From Trusting in Your Promises to Trusting in God's Promises [Part 2]

Pastor author and Bible teacher Alan Wright is no power in your word of the gospel is in God because he's the only one integrity does not yet been a man excited for you to hear the teaching today the series life of Peter is presented, it would build a church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire broadcast how to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now be yours for your donation this month to Alan Wright industries so as you listen to today's message deeper as we send you this special offer available today.

Contact us at pastoralan.org that's pastor out.org or call 877-544-4860. More on this later in the program but now let's get started with today's teaching here is Alan Wright Jesus acknowledges who he is, even though it means certain death and Peter won't acknowledge who he is, even to a servant girl who has no authority and that's because Jesus has full complete integrity.

The word integrity comes from the word integer, and UMass. People know that an integer is a whole number, not a fractions. This number is not a fraction is an integer whole number and interview integer really comes from the idea of being un-touched, not broken up not made into a fraction. Okay, that's what an integer is so what integrity is, is where there is wholeness to a person between word and action when you have integrity, it means that what you say is what you do and what you do matches what you say and the problem is that we have such a hard time actually holding ourselves together in this type of integrity because every single person that ever lived has not lived a life in which what they did matched everything that they said, but to the extent that you do what you say you have integrity to the extent that you don't do what you say you don't have integrity. You're not an integer, something is a fraction you're only doing a fraction of what you say and what happens is when you lose integrity you lose power when you lose integrity you lose power. I like to be on time to places and meetings as I am on time as I like to be on on time. I used to be much worse at this. I'm much better now. I still have some struggles and in this area, but I don't struggles as I used to used to be really bad analysis for about an but the problem is that once you are the leader of something if you not there on time then other people start thinking you won't be on time. I meet and my friends. My friends are cruel and I have cruel friends and so the peoples of the people closest to me, their cruel and what they did early on was after a while they started lying to me about the times of meetings and telling me that the meeting started earlier than it did. And so I couldn't trust what time the meeting was, and then once I got better about this. I wanted people to show up on time to something I can get measurable time because I maybe had lacked integrity on the matter and so this probably is the trickle-down effect.

What we can get you to come to church on time and start on time and started there from this but anyway I won't go into that right now but where was I oh yes, integer integrity that once what you don't show up on time.

You lose power to get other people to be there on time something very simple like that. But how much more so on the bigger things of life, right right. I'm saying that there is power. If you could find somebody of full integrity. This can be amazing power and not talking about just getting people to show up on time for a meeting about life stuff and what would happen if there were a man who came to this earth who had full integrity and everything that he said he did everything he did matched what he said and no word that he ever spoke ever would fall to the ground empty, but he would completed what would happen if you had a person like that that person would have been equable.

Our they could save, take up your mat and walk. Jesus is the man of perfect integrity and he is contrasted in this foil with Peter who is the picture of the lack of integrity and so it accentuates the miserable, egregious nature of Peter's failure in the first place. Peter's failure is accentuated because it is his pledge of obedience is so short-lived. It's comical how quickly this happens. I decided to follow is like this icing of the non-go with me walking out the door and denying Jesus. This is what happened to them couldn't make it. A few hours if so, short-lived, and is accentuated because it is it three times.

You know, in the Hebrew culture, the number three is so important because it symbolizes the superlative of something so something might be holy. But if it's holy, holy, holy. It means it is the holy S and so he denies him he denies him.

He denies up if you just in item one time you might single it was a fluke. It was just a glitch in his ordinary character. But note was three times we realized know this runs deep down into the core of who he is is short-lived and is so so repetitive and the ramping up of the denial is inch accentuated here.

What happens is the first denial, he says, verse 70 and Matthew Choi success. I don't know what you mean, what he saying here.

Little is I'm confused as you. You what usually sent.

I know you're talking about really. I don't understand what this within the second time that he denies them for 72 is has he denied it with an oath. I don't know the man swear and then the third time the third time.

Verse 74. The text says he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, I do not know the man and was disturbing about this is that a lot of scholars suggest that because the Greek verb that used here is reflexive. It it can mean perhaps G Peter cursed himself, but it could also mean these cursing the man. He says he doesn't know. I think that's what he did.

It because in order to exonerate himself to look like there's no way that I had anything to do with Jesus.

He does what no student would do of his Rabbi. He does what no disciple would do of his Lord. He curses Jesus to try to prove I didn't have anything to do with them all even curse him swears the man that Alan Wright will have more teaching in a moment. Today's important series pressures always find it hard to say no way that shall disappoint someone one thing in any relationship in paradise. They were naked and felt no shame entered the world and became anxious and with a nine question like painting. There is only one solution. Grace of God that lifts our shame.

Six week Mastercraft pastor how unexposed shame and share is an individual or any snobbery series is sure to bring healing and hope are ministries this man thinking to digital Mastercraft.

Thanks for your partnership in a world separate shame. It's time to let God's grace to shame, we are happy to see Misty and Alan Wright Ministries, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor hour and.org. Today's teaching now continues your once again is Alan Wright culture we have this idea that somehow we are more reliable when we ramp up our O's with grandeur and attach things to them and it's very, much the way we become even as Christians, we think that somehow were to get stronger by making our oath more strong for years ago I thought of situational kids probably boys that their little secret fort in the woods with their secret password or whatever.

Imagine it will. Billy's talking to Johnny and Billy says to Johnny, can you keep a secret and I success and Billy's not sure that he can trust Johnny's word so he says do you promise, and I says yes I promise, but is not sure if a promise is good enough so he asked him to do what my mama said never do.

He says Johnny do you swear is so Johnny says yes I swear I will tell but is not even sure if Johnny swearing is good enough so he has to wrap that up to do what would never come out my mouth away my mama told me, but says to Johnny, Johnny, do you swear to God that you will not tell anybody. Johnny okay, I swear to God. But if you still not sure that that's going to hold him to his oath he wraps it up one more time with the famous Johnny, do you swear to God across your heart, hope to die and now what you've done is you've invoked mortal punishment upon yourself if you should ever break your oath is like saying I'm giving God an invitation to strike me down if I ever break this of that's the way that we tend to think in our culture and it's so silly and you don't realize how silly this is N2O you ever going to a courtroom or you're being deposed as a witness like I have been before and they tell you to put your hand on the Bible. The Bible that you can't take in the public schools or any other public arena.

The Bible that is mocked at every level in our culture until somebody need you to tell the truth and they say when you put your hand on the Bible and swear to God, even though we don't believe in God anymore. Do something to ramp up your oath to make sure you tell the truth because we know you're not tell the truth unless there's a possibility of mortal divine punishment that comes down your and just one we do it we have idea that somehow there is power in the lab. There is no power. A little Johnny and little Billy sit around talk about swear to God.

There is no power in your own power of the gospel of God to you because he's the only one who's got integrity is the one who when he speaks does not grab you single yesterday name in Christ Jesus, why would we want to build life on word to God when word might fail within an hour build my life on the word of God. Though the grass withers and the flowers fade will stand forever changed everything. We are praying this morning as we always do before the service, and then we start praying they just started praising God just start thanking him for his work to start thinking about how faithful you thank him for what Jesus did for. Thank him for all his promises. Thank you for how true he is thinking that the we fail he never does great is our faithfulness so got you start building your prayer life on that and watch miracles take place because you are late now to the real power of the gospel. If you boast primarily in your love for God then you either fall into the sin of pride get me the number with me I fall or you fall into rebellion. I said I do it but I can't do it, so I might as well give up altogether. But when you boast in the commitment and love of God toward you. You are changed.

I look at this. This is the Peter who denied Jesus three times and I want to say what happens in John chapter 21 very quickly in John chapter 21. After Jesus has been raised from the dead.

He has appeared to the disciples, he is allowed Thomas to put his finger in his side and hands and he comes in he appears to seven of the disciples, including Peter. They have breakfast of fish is showing he's real, it's Jesus and verse 15 of John 21 a very tender scene when they finished breakfast. Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon son of John, do you love me more than these, Paul's do you see what Jesus is doing is soon as Jesus asked the question, do you love me more than these others. What is Peter going to remember the day that he said I love you more than everybody else, I'll follow you realtors fall away. And Jesus come back to him and said do you love me more than these he said to him. Yes, Lord, you know I love you but notice what Peter doesn't say it doesn't say Lord I love you more than everybody else is a sale more committed to you than everybody else. It is says I love you and Jesus said to him, feed my lambs for 16 he said to him a second time.

Simon son of John, do you love me a set them the same thing. Yes Lord you know I love you. I said to him, tend my sheep and they said it 1/3 time. There's no mistaking us. Peter denied him three times and now Jesus is asking him three times and instead of calling him Peter. The rock he calls him Simon calls him by the name of his humility. Simon son of John, do you love me Peter was grieved because he said to him 1/3 time. Do you love me and he said 10.

Lord you know everything you know I love you and Jesus said to him, feed my sheep.

One of the things is fascinating about this encounter is one of those text that is really impossible to understand if you don't understand what's happening in the Greek language here because we only have a word for love, love, but in the Greek language there really three common words. Arrows that refers to romantic love and for los refers to friendship and brotherly love and agape, which refers to God's supernatural kind of sacrificial covenantal love agape as was described in first Corinthians 13 love is patient, love is kind love is never self-seeking. This is a love that only comes from God and he says Simon son of John verse 1315. Do you have agape for me. Do you got part of me and what Peter says to him as Lord. I felt I owed you I have for los for you. I can't say it's agape.

I can't say that I have the kind of love for you that you have for me so I asked him a second time.

He says Simon son of John, do you got part of me. Do you have agape for me and a second time Peter says, Lord, you know what I really have for you is for los I don't have the kind of love for you that you have for me and so the third time Jesus changes his verb and he says Simon son of John, do you fill a owe me. Do you have fellows for me. Are you saying that you don't have the kind of love for me that I have for you and Peter says Lord you know everything you know the limits of my love.

I have fellows I Philip oh you and Jesus says tend my sheep. It's the word that's used for shepherding. Remember what Zachariah had said about the shepherd would be struck down. Shepherd is the image of the ruler of the king of the leader and when Peter recognizes that he doesn't have the capacity within himself to love God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength. The way that Jesus loved him and he's able to be forthright about that and said this is who I actually am. I want to love you more. I have love for you, but the love I have for you is obviously not a love that you have for me because I denied you and you died for me when he understood that reality Jesus smiled and blessed him and said, be the leader of the sheep preach the gospel to the world change the world.

You will be filled with the Holy Spirit.

This is the Peter who has come now, not to boast in his commitment to God but to boast in the commitment of God to him and you don't see Peter stand up on Pentecost start preaching a message about I have decided to follow Jesus at the non-go with me. I will follow and I've never denied Jesus and I've surrendered everything.

Instead he stands up and he says this man Jesus was righteous, 50, was the son of God, and he was crucified he was dead and buried, and he lives for us today. He's preaching Jesus Christ and him crucified. Everything changed for Peter Prescott to change for us not to live out of a sense that will find power and boasting of our commitment to God, but you'll find faith and courage and obedience. When you discover in a deeper way. The love that God has for you, for this is the gospel, not that we loved God but that God loved us and when you realize how much God loves you.

You'll find you can't help but love him more and that is the gospel right good news for today the gospel of Jesus Christ are teaching from trusting in your promises to trusting in God's promises in the life of Peter stay with this. Alan is back here in the studio. In a moment with additional insight on this for your life pressures always find it hard to say no way that shall disappoint someone one thing in any relationship in paradise. They were naked and felt no shame in entering the world. They became anxious and driven nine question like there is only one solution. The grace of God that lifts our shame seeks me out on exposing shame shows the individual or in a snobbery series is sure to bring healing and hope our night ministries. This man thinking digital master class but is instead.

Thanks for your partnership in a world separate shame. It's time to let God's grace to shame. We missed our night ministries, 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website past Rowan.org hello when I looking off it it it simply plays out between maybe young men until old man or young women's older women in and it could just simply be a maturing and growing and it seems to be. Sometimes when were young we are so on fire and were so declarative of this is what I will do in this is who I am and this is what I will be and then as we age, it really becomes a simple thing Jesus and Jesus only. All along that well is so is so noble to want to make great promises to God. But in the in Daniel. This is what I want listeners to know and take away from this when we make our valves to be obedient to God and we make them strong is not that there's something that's not noble about that is just not powerful.

It just doesn't work. It's our resolutions are just that the resolutions, but their void of real power to bear fruit. But God's promises to you, God's word to you, never returns to him void God's word is true, how so the mark of maturing in the Christian life is not that overlook help write your promises are to God, but that you have come to greater faith and how awesome his promises are today's good news message is a listener supported production Alan Wright Ministries