Spreads.
• i.e. Like weeds in a garden.
• John chapter 8 verse 34.
“Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.”
• (a). Sin Spoils.
• i.e. Sin brings corruption and death.
• Romans chapter 6 verse 23.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
NOW IN OUR SECOND TALK IN THIS EASTER SERIES:
• The 4 POINTS: #2: I Have Sinned (I’ve Got It Wrong):
• We are looking at the story of Peter denying Jesus.
Ill:
• One of the best know hymns around the world,
• Is “Amazing Grace.” written by John Newton.
• He was a wild-living sailor and slave-trader,
• Newton had a reputation for bad language, vulgarity, wickedness and debauchery,
• He was so bad that he even shocked his fellow sailors.
• John Newton got saved, he came to faith in Jesus Christ,
• He became an Anglican minister, a hymn writer, and later a noted abolitionist.
• He is best known for the hymn “Amazing Grace.”
• He also wrote the book, “Thoughts upon the African Slave Trade,”
• A graphic account of his experiences aboard slave ships,
• That included a repentant confession of his personal involvement in the trade.
Towards the end of his like, he said:
“My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things:
that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior.”
• TRANSITION:
• Even if your past is not as wicked as John Newton’s,
• You should be growing in your awareness of those two great facts.
• The longer I am a Christian, the more I am aware of the wickedness of my own heart.
• But alongside that depressing fact is the realisation of Jesus Christ my great saviour!
• Now this story of Peter highlights those two great facts:
• The weakness and sinfulness of the human heart.
• And the greatness and abundance of God’s love and grace toward those who fail.
(1). Peter’s love!
Ill:
• On the evening of Jesus’ last Passover, after the service had ended,
• Jesus said all of his disciples would stumble, they would all forsake him.
• (Matthew chapter 26 verse 31, 56; Mark chapter 14 verse 27).
• Jesus then backed up his words,
• By quoting an Old Testament prophecy concerning himself.
• “Smite the Shepherd and the sheep will scatter.” (Zechariah chapter 13 verse 7)
When Peter hears Jesus speak those words, he was quick to respond, “Not me!”
• “Even if I have to die with you, I will not disown you.”.
• To paraphrase his words, “Even if this lot fail you – I never will!”
• (Matthew chapter 26 verse 33)
• And he meant it – every word!
• Remember Peter was the disciple Jesus renamed, “the Rock”.
• Mr dependable! The one you could rely on!
• Peter thought of himself to be like the Titanic – unsinkable!
• But sadly, like the Titanic, he would sink!
Note: We see an example of Peter’s devotion (vs 54).
“Then seizing Jesus, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest.
Peter followed at a distance.”
• As far as we know all the other disciples forsook Jesus & fled,
• But Peter refused to do so.
• Peter continued to follow Jesus, even after he had been arrested,
• It is true Peter failed,
• But he failed in a situation which none of the other disciples even dared to face!
• He failed, not because he was a coward, but because he was brave.
• It was his courage that took him into the courtyard,
• It was his courage which sadly ran out once he had got there!
• For effort, Peter might have got a 7 out of 10,
• Compared to the other disciples who got a 1 out of 10,
• But he still failed and failed big time!
(2). Peter’s failure!
• Quote: “The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked,”
• Said Jeremiah the prophet (chapter 17 verse 9).
• And Peter would very soon find that out!
• As the saying goes,
• “The best of men are only men at their best!”
Note: the severity of Peter’s failure!
• Jesus told Peter that he wouldn’t just stumble, which would be bad enough,
• Jesus told Peter that he wouldn’t just deny Him,
• Jesus told Peter that he would deny him three times!
• (Matthew chapter 26 verses 31-33).
Just as Jesus predicted, so these events took place.
• Denial #1:
• A servant girl says tells Peter that he was with Jesus (vs 56)
• Peter replies, “Woman, I do not know Him.” (vs 57)
• Denial #2:
• A Male Servant identifies Peter and says, ‘You are one of them too!’” (vs 58a),
• “’But Peter said, ‘Man, I am not!’” (vs 58b).
• Denial #3:
• Cousin of Malchus Identifies Peter (vs 59).
• “Certainly, this man also was with Him, for he is a Galilean too.’”
• “But Peter said, ‘Man, I do not know what you are talking about.’” (vs 60a)
Note:
• Those three denials must have shaken Peter to his very core.
• Yet his worst moment is just about to happen (vs 60-61)
• “Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed, and he looked and saw Jesus!”
• That gaze cut him straight to the heart!
• And Peter realising his folly went out and wept bitterly.
• Note: The good part of this sad story is that it does not end with verse 61.
• If it did, it would be not only depressing but rob all of us of future hope!
(3). Peter’s Hope.
“…Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.”.
Ill:
• We get our proverb,
• "Every cloud has a silver lining,"
• From John Milton's masque (dramatic entertainment) 'Comus' (1634).
• 'Was I deceiv'd, or did a sable cloud/ Turn forth her silver lining on the night?'
• The proverb means that out of a negative situation.
• Something positive has also been produced.
• The very positive thing or situation is the "silver lining".
• TRANSITION:
• Although the cockcrowing was Peter’s darkest moment.
• It would also offer him a ‘silver lining’ of hope!
• Luke tells us that Jesus turned and looked at Peter (vs 61),
• And this look of love broke Peter’s heart.
• Peter had been a firsthand witness of the sufferings of Christ,
• And by his own denials he added to those sufferings.
Question: Why a silver lining in the narrative?
Answer:
• Symbolically remember that the crowing of the cock was an announcement:
• It announced the dawning of a new day!
• Peter had failed badly,
• But with a new day came a new opportunity to repent and a new hope.
Ill:
Just contrast Peter and Judas:
• Judas admitted his sins was sorrowful but never repented for his actions.
• Peter wept over his sins and repented,
• Judas experienced remorse,
• Peter repentance.
• When Judas went out from the Upper Room, “it was night” (John chapter 13 verse 30).
• But when Peter went out to weep bitterly, there was “the dawning of a new day”.
• For Judas it was deliberate betrayal and therefore the end of his relationship with Jesus.
• For Peter it was a temporary mistake, a blip, a failing in his walk as a disciple.
• Judas died a failure,
• But Peter would soon be recommissioned Jesus.
• And if you know John chapter 21,
• Three times we read that Jesus gave Peter the chance to show his love to him.
Ill:
• A few years ago, an angry man rushed through the Rijks Museum in Amsterdam,
• When he reached Rembrandt’s famous painting “Nightwatch.”
• He too took out a knife and slashed it repeatedly before he could be stopped.
• This cherished work of art was severely damaged.
• But what did officials do? Throw it out and forget about it?
• Absolutely not!
• Using the best expert’s that money could buy,
• They worked on the damaged painting with the utmost care and precision,
• They made every effort to restore this treasure.
• Today, more than two million visitors a year come to see it,
• Displayed once again at the Rijks Museum in Amsterdam,
• Now not a lot of people know this,
• But if you look carefully at the “Nightwatch.” Painting,
• Rembrandt painted himself hidden within the scene.
• TRANSITION: How much more valuable are you and me than a damaged painting!
• As with Peter, God offers us the chance to find forgiveness.
• To become his followers i.e. a Christian.
• To be those who live in victory and not in defeat i.e. sanctified Christians.
• Although this will be the theme of next weeks talk, let me conclude with this story.
Ill:
• Another story about the Dutch artist Rembrandt.
• He painted an interesting picture of the crucifixion of Jesus.
• It is a work which depicts the suffering of Jesus,
• The indifference of the soldiers,
• The sorrow of the women at the cross.
• Once again, if you look closely,
• You will see that Rembrandt painted himself back in the shadows.
• Rembrandt created more than 90 self-portraits,
• But he also liked to insert himself into many of his own paintings.
• He paints his face as a spectator in the crowd in several pieces of art,
• Such as ‘The Stoning of Saint Stephen’ (his first known painting),
• ‘Raising of the Cross’, and possibly even ‘The Night Watch.’
• YOUTUBE:
• https://youtu.be/Iu6-jgDojzA?si=kuiUPOk98IAHnrfA
Question: Have you come to that realisation?
Answer: How will you respond?
• And if you have yet to receive Jesus Christ as your saviour, then do so now.
• I often say it’s as easy as A.B.C.
• A = Admit – Like Adam I am a sinner by nature and by practice.
• And I know my sin is an offence to a holy God.
• B = Believe – that the last Adam Jesus bore your sins when he died on the cross.
• Put your faith and trust in him and his finished work and not your good works.
• C = Consider – am I willing to make Jesus Christ Lord of my life,
• Am I will repent, turn from living for self and start to live for him?
• D = Do – will you do that now as I lead you in a short prayer of commitment to Christ.
• Let’s pray.
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=a6H3OFprfb061bTm5ZqY1HhK4Xe864eh
SERMON VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/CroREruqUEE
