Tunstall Apo. PM 30.4.06. When you fall, you can get up.
Place: Tunstall Apo. Date: Pm Sunday, 30th April 2006.
Text: Matthew 26:69-75. Theme: When you fall, you can get up.
Introduction: Reading: Matthew 26:69-75.
“Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.”
And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.” But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!” And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.”
Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.”
Have you ever fallen down spiritually while running this race, being tripped up by the devil? You are not a failure because you fall, only if you do not get back up. If you get up just once more when you fall then you are a success!
Proverbs 24:16
“For a righteous man may fall seven times
And rise again.”
What would you think of a preacher who would curse and swear in front of one of the teenagers? Peter did just that, and denied the Lord, but in spite of it all, God gave Him a new start and Peter learned how to fall and get up again!
1ST POINT: FAILURE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A PROBLEM POTHOLE; IT CAN BE A GUIDE POST.
We can learn from failures and sins! God has a way of bringing good out of bad! Some have low self esteem and think God sees them as a collection of all their failures, but not so! When God forgives, He forgets “as far as east from west!”
Not to say there is no cost but from a judgmental viewpoint, God does not hold sin against us!
2ND POINT: IF WE FAIL GOD, IT WILL PROBABLY BE AT A POINT OF OUR GREATEST STRENGTH.
Peter’s greatest strength was his courage! We criticize Peter for taking his eyes off the Lord on the Sea of Galilee and beginning to sink, but at least he got out of the boat! When they came to arrest Jesus, Peter pulled out his sword to defend him; he tried to take off one of their heads!
This big, strongly built fisherman, however, trembled before a teenage girl, in the area of his greatest strength!
Other examples:
Moses.
Bible says he was the meekest among men (meekness: is strength under control). But what did he do? He lost control of his emotions and killed an Egyptian, later he smote a rock twice!
Abraham.
He is called the father of faith, but he left Canaan and went into Egypt, and lied about Sarah his wife, because he did not have enough faith that God would protect him, he failed in his area of strength!
David.
A picture of purity, the apple of God’s eye, a man after God’s own heart, but he committed adultery, he failed in his area of strength!
None of these failed in their weakness, but in their strength, because we all have a tendency to leave our strengths unguarded! An unguarded strength is a double weakness!
Proverbs 16:18
“Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before a fall.”
1 Corinthians 10:12
“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”
2 Corinthians 12:10
“Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Paul said when I am weak, them am I strong! (For then I am depending on the Lord, and not myself!) We can admire Paul’s statement at first glance, but there’s a difference between saying I can do all things through Christ, or just I can do all things!
The boastful man is tempting the devil to tempt him.
3RD POINT: BEFORE WE SIN, THE DEVIL IS A TEMPTER; AFTER WE SIN THE DEVIL IS AN ACCUSER.
Before we sin, he says, go ahead, no one will know, you can get away with it, afterward he says, you will never get away with it, you have blown it, you might as well not even try to serve God!
Satan’s goal is not only for you to fall, but for you to stay down, so let us learn how to fall and to get up again!
THREE wonderful truths:
1. Even when we fail, God is still sovereign.
Sovereign means “in control.” “Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.”
The rooster crowing is a testimony that God was still in control, the Lord shut the beaks of hundreds of roosters until the precise moment of the 3rd denial! Right now Peter is at his worst, his lowest, he is failing, and out of control, but he us got a message from the Lord, “I’m still in control!”
2 Timothy 2:13
“If we are faithless, He remains faithful.”
We often fail God, but He never fails us, often I am not faithful to Him, but great is His Faithfulness! I am not so great, but “How Great YOU Are!” To learn to fall and to get up again, we must remember that even when we despair and feel out of control, God is still in control, He is still sovereign!
And when Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” This includes our failures! You may feel like you have blown it, and maybe you have! But no matter what you have done, God still has a wonderful plan for your life! How do I know that? You are here and still breathing!
2. When we fail, God is concerned.
Luke 22:61 “And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
The moment Peter denied, he turned and saw the Lord, and their eyes met! It was not a look of disappointment or anger; it was a look of love! God does not love us because we are valuable; we are valuable because He loves us!
Psalm 103:14
“For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.”
His grace is not a license to sin, and anyone who views it that way is not truly saved! But it is so good to know that when we fall, He is concerned, He is sovereign.
I think that sometimes we feel that after failing God, we are almost embarrassed to go to Him in prayer, or to ask for forgiveness for that same old sin again! And then the devil causes us to look to heaven and wonder, God, do you even want me? The Good news is: God wants you! He is there all the time, waiting patiently for you to return!
3. Even when we fail, we are secure.
Are not you glad your salvation does not depend upon YOU? If you have been born again, you are forever changed. You are safe and secure in His Mighty Hands!
Satan wanted to sift Peter to condemn him; Jesus allowed the sifting in order to cleanse Peter. Jesus also knew there was some chaff, and that Peter would never deal with it until he became aware of it, so He allowed it!
So, Jesus used the devil’s tool, to help Peter! Just like David used Goliath’s own sword to cut off his head! Jesus is not fixed on the chaff in your life, He sees the wheat, and He wants to cleanse you!
CONCLUSION:
THREE things Jesus knew about Peter:
1. Failure.
2. Faith.
3. Future.
Peter, you have blown it big time, but I am going to help you up, and you are going to be stronger for it, and believe it or not, you are going to preach and 3,000 will get saved, you are going to write part of the Bible, you are going to die for Me.
Maybe you have failed, or fallen? Get back up; just do not fail to be saved!
Christians: can you see the sovereign Lord behind your struggles? He is concerned, and you are secure in Christ!