Failure and Restoration

Failure and Restoration

Mark 14:66-72

      John Newton was a sailor who lived a wildlife. He made his fortune as a slave trader in the 1700’s. But then something happened; he got saved. His whole life changed. He went on to become the Pastor of a church and the author of many hymns, including what is probably the most famous hymn of all, Amazing Grace. He said late in his life: “My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior.”

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 follower of the Lord Jesus Christ the more aware I am of the wicked potential of my own heart. But I thank God, the more I see my own sinfulness, the more I see God’s grace in my life.

The story of Peter’s denials recorded in scripture highlight these two great facts; we see the weakness and sinfulness of one of the most prominent saints. And we see the abundance of God’s love toward those who fail. For those who are walking with the Lord, this story is a warning to take heed lest we fall. For any who have fallen away, this story holds out the hope of forgiveness through the grace of God if you will turn back to Him.

What we learn from this story, even when we fail God badly, we can repent, and we can be restored. (Mark 14:66-72)

  66       As Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came,

  67       and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Nazarene.”

  68       But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are talking about.” And he went out onto the porch.

  69       The servant-girl saw him, and began once more to say to the bystanders, “This is oneof them!”

  70       But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders were again saying to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean too.”

  71       But he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this man you are talking about!”

  72       Immediately a rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him, “Before a rooster crow twice, you will deny Me three times.” And he began to weep. (Pray)

              In our passage this morning we see that at any given moment a Christian can fail God. None of us are perfect, we all make mistakes, and there are times we are walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, and there are times we are trusting in ourselves. And because the flesh is always in opposition to the Spirit, it will always lead us into spiritual defeat. When we trust in ourselves, we make the opposite choices God would have us to make.

            But it is important to understand there is no such thing as a spiritual blowout, only tires that leak and eventually run flat. What I mean is the signs of spiritual defeat are already there before it happens. No one is walking in the Spirit on Monday and committing adultery on Tuesday. The sin that causes our spiritual failure is different for each one of us, but maybe we can learn from Peter how to avoid the slow leaks.

            The fact is Peter had been setting himself up for this all along. We don’t even need to leave chapter 14 to find it. For example, in Vs. 29 we see his arrogance as he compares himself to the other disciples. He says, “Even though all may fall away, yet I will not.” In Vs. 31 we see his self-confidence. “Even if I have to die with you, I will not deny you.” In Vs. 37 we see his self-indulgence. He couldn’t stay awake and pray. It just wasn’t that important to him. In Vs. 47 we see this over impulsive behavior. When the pressure is on, he draws his sword and cuts the ear off of one of the high priests’ men. And we learned from the other gospels that this was Peter.

      Peter is an accident waiting to happen, so it really shouldn’t surprise us when we come to verse 66 and we see Peter have a spiritual meltdown. He has been trusting in himself and operating in his own power all along and his tire has run flat. But ultimately, Peter’s heart is broken by his failure. What we learn from this story, even when we fail God badly, we can repent, we can be restored.

The first thing I want you to see in this story is the setting, Vs. 66. Remember Jesus has been arrested and is on trial for His life at the palace of the high priest. And apparently, He is in an upper room because in vs. 66 we read, “As Peter was below in the courtyard.”

So, this is a two-story structure, and in an upper room is where Jesus is being questioned, and in the middle of the structure is a courtyard, and this is where we find Peter. John’s gospel gives us more information about this moment. In John 18:15-16 we learn that John was known by the high priest and that is how Peter gained access to the house, but while John followed Jesus into the courtroom, Peter stayed below in the courtyard.

Right away we begin to see the problem Peter faced. He wasn’t where he should have been. Peter either should have been with John in the courtroom where Jesus was being questioned or he should have been with the other disciples praying. But instead, he was with the crowd of rejecters, sitting with them and warming himself by their fire.

One thing that will always cause temptation and failure is being with a crowd of people who reject Christ. Birds of a feather flock together. It is one thing to be a friend and a witness to someone and it is something completely different to go with the crowds they go with.

2 Corinthians 6:17-18 says, “Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate, says the Lord. And do not touch what is unclean, and I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me, says, the Lord Almighty.”

That is the setting of the story. The next thing I want you to see is Peter’s first denial, Vs. 66. And it comes in front of a young servant girl who John’s gospel calls the doorkeeper. But what a great contrast this is from Jesus who is standing before the leaders of the nation of Israel and boldly proclaiming “I Am the Christ, the Son of Man. Meanwhile Peter is standing before a servant girl and being folding up like a blanket.

Notice Vs. 66-67 “One of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Nazarene.” Couple of quick things I want to point out in this passage. First, it says “one of the servant girls.” So, there are more than one girl involved in this confrontation and we read that in the other gospels. There were many servant girls at the home of the high priest.

And notice the word “also.” This is a reference to John who helped Peter get access to the house. “You also were with Jesus the Nazarene.” This servant girl probably had her eye on these two strange men who were not normally apart of the household. She probably recognizes John, but Peter certainly gets her attention.

Note in Vs. 67 the phrases seeing Peter and she looked at him. These are two different words used here to describe her visual inspection. 1. The word “seeing” means she was observing him. She kept her eye on him. She was suspicious because he was out of place in this setting. He didn’t belong there, and she knew it.

2. Mark says she looked at him. Mark does this intentionally because he wants us to know she went from sizing him up and analyzing him to starring him straight in the eyes and confronting him. The more Peter thinks he is blending in the more he is standing out. So, she begins to speak to him and question him about what he is doing there.

Notice the question, “You also were with Jesus the Nazarene.” This servant girl realizes something is happening on this night that is very different. This man Jesus Christ who is said to be a revolutionary, an insurrectionist has been arrested and the high court is meeting in the middle of the night at the home of the high priest. Something is wrong and she is aware of how dangerous it is. So, she sees Peter trying to blend in and she is drawn to him, and she begins to question him.

Notice the contempt in her question. “You were with Jesus the Nazarene.” Remember the People of Jerusalem didn’t think very highly of the people from Galilee, especially Nazareth. Remember in John chapter one when Philip said to his brother Nathaniel, we have found the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. Nathaniel replied, “can anything good come from Nazareth.” So, her question is not only accusatory, but she has contempt for him.

Now that Peter has been called out how will he respond? Remember this is not a ruler or a judge, this is a slave girl. Well, we know how he responds, he panics, and he folds under pressure. What happened to all that confidence? What happened to all the boasting?

Were told in Vs. 68 “He denied it.” He just flat out lies. Even though his promise to Christ was “I will never deny you.” All of these might deny you, but I will not.” And one little girl lobs him a softball and he fall down swinging.

Notice it wasn’t enough for him lie about being with Jesus, he says, “I neither know nor understand what you are talking about.” It goes from bad to worse and he has to invent lies to cover up his lies. He acts like she is not even speaking the same language as him. I don’t know what your talking about.

Notice the end of vs. 68, it says, “He went out onto the porch.” This little girl just chased him away from the fire and in a moment of panic he bolts for the door. He is doing everything he can to get away from her. The porch here refers to the gateway. So, he is back at the front door where he entered the property.

Remember Peter has just spent 3 1/2 years with Jesus. He witnessed the miracles. He was on the mount of transfiguration. He saw Jesus raise the dead. Peter ought to be as bold as a lion but instead he is retreating from a slave girl who asks him a simple question. It shows you just how weak we can be. What should have been a great opportunity becomes an absolute failure.

I can’t help but wonder if there are not some of us here today, who confesses Christ on Sunday but never says another word about Him all week? I can’t help but wonder if there are not some of us that go along with the crowd, because we are afraid of being embarrassed? Or we deny Jesus by the things you say or the way you act. Or maybe you deny Him with silence.

One of the worst things I ever heard said about someone was at a funeral. I was standing next to the casket and the man had a bible in the casket with him, and I heard someone say, “You know, I knew him for years and I never knew he was a Christian.” That is not a compliment, that is an indictment, and the worst thing I have ever heard someone say about another human being.  Mark 8:38 says, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My Words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

The next thing I want you to see in this passage is Peter’s second denial, Vs. 69. At this moment Peter was probably hoping that was the end of the story because this was one of the most embarrassing moments of his life, but for Peter, things go from bad to worse.

Notice Vs. 69 “The servant girl saw him” Now the other gospels accounts lead us to believe this is a different girl. Which is amazing because it tells us the more Peter tries to blend in with the crowd the more, he stands out like a sore thumb. Now, another girl has picked up the scent. She is watching his cowardly retreat. Peter can run but he can’t hide.

It’s important we understand that unbelievers are always watching us. They want to see if our witness is true. They want to see if we are who we claim to be and blending in with the crowd is not an option for a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Notice this time the girl doesn’t speak directly to Peter, but she speaks to the by-standers. She says, “This is one of them.” Peter is trying to remain anonymous, but he keeps getting exposed. She points him out to the crowd and now it’s “us against them.” She says, “This is one of them.”. The pressure is on. Things are getting hotter for Peter on the porch, then when he was standing by the fire.

So, in Vs. 70 we have Peter’s second denial. It says, “But again.” Notice how Mark emphasizes it happened again. “He denied it.” He denied what? That he was a follower of Jesus Christ. Notice how one lie always leads to another. You can never get away with one false statement. A lie will always snowball into an avalanche of mistruth.

I can’t help but think about how Peter was willing to stand with Jesus when He was popular with the crowds, but as soon as the crowd turned against him, Peter denied Him. It reminds me of how there are those of us who are willing to stand with Jesus in the good times but as soon as the pressure is on, we deny Him rather than risk the embarrassment.

In fact, when we are prosperous, and everything is going great it is easy to stand with Christ and live for God. But our identity is revealed through adversity. Our true relationship with God comes out in the battle, in the struggles of life. Because a real relationship with God comes with a cost. Sometimes it will cost you popularity, sometimes it will cost you a position, but being a follower of Jesus Christ always comes with a cost. One of the most chilling statements in the bible are the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:33. “But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.”

The final thing I want you to show you in this passage is Peter’s third denial, Vs. 70-72. At the end of Vs 70 things continue to get worse for Peter. But isn’t that the way life goes when we are on the wrong track with God?

Vs. 70 continues with the phrase “After a little while.” Luke tells us in his version of the story that an hour past by before this third denial. So, Peter has had time to think about it. It should have been a time of repentance and prayer. It should have been a time of confessing his sin and crying out to God.

It should have been a time of finding that slave girl and apologizing for his lie and witnessing for Christ. But instead, he doesn’t do any of those things. No, he continues this downward spiral of sulking and feeling sorry for himself.

Notice the by-standers begin to question him now. Everyone is getting in on the act. Peter thought he was out of the woods, but he just keeps getting trapped in the thicket. Notice they say, “Surely you are one of them.” “Surely” means there is no doubt in their mind. And they know this about him, “For you are a Galilean too.” Matthew tells us that it was his accent they gave him away.

Notice in Vs 71 Peter reaches an all-time low. He sets the standard for how far a saint can fall from God and still belong to Him. Vs 71 says, “he began to curse and swear, I do not know this man you are talking about.”

First, notice the verb tense, “He began.” That tells us he was doing this over and over again. He was cursing and swearing doing his very best to make them believe him that he did not know Jesus. But it is important to understand by “cursing and swearing” this does not mean that Peter was cussing and using the Lord’s name in vain the way we understand it today.

What this means is; he was swearing an oath to them, and what he was saying only makes it worse. What Peter was saying over and over again to them was; “May God strike me dead and curse me, if I am not telling you the truth.” I do not know this man, stop asking me this. Notice he will not even say the name, “Jesus of Nazareth.” He simply calls Him this man.

This is what it looks like to be lost. This is what it looks like to turn your back on God and walk away from Him and everything good in your life. This is what it means to throw in the towel in your relationship with Him and denounce Him to the world.

Vs 72 says, “Immediately a rooster crowed a second time.” This is here to remind us that God has a divine clock that is ticking. And even in the midst of Peter’s sin God’s plan is taking place in the world. This moment and the events taking place have already in predetermined right down to the very sound of the rooster’s crow.

But it is also here to remind Peter of the words Jesus spoke to him, “Before the cock crows twice you will deny Me three times,” and we are told in Vs. 72 “Peter remembered.” This was not a coincidence this was the divine plan of God orchestrated down to the very moment. And the second time the rooster crowed was like a knife into Peter’s heart. It all came flooding back to him, His arrogance, His impulsiveness, his confidence, and his heart was broken.

Luke tells us something I don’t want you to miss. In Luke 22:61 it tells us the moment that rooster crowed Jesus turned from the Sanhedrin on the second floor, and peered over the railing onto the porch, and in that moment, He looked right into the eyes of Peter. Nothing else needed to be said. Peter knew the Lord was right and how big of a failure he was.

And we read in Vs. 72 “And he began to weep.” Again, the word “began” tells us this was repeated over and over again. He burst into tears over the shame of his denial of Christ. The Greek word used here describes repentance through Godly sorrow. Peter was utterly heartbroken, and it showed through uncontrollable weeping.

I don’t know where you are at in your relationship with God today. I don’t know if your heart is shallow toward Him or if you are swimming in the deep waters of faith. One thing I do know for certain is, we all fall short of the glory of God. There are times in each one of our lives that we fail Him. Maybe for you that doesn’t mean you deny Him with your words, but maybe you deny Him with your silence, or maybe you deny Him with your life.

The question is does it break your heart when you come up short? Because it breaks God’s heart when we don’t even try. Peter’s repentance ultimately led to his restoration. He never gave up on God and God never gave up on him. And the same thing is true in your life. God has a purpose and a plan for your life. And all along the way as you pursue God’s plan you are going to fail, but you can be confident in this; God is going to finish what He started.

Don’t give up on what God has instore for you, when you mess up, you can return, and be renewed. That is what we learn from the story of Peter’s denials. We can fail God badly and we can repent and be restore.