I WANT TO GET CLOSER

Luke 22:54–62 KJV 1900

Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off. And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean. And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. 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.

Peter is likely the disciple that the average Christian can relate to the most. He was a man who had a profound zeal for serving the Lord, but many times his flesh got in the way.

Tonight we have read the account of the darkest moment of Peter's life.

We all know how the Lord had warned him of the coming denial and that Peter refused to accept the fact the he could possibly do such a thing.

I know that we don't like to admit it, but if we aren't very careful we will find ourselves in a similar situation.

I. The Beginning of His Denial

As we begin tonight, may I submit to you that these events did not just happen arbitrarily?

There were clear warning signs that Peter was about to make a big mistake.

These warning signs will always be a prelude to compromise and failure.

If we can learn to identify and avoid them, we can overcome.

preliminary - an action or event serving as an introduction to something more important.

There is a danger of thinking and believing we have arrived and we have better idea.

Samson

Saul

Solomon

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.

Eight At The Gate

Why no desire to go further.

Why didn’t the son of the prophet want to go further.

Why only smote the arrows three times and not more.

Three Went A stone cast from Him

I. First, I would point you to the mentality of her faith.

To find a scriptural base for this, we compare it with other Gospel stories which deal with her situation.

When we turn to Mark's account of her coming to Jesus, we find in the English translation this phrase, in Mark 5:28,

"For she thought" (KJV), or "Because she thought." What was she thinking? She was thinking, If I could only get to Jesus and touch the hem of His garment, I would be made well.

Somehow in our life, if change is to take place, it must begin in the area of our thinking, in the area of our mentality.

"Because she thought." I realize for those of you who know the Greek New Testament that, if you looked up the Greek of Mark 5:28, you would find that the word in the Greek is based on the word lego which means "to say.

" The actual Greek translation would read, "because she was saying." But the English translators have put it, "Because she was thinking." So I've taken a little bit of liberty with the text in building my first point, by saying that.

II. And to that thought life, came a second part of her faith that we get from the Greek translation of Mark, as well as the English of Matthew.

She was saying, "If I could but get to Jesus." Matthew 9:21 says, "For she said within herself" (KJV).

III. Added to the mentality of faith and the language of faith is the action of faith.

This woman did more than think and she did more then say. She did. She acted.

She did four very important things.

She got up.

She got dressed.

She got out.

And she got through.

And all of those are tough when you're sick. It's tough to get up. And when you get up, it's tough to get dressed. And when you get dressed, it's tough to get out. And when you've gotten out, it's tough to get through. But she did it.