Untitled Sermon (83)

RECOVERING FROM YOUR PITFALLS

INTRODUCTION:

LIFE HAS MANY TWIST AND TURNS AND NO ONE CAN DETERMINE WHAT MAY COME INTO THERE LIVES.

BUT THE ONE THING I DO KNOW GOD KNOWS WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN OUR LIVES BEFORE IT HAPPEN.

PETER WOULD HAVE NEVER BELIEVE HE WILL OF LET THE LORD JESUS DOWN.

PITFALLS ARE UNEXPECTED EVENTS IN LIFE THAT SNEAK UP ON US AND RUIN OUR LIFE’S PLANS.

OUR PITFALLS CAN BE BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS, WEAKNESSES WE HAVE THAT WE HAVE NOT ATTENDED TO, SETBACKS DUE TO JUST BELIEVING IN GOD, BUT NOT BELIEVING GOD.

THE DIFFERENCE IS IF YOU JUST BELIEVE IN GOD, YOU WON’T DO WHAT HE SAY, WHEREAS WHEN YOU BELIEVE GOD YOU WILL DO HIS COMMANDMENTS.

BUT HOW WE COME BACK FROM OUR PITFALLS WILL DETERMINE WHAT WE LEARNED WHILE WE WAS IN THE PIT.

A. WHAT ARE WEAKNESSES

Luke 22:31–34 “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.”

LET’S DEFINE WHAT ARE WEAKNESSES.

WEAKNESSES ARE THE STATE OR CONDITION OF LACKING STRENGTH.

HOW MANY TIMES THAT THE LORD WARN US ABOUT SOMETHING CONCERNING OUR LIVES AND WE DO NOT TAKE HEED TO WHAT HE SAYS.

PETER DID NOT HAVE A CLUE THAT SATAN WAS OUT TO PROVE TO GOD THAT PETER WAS NOT WHO HE SAY HE IS.

THIS IS THE SAME PETER THAT SAID YOU ARE THE CHRIST THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD, THIS IS THE SAME PETER WHO PREACHED AT PENTECOST, THIS IS THE SAME PETER WHO TRIED TO WALK ON THE WATER.

BUT THIS SHOW US, THAT NO MATTER WHAT POSITION YOU HOLD IN CHURCH OR WHAT TITLE YOU HAVE OR HOW MUCH YOU CAN QUOTE SCRIPTURES, YOU’RE NOT EXEMPT FOR SATAN’S ATTACKS.

PETER THOUGHT IN HIS OWN STRENGTH THAT HE COULD OVERCOME SATAN, BUT NEGLECTED TO TAKE HEED WHEN JESUS TOLD HIM AND THE OTHER DISCIPLES TO PRAY THAT YE ENTER NOT INTO TEMPTATION.

MANY OF US NEGLECT TO BRING OUR WEAKNESSES BEFORE THE LORD AND THAT IS THE REASON WHY WE STILL STRUGGLING WITH THEM.

WE TOO BUSY SLEEPING ON SATAN, WHILE HE IS OUT TRYING TO EXPOSE US BEFORE GOD.

Matthew 6:13 “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

B. WHY DO WE HAVE SETBACKS.

Luke 22:54 “Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off.”

THE MOST COMMON CAUSE FOR SETBACKS, WHEN WE DISTANT OURSELVES FROM GOD. IT USUALLY HAPPENS WHEN WE STOP HAVING DEVOTIONS TO GOD OR WE LACK TO PRAY OR WE REFUSE TO OBEY HIM.

Luke 22:55 “And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them.”

SECONDLY WHEN WE TRY TO MIX IN WITH THE CROWD.

YOU CANNOT PLAY WITH FIRE OR YOU WILL GET BURN’T.

SOME OF US KNOW THERE ARE PLACES WE SHOULD NOT BE AT, BUT STILL GO WITH THE ATTENTION OF SEEING ARE WE ABLE TO HANDLE IT.

CURIOSITY WILL GET YOU IN TROUBLE.

PETER FOUND OUT ONCE HE GOT AMONG THE CROWD HIS FAITH WAS NOT STRONGER THEN WHAT HE THOUGHT IT WAS.

DON’T YOU EVER GO TO A PLACE WHERE YOUR CHARACTER CANNOT KEEP YOU.

STOP PUTTING YOURSELVES IN UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATIONS TRYING TO FIT IN WITH THE CROWD.

THIRDLY WHEN YOU ASHAMED TO PROFESS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD.

PETER TOOK A OATH TO GOD, WHEN HE SAID I WILL GO INTO PRISON, AND TO DEATH WITH YOU.

ONE THING I KNOW IS JESUS DID NOT LEAVE PETER, BUT PETER FORSAKEN HIM.

YOU CAN SAY WHAT YOU WILL DO FOR THE LORD, BUT IF THE LORD DON’T HAVE YOUR HEART, YOU WILL TURN AWAY FROM HIM EVERY TIME.

John 18:15 “And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest.”

C. HOW CAN WE COMEBACK FROM PITFALLS.

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. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.”

HOW WE COME BACK FROM PITFALLS, WE MUST FIRST REMEMBER WHERE WE GOT OFF TRACK.

THEN ONCE WE BECOME HONEST WITH OURSELVES, WE NEED TO GET BACK TO WHERE WE WHERE BEFORE WE FAILED.

THEN WE NEED TO REPENT AND GET BACK IN GOD’S GOOD GRACE.

REPENT MEANS TO FEEL OR EXPRESS SINCERE REGRET OR REMORSE ABOUT ONE’S WRONG DOING OR SIN.

COMEBACKS FROM PITFALLS GENUINE, WHEN YOU TURN AWAY FROM SETBACKS AND NEVER GO BACK TO IT.

COMEBACKS HAPPEN WHEN OTHER’S CAN SEE YOU ARE STRONGER NOW , THEN BEFORE YOU HAD A SETBACK.

BECAUSE YOU HAVE LEARNED YOU CAN’T JUST GIVE JESUS A PART OF YOU, BUT HE HAVE TO HAVE ALL OF YOU.

SO MY QUESTION TODAY IF YOU LOVE HIM THEN DO HIS COMMANDS.