The Fall and Restoration of Peter - Part 2 of 2

Will you know I should share Bradley Junior inviting you to stay tuned for another message of God's sovereign grace hope you will take time to write a little snow that you've listen to the broadcast today. Our address is the Baptist Bible.

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We continue with the second part today of a message entitled the fall and restoration of Peter in John chapter 13 and verse 37 Peter said, Lord, why cannot I follow the now I will lay down my life for thy sake. Jesus answered him with. I lay down by life for my sake. Verily, verily I say unto thee, the cop shall not grow till thou hast denied me thrice so we been reviewing the fact that Peter was self-confident, rather than trusting in the Lord. He was confident in himself and that led to his downfall. Philippians chapter 3 in the third verse for we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, how much confidence I do have that are well attended today the solution to your problem is you gotta believe in yourself and not esteem yourself was God's word say have no confidence in the flesh. All we need to learn the lesson. It's in our weakness that we find our strength in Christ.

Second Corinthians chapter 12 the Lord had given Paul that thorn in the flesh, he prayed three times. It might be removed.

It was painful.

Whatever it was something that Paul considered to be a hindrance, but a check in Clinton's 12 verse nine is the Lord's response. My grace is sufficient for the for my strength is made perfect in weakness. My strength made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities at the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities and reproaches, in necessities and persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong. In other words, when you're weak and you know your week. It's been your strong because you're not depending on yourself and depending on Jesus Christ and deposit I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me soon as you begin rental and the fact your step ahead of a lot of people you know a lot more than many others.

Your your your life is superior that indicate you're not depending on Christ your depending on the flanks and you're ready for downfall. So let's let's observe Peter's downward path.

First of all, he did not play Jesus words to heart.

You would think with the kind of warning that he had received the kind of instruction that Jesus had given up on previous occasions that a woman ready to take all that in the fact that Jesus is said Satan is on a topic you this in itself for the compliments of Laura not I will be able to stand unless you help me, but he's not playing Jesus words the heart health and is that in your case, how often have you listened to a sermon or you've read Scripture.

Instead of taking it to heart. You shoved aside, that's not talking to me that somebody else I don't see it that way you're going to twist things to start them to justify yourself, not taking his words to heart. Second thing, Peter failed to pray. Jesus instructed them to pray in Luke chapter 22 verse 39 and he came out and went as he was walked to the Mount of olives and his disciples also followed him and when he was at the place he said in the them, pray that you enter not into temptation. The timeframe here is exactly the same liquid looking at in our text in the Gospel of John and Jesus is instructing his disciples, including Peter pray that you enter not into temptation, says this is what you need to do, and that instruction is given unto every one of us. We are to pray without ceasing to see if you don't play that indicate you don't have any deep sense of need. I think I'm I can handle this. I don't have to pray and in the 26 chapter of the book of Matthew in verse 40, he cometh unto his disciples, and finally fell asleep, and saith unto Peter, what cooking not watch with me one hour.

Here's here's Peter who's already been warned that he's facing a challenge becoming starlight on top. I go with you wherever you go, Jesus is on the cost is going to die and he said to pray and falls asleep watching pray that you enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak.

True, the spirit of God in you is willing desires to be obedient to the flesh is weak. Don't forget the flesh is weak. Verse 43 and he came and found them asleep again for their eyes were happy you pray for strength to overcome temptation to pray on a daily basis will lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, and then the third thing we see in his downward spiral is that he followed a far off site and guess Vernon will announce it direction, even though he was fearful and they came to arrest Jesus. He was stay where he could see what was going on but he was following a far off Luke chapter 22 verse 54. Then they took him. Speaking of Jesus and led him and brought him into the high priest's house and Peter followed a far off.

He was conquered by fear interesting to observe that he failed at his strongest point Peter was a rough fisherman. He had been through a lot. He was a strong man. Probably he wasn't afraid all the things you might say in criticism about Peter when he was on the books of Jesus walking on the Z water.

We soon started to sing, but nobody else got out of the boat so Peter was a brave man. He didn't have a lot of fear troubling the man pulled out his sword evidently he wanted to be prepared for whatever Kingsley had a sword with him, they came to arrest Jesus. He took a certain Carl clear the high priest is man's brain. Now little made sees him and says you're one of his followers know you got me trembles in front of a little girl. Here's the man that appears to be so strong and so brave and able to handle it falls apart without trusting God to sustain you may look at certain areas of your life and say well I got my failures in my false look. This is not one of something that would never tempt me here something I would never do. I would never go astray.

I never did a little weight. Here's Peter faltering because he was following far off, trembles in the presence of the will made certainly confirms the words of Jesus in practical experience what he said in John 15 five without me ye can do nothing.

Maybe some of you here today who are following a far off so certain that could bring about here what would come to church on Sunday morning we come to worship the Lord, you may still be going through the motions.

You wouldn't want to stay home and have your wife criticizing you will not stay home and have your children save mother what's a matter of aren't you going to church, but in your heart, your cold you're going through the formality, but your following far off because once you leave here today. You'll give very little fault to anything that spiritual you'll be reading your Bible, you will be rejoicing in fellowship and communion with Jesus Christ to be making your own decisions going your own way, doing what you want to do. Following a far off no joy in the service of God. No real commitment and then the next thing we see in figures downward path he mixed with the wrong people. Luke chapter 22 verse 55 and when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall and were set down together. That is, these are the enemies of Jesus who taken part in arresting him and wanted to crucify Peter sat down among them was associating with the wrong people.

Paul told us that if we were going to avoid all who are participating in some kind of sinful behavior. We have to go completely out of the world. So were not suggesting that doesn't mean that we stand aloof as self-righteous individuals, but when you sit down with the enemies of the Lord you want to be influenced by them. Number times over the years of counsel with young people who had a problem with drugs they would say well preacher, I realize I've been on the wrong path and I'm I'm willing to give up drugs said then in order to do that. You gotta give up your friends all know I can do that said one young man so you tell me that a few days ago you spent the night in jail for the first time in your life and it was a very unpleasant experience. How did that happen. Well I was with my friend I wasn't doing anything that he was selling drugs with both got arrested so like a great bunch of friends you got fact is God's word says that evil communications corrupt good manners you won't give up your bad habits.

Whether it's drugs and drinking are whatever else the sin might be. If you don't give up the friends that are encouraging you in that behavior.

Peter sat down with Christ's enemies and enjoyed verify use Colby Borman's hand at their fire so you sit down with the enemies of Jesus, and you start enjoying some of the entertainments in place are some things that they have offered for long. You're sucked into it. Your traveling with them so he denied his Lord. Verse 56 certainly beheld him as he sat on the fire and others are looked upon him and said this man was also with him and he denied him saying I'm not. And after a little while another saw him and said, thou art also of them and Peter said I am not about the space of one another confidently affirm saying of the truth.

This fella also was with him, for he is a Galilean. And Peter said mankind know not what thou sayest, and in another place. It says in Matthew chapter 26 verse 74 says, then began he to curse and swear, saying, no, not the man immediately, trip and fall. Here Peter had said Lord I love you going to prison, go with you and peace. Cursing, using foul language say this man and immediately the cop proves the Lord turned and looked upon Peter and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said on him before the cop rolled thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out and went a sad state of man that had been with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. The man that had been under his teaching for three years. Amanda had been a close associate.

He has class and then not that he ever knew this man. If the apostle Peter can fall that far. What about you what about me. What about any of us does it not mean that we should walk humbly and prayerfully before the Lord.

But then look at the third thing that's in this passage, peters restoration Jesus warned Peter as he warned you eat eat what was coming. We want about the weakness of the flesh, but this was a blessing this this was the love and grace and mercy of Jesus to have warned him reminding us that one where we that's what we find our strengths, not when were boasting, not when were elevated and pride not we were talking about our abilities and what we will do or won't do. Later in Peter's own writings in first Peter chapter 5 verse eight he will be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil is a roaring lion look about, seeking whom he may devour Jesus and essentially said that the peak of your enemy is Satan. He's desired you to see if you keep coming after you and Peter didn't heed the warnings, but such a thing.

Jesus did was to pray for, he said, I pray for you that your faith will not claim. Now the good news is that if you're one of his. He prays for you. Hebrews chapter 7 verse 25 he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

In spite of your faults in spite of your failings, you have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous. You have one who intercedes for you. You confess your sins, your knowledge are unworthy good on the wrong thing. You stand amazed that God would even care for me, but he does here and Jesus Christ raise you and Jesus proved that he loved the first verse of this 13th chapter, the gospel of John, having loved his own.

He love them to the end and here is proof positive and ask. Suppose you had a friend, a very close friend decision can only happen with you to death and then you knew even before the day was passed that individual was standing with a group of your enemies were plotting her death, and they use curse words to say don't even know what person how to feel about the possibility. I don't see that person again. I had put up with a lot of the shenanigans in the past had to deal with some of the things they said just like Jesus had to do was other things, Peter said, but this is a limit to think about nothing to do with it wonderful to know that's not the way Jesus handled the situation in John chapter 21 of the 12 verse after the resurrection. Jesus was cooking fish and he invited Peter and the other disciples to come to breakfast if somebody treated you like Peter treated Jesus what you say here for breakfast in the morning to sit there grumbling and muttering. I am perfectly justified say I don't think do with the Stanley, what they currently did me wrong Jesus invited them to eat breakfast. Also in John chapter 21 he assigned him a job yesterday three times you love me do you love the deal of Jesus.

The mushy somebody from the human reason might well spoken up to Jesus way to him and would not think this is a bad mistake.

Anybody that fails, that badly can't possibly ever be used again. Why would you tell if he or she what love what compassion, what grace, what mercy Peter has been through and he's learned some things. Now he's he's ready to feed his sheep and on the day of Pentecost who does the Lord select is the speaker who comes out of preaching powerfully at 3000 so what is a some self-righteous old Dr. thinking Peter has no right to be up there� My miserable failure or not. I don't spell God was pleased by his grace and mercy and forgiveness to restore Peter to place of usefulness and to write a portion of the New Testament.

First Peter chapter 4 verse seven, but the end of all things is at hand. Be ye therefore sober and watch and pray Peter was ready to like that, language they made knew what it meant to be sober and seven full of self-confidence and self-righteousness.

Watch and pray. Chapter 5 in the fifth verse. Likewise, you younger, submit yourselves one of the elder day all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility, something that Peter like before, but now he's been broken down and he says for God resists the proud, and give us grace to the phone than in John 2119. He says follow me following Jesus had not given up on Peter. In fact, in some of the disciples had seen him after the resurrection.

He says the hotel doesn't tell Peter be sure to leave him restore him know this is very much in keeping with the way God has revealed his mercy through the ages the Lord did not cast off Abram when he had bitten him to leave there, the Chaldees, and then he stopped off inherent period of time. He was wrong. But God still favored and blessed Abraham.

He didn't cast off most of us when Moses got the idea that yes I can deliver the people by killing us in Egyptian, Moses was not going to have success because of his ability as a fighter. He wasn't going to be able to kill the Egyptians and deliver the people getting on the backside of the desert for 40 years and be prepared then to become God's messenger to go before the king and say let my people go. I didn't cast off Jonah. Jonah got the idea is a ship here going to Tarsus Ottawa to go to Nineveh, God said to go to the good reasons not and probably if it went all right for me to go to Tarsus that she hears on the fact that it's here. I think it's all right not want to buy passage ago and he goes down in the ship and find a comfortable place in go to sleep have hidden from the time I'm running away. I would tell you my friend. That is an impossibility. You might sometimes run away from church.

You might wonder why because I like that kind of project you might run away from what you read in the Bible say that I consume. I think that you cannot run away from God. You cannot hide from the heat where Jonah chapter 2 in the first verse and the word of the Lord came on the Jonah the second time, saying, arise, and go hunting second time around in that wonderful, why would you be today if the Lord didn't deal with you on that basis we just cut you off because of your first failure. Where would you be old.

How marvelous is his grace and mercy. Jonah was delivered and it came out crying.

Salvation is of the Lord. Maybe some of you here today were walking and self confidence.

Your near to falling because of your pride, your self-righteousness. Some of you here maybe following a far-off although your present in the Lord's house, your heart, your mind, your thinking, your attitude, your walk is not where it ought to be some of you may already be warming yourself by the enemy's fire you're associating with people who don't fear God love God they're influencing you little by little you're being pulled into their way of living, but there may be some here today were weeping as Peter wept when Jesus looked at it. Peter went in your initial reaction may be. I have failed pilot denied the Lord by telling somebody. I don't believe in him, but I've denied them of the way I've lived by some of the sins and I've committed by my neglect the putting first and serving as out, take heart.

Today the Peter was restored. The Lord forgave you putting back to the place of usefulness. How wonderful is the grace of God love for fallen media centers through Jesus Christ.

Only one way initial can be acceptable in his sight, not through their self-righteousness and pride, but to the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ because of his sacrifice and his ship Jesus are all as we have looked at Peter's experience.

Seeing first is self-confidence and then consequently his downward path. As a result of may we all draw lessons to see that we are weak in ourselves, and must never have confidence in the flesh, but only trust in the Lord our God what encouragement though to see Peter's restoration and in spite of the fact he had failed. The Lord still lifted the Lord restored and that may be a message that you particularly need today. If you are one who is become discouraged to realize that because of your failures you have suffered the consequences of sinful actions. But the good news is the Lord invite you to come and there is restoration through him by his grace.

There is the forgiveness of sins. How to we greet you again next time. This was Sarah Bradley, Junior, saying that God richly bless you. She is the