Today is cause and effect. Cause and effect, Mark 14, 53 to 72. So let's pray. Father help us as now we come to this portion of the service. where we open your word and we preach it and proclaim it as truth. Help us, Father, to not only hear it, but, Lord, help us to do it. And then, Lord, help me to be nothing more than an instrument in your hand, and we'll thank you, in Jesus' name, amen. Okay, so first as just a short way of review to bring us up to speed where we are in our in our gospel of Mark and We're getting to the end and but but as a way of review we have seen Jesus have his last Passover meal with his beloved disciples what we would call the Last Supper We've seen that and during the meal. He tells his disciples of Judas's betrayal He tells of the disciples deserting him, and of Peter's threefold denial. Then they walk to the garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus wants to pray. And he asks his disciples to pray with him, but instead they what? They sleep, right? We find them sleeping. And Jesus prays three times for God to take the awful cup from him. But, ultimately Jesus wants to do God's will. So God does not take the cup from him. Jesus rises and he meets his accusers, he meets his betrayers face to face. And they arrest him, and the disciples scatter and forsake him. So that's where we left off, that's where we are in the narrative. But I just want to ask, before we get into the message today, three questions for you to think about. What happens when good men desert the Lord? Think about that. What happens when good men desert the Lord? What happens when good men deny the Lord? And what happens when good men fellowship with the wrong crowd? So of course we're talking about all of the disciples, but in particular we're talking about Peter. And all of us can look back on our own experience in our lives, and we can think of times when we've maybe forsaken the Lord, you know, deserted Him, we've denied Him, there have been times when we've been with the wrong crowd. What happens? How do we get there? You know, how did we get there? And what do we do when we're there? And of course we're going to see, we all know their story, we're going to see the Lord restore Peter and use him mightily. But sometimes good men do things they shouldn't do. And I've titled the message, Cause and Effect. Cause and Effect. Cause and Effect is the Bible way of saying For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Right? Sowing and reaping. Cause and effect. With this in mind, I want to ask the question, why did Peter deny the Lord? Why did Peter deny the Lord? Cause and effect can be defined as the direct relationship between an action or event and its consequences or result. So something happened here to cause it to happen here. Sometimes cause and effect. Good things happen here, and the effect is good things. Sometimes. Bad things happen here, and the effect is bad, right? You reap what you sow, cause and effect. And so, what was the action or actions of Peter which resulted in his denying the Lord three times, or what did Peter sow to cause him to reap, denying the Lord. Okay, look with me at verses 53 to 65, the first point today, cause or sowing. Notice with me first verse 53, and they led Jesus away to the high priest, and with him assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribe. So Jesus is taken to the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin is the highest court of justice and the supreme council in ancient Jerusalem, okay? What would we call it today? The Supreme Court of the United States, right? So think about that. Jesus' trial goes directly to the Supreme Court, okay? But notice Peter, and this is where I want to see the cause. Okay? The cause. Verse 54. Peter's actions. And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest. And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire. Now, Peter's actions. Here is another cause. of Peter's denial. Now first off, let's review. Peter, remember, Peter didn't believe the Lord when the Lord said, we're going to Jerusalem, I'm going to be arrested, I'm going to be treated badly, I'm going to die, and I'm going to rise again. Remember, what did Peter do? He grabbed them and he shook them and he rebuked them in front of everybody and said, there's no way that's happening. I'm not letting that happen. Jesus said Get thee behind me Satan You know so so Peter didn't believe the Lord when he spoke of his arrest his trial his death his resurrection He didn't even though he might not have fully understand it. He didn't believe it Number two second He didn't believe when Jesus told him he would scatter when he was arrested. Remember, just a couple of weeks ago, when we were looking at the Last Supper, Jesus said, tonight, the shepherd is going to be smitten and all you sheep are going to scatter. And Peter said, not me, all these guys may depart, but I'm never going to depart. Which led the Lord, number three, to say, he told Peter, and Peter didn't believe Jesus when he said, you're going to deny me three times this night. Before the rooster crows twice, you're going to deny me three times. Peter didn't believe him. Fourth, a couple weeks ago we looked at this. He was sleeping. When Jesus told him, watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. Right? So he told Peter, you're all going to scatter tonight. Peter, you're going to deny me three times. And then as Jesus goes off to pray, he says, you watch and pray that you don't enter into temptation. So Peter didn't pray three times, three opportunities to pray. What do we find him doing? sleeping. And then fourth, in our text here, notice what the text says about Peter. Peter followed him, what are the next two words? A far off. A far off. In fact, Matthew, Mark, and Luke all use this phrase, followed him a far off. And John, uses the word Peter was without. So all four Gospels state that Peter is following afar off. He's not close to the Lord. Okay? He's not close to the Lord. Peter was far away from Jesus. Remember that. Put that in your memory bank, okay? that we're going to pull that out in a little while in the end of the message. In fact, what is Peter doing? He's warming himself with, at the fire, he's warming himself with the servants of the people who just arrested Jesus. So he's where he shouldn't be, with people he shouldn't be with, following Jesus afar off. The man who said, I'll die with you, I'll follow you all the way. But we shift gears a little bit here, verse 55. This is what's going on outside with Peter, what's going on inside with the Lord. Jesus' capital trial. Notice the witnesses for the prosecution. What is the prosecution? We think about this in our legal system. This is the state these are the people that are bringing charges Okay, if if you're arrested the the persecution this state prosecution this state brings charges against you they've arrested Jesus and These are the charges against him look at verse 55 and verse And the chief priest and all the council sought for witnesses against Jesus to put him to death, and found none. For many bear false witness against him, but their witnesses agreed not together. And there arose certain and bear false witness against him, saying, What? I'm sorry, we heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands. but neither did their witnesses agree together." So notice, this is Jesus' capital trial. What is a capital trial? Your death, right? They sought witnesses to put him to death. Okay, that's their intentions. But all they found were false witnesses. All they found were witnesses that did not agree. Their testimonies did not agree. And they were committing perjury. What does that mean in court? To lie. Lying on the stand. Okay? They lied. They lied. Turn ahead. There's made reference of destroying the temple. And look at John chapter 2. In John 2, verse 18, the Bible says, Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this unto them, and they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had said." So they are using what Jesus said in John chapter 2 against him. Notice, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands. They added something, didn't they? Jesus didn't say, I'm going to destroy that temple. didn't say that so even though they took Jesus's words they added to his words and of course as John tells us he was talking about his body this temple where God dwells and and and so so the witnesses for the persecution there they can't even get their testimony straight you know what a mock Jury what a mock trial this is notice the high priest action in verse 60 and the high priest Stood up in the midst and asked Jesus saying answerest thou nothing What is it? What is it that these witness against thee? But he held his peace and answered nothing so Jesus doesn't answer a single one of their false accusations Again, verse 61, Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, or are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, What are the next two words? I am. That's kind of significant, isn't it? The I am in the Bible, right? I am. And ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes and said, what need we any further witnesses? We have heard the blasphemy. What think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death. And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy. And the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands. The high priest said, what do you say to these charges? And again, Jesus didn't answer. But when they asked him if he was the Messiah, the Son of God, he did answer that, didn't he? He said, I am. And you will see me sitting on the right hand of God. Turn ahead just a couple pages to Mark 16. Mark 16, verse 19. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and what does it say? Set on the right hand of God. There are so many verses in the Bible that talk about Jesus sitting on the right hand of God. And he told the Sanhedrin, he told the high priest, you're going to see me sitting on the right hand of God. We can go to many places in the New Testament, in the Gospels especially, where Jesus said, God has appointed the Son of Man to be the judge of all the earth. I stand here in your court now being judged, but someday, you're going to stand in front of me as your judge. You're going to see me on the right hand of God. So Jesus, Jesus was not concerned about the false charges But Jesus was concerned with the fact that they knew who He was. For He truly was the Messiah. He truly was God's Son. And in particular, the Jewish people should have known this. And in particular, the Sanhedrin, the elite of the elite, if you will, right? The Supreme Court. If anybody is to know the law, it should be them. Right? I mean, you would hope that our Supreme Court justices would know the law when you're going on trial. And you should know. But guess what? You're going to see me sitting on the right hand of the Father. And they accuse Jesus of blasphemy. Yet they perjure themselves. And they condemn their own Messiah to death, and then we see in verse 65 their abuses to Him. And this is prophesied from Isaiah 50, verse 6, where they smite Jesus, they spit on Jesus, they smack Jesus. It even says in Isaiah 50, we don't see it in the text, but they pull His beard out from His face. So they begin to abuse Jesus. So, Remember Peter? Remember I told you to put that all in your head? While Peter is outside, staying warm, the enemy's fire, Jesus is inside having his trial. There's another trial going on outside. This trial is not as severe of a trial, but nonetheless it's a great trial of Peter's faith. Cause. What was the cause? Peter, you know, we saw everything. Peter didn't believe the Lord about his dying. Peter didn't believe the Lord about his scattering. Peter didn't believe the Lord about his denying Him three times. Peter didn't, you know, didn't think it was necessary to pray, I got this. and he was following him afar off. That was the cause. That was the crop that Peter was sowing. What is the effect of all of that now on Peter's life? What is he reaping? Notice Peter's first fireside denial, verse 66. And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest. And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth. But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch, and the cock crew, the rooster crowed. So, here he is, Peter sitting, standing, by the fire, and one of the maidservants of the high priest, Jesus is inside being, you know, grilled by the high priest, and one of his servants says, you were with Jesus? And he denied it, he says, I was not. He goes so far to say, I don't even understand what you're talking about! and the rooster crowed the first time. What do you think Peter thought when the rooster crowed the first time? Think he was remembering? I think so, maybe, I don't know, I mean, but, you know, that's a coinkydink. I just denied the Lord and the rooster crowed. Peter's second denial on the porch, verse 69. So he leaves the fire, he goes to the porch. And a mage saw him again and began to say to them that stood by, this is one of them. And he denied again." So this second denial on the porch. You're one of them. And what is she doing now? She's starting to tell people, hey, this guy, he's one of Jesus' disciples. I saw him. And he denies again the second time. Peter's third denial. And a little farther, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them, for thou art a Galilean, and thy speech agreeth thereto. And he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak. And the second time, the cock crew. Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept. Peter's third denial. You're one of them, they go on to say, because you talk like a Galilean. So, north and south, Galileans, North, country folk, South, Judea, Jerusalem, city folk, okay? Not a lot of love between the two. You know, we say things today like rednecks and country bumpkins, whatever, you know. You're from Galilee, you talk like one. Andy, you're from North Carolina, you talk like one. You know, you talk to Cheryl Joseph, you're from Boston, you know, you talk like one. You know, you can't get away. Peter, you can't deny that you're one of his followers, you talk like him. But sadly, he curses, he swears, and he denies Jesus a third time. And the rooster crows the second time. And if Peter didn't remember the first time, he definitely remembered this time. Because he remembers the words of the Lord and he goes away weeping. And one of the Gospels say he wept bitterly. And you know what another Gospel account says? When the rooster crowed the second time, The Lord, they were taking the Lord out of the court and leading him to Pilate. They're leading him out of the court and Jesus stopped and looked and caught eyes with Peter. Peter went out and wept bitterly. Right? How did Peter get here? The mighty Peter. How did he get here? He did take a sword and defended the Lord and he cut off Malchus' ear. How did he get here? How did Peter get from A to B? Peter, of all people, to denying the Lord three times. Cause and effect. Sowing and reaping. We see two trials of faith here, friends. Two trials of faith. Of course, one, Jesus facing the death penalty for blasphemy. Speaking the truth, really, but they accused Him of blasphemy. They were accusing Jesus of blasphemy by saying He was the Messiah. Okay? He truly was the Messiah. But Jesus is on trial for that. He listened to false witnesses and lying witnesses. So here's one trial going on. But Peter is facing a trial himself. And this trial is of acknowledging that he is a disciple of Jesus Christ or not. We see two different causes, two different effects, two different seeds being sowed, two different crops being reaped. Jesus was close to God, right? Jesus wasn't far off from God. Jesus was close to God. Jesus prayed. Jesus believed God. Jesus accepted God's will fully. Even though it was difficult, He accepted the Father's will. Jesus didn't, I'm sorry, Peter didn't believe Jesus' words about his arrest and death, his scattering, his denial, his failure to pray, which led him to follow Jesus afar off. Turn with me as we try to apply this to our lives. Turn with me to James, chapter 4. The first part of verse 8. Peter was a far off. Notice the cause and effect of James chapter 4 verse 8. Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you. Okay? What is the cause? Draw Near to God, right? What are you sowing here? Drawing near to God. That's the cause. What's the effect of drawing near to God? He will draw near to you. As we draw near to God, He doesn't push us away. You ever... I don't know. Are you the type of person that likes some personal space? You're the type of person that when somebody gets talking to you and they really get up, not that they're mean, but they get up in your face and you're like, you need a little space here, buddy. God is not that way. The closer we get to God, actually, what does it say? He draws near to us. Think about that. He doesn't push us away. He doesn't say, ooh, you need a breath mint. He draws close to us. Cause and effect. Draw near to God, He will draw near to you. Cause and effect. Where was Peter? A far off. He was a far off. Turn to Psalm chapter 1. You are you, folks. You've heard this. verse, you've heard this whole chapter thousands of times probably. But there's cause and effect. We're only going to look at the first three verses, but there's cause and effect here. There's sowing and reaping here. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season. His leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Now we have cause and effect in this verse. passages. The cause is found in the first two verses. One stated negatively, and stated positively. Stated negatively, don't walk in the counsel of the ungodly. Don't stand in the way of sinners. Don't sit in the seat of the scornful. Delight yourself in the law of the Lord and meditate on it. That's the cause. So I'm not going to walk where I shouldn't walk. I'm not going to stand where I shouldn't stand. And I'm not going to sit where I shouldn't sit. And with people I shouldn't. But, I'm going to study God's Word and meditate on it. That's the cause. What's the effect? Verse 3. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season. His leaf shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." That kind of cause, the effect is a fruitful life. Right? Peter was walking where he should not have been walking. Peter was standing alongside of a fire that he should not have been standing at. And he therefore, the effect was denying the Lord. Look at 1 Peter, chapter 3. Praise God Peter learned his lesson. We know the end of the story. But Peter is going through a serious trial of his faith right now. And God is breaking Peter down. And Peter is not the man he thought he was. Which isn't a bad thing, right? You know, when we think we can do it, you know, I might not say this verbally, but so many times in my life, this is what my actions show. I got this one, God. I'm alright. I got this one. And you know what happens? Train wreck. You know? And Peter, He was a, I got this one God, kind of guy, right? Strong, opinionated, I know what I'm doing. I'm good, you know? You don't have to worry about me. Peter learned this. Look at 1 Peter 3, 15. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. What's the word sanctify mean? Set apart. Sanctify. Set apart. Some of us who have grandchildren, you know, after our children grew up, we were able to afford a couple of nice things, you know. We put those couple of nice things out on display because the kids are grown, but then grandkids come. Ooh, we got to hide those nice things. You know, why? We set them apart. They're special. Sanctify God in your heart. He's special. Sanctify. Set Him apart in your heart. That's the cause. What's the effect? And be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you the reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. Peter was a far off Somebody asked him if he had been with Jesus, and he said, no way. Nope. Even began to curse him. But Peter learned that if I set God apart in my heart, and there is a special place in my heart, when somebody asks me now, how come you're so hopeful? Were you with Jesus? Oh, I was with Jesus. And let me tell you about him. And Peter, we don't know this from the Bible, although the Lord does tell Peter that you're gonna die for me, but Peter died for the Lord. They led him away to be crucified. Church history tells us that the Romans were so cruel to Peter that they made him watch his wife be crucified first. Then they crucified him. Peter said, I'm not even worthy to die like my Lord, crucify me upside down. And tradition says Peter was crucified upside down. I don't know if that's true or not, but Peter did die for his Lord. What's the cause? What's the effect? What's the difference? Drawing near to God, sanctifying God in your heart. You know, friends, don't think ever, don't ever think in your Christian life, I don't care how short or long you've been a Christian, don't ever think, I got this one. I got it. I don't have to pray about this. I can sleep on it. Pray. Draw near to God. Because when you draw near to God, He draws near to you. Sanctify God in your heart. Don't go where you shouldn't go. Don't stand with people, sit with people, walk with people that you shouldn't walk with, but rather meditate on God's Word. and the cause and effect will be very different than what we're seeing here. Now, we all know, praise God, there's a happy ending here, okay? But the disciples had to go through some rough times here these few days. They didn't fully understand everything, but the Holy Spirit was coming. And you and I have the Holy Spirit, so praise God for that. So, draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Father, thank you for these words