thank you for listening to the sermon from seven springs presbyterian church if you want to learn more about us please find us on face book or visit us at seven springs presbyterian dot com but as you turn there to march after fourteen let us uh... go to lord in prayer and ask for his help a gracious and most merciful lord we give you thanks and praise that Although the accuser of the brethren, Satan, might come in and try and ensnare us. Lord, that we would not forget your word. Lord, that we would have your word written upon our hearts. that we might be able to praise you in morning and in evening because of your righteousness that rules over all. Lord, let us not neglect that meeting together is some in the habit of doing, but let us share with those seated around us as we hear your word proclaimed that we might be able to encourage one another to love and good deeds, that we might not be able to forget your law or teach us. And show us your steadfast love towards us, your great mercy, which is abounding all the more. We realize that you can you do this only through the work of the Holy Spirit is nothing we do of our own accord, for we pray that you would work mightily amongst us in our hearts this morning, we pray Jesus name. Amen. You're now the word Lord from our chapter fourteen verses fifty three to fifty four and then sixty six to seventy two. This is God's holy inerrant infallible word. Please take heed how you hear. And they led Jesus to the high priest and all the chief priests and the elders of the scribes came together and Peter had followed him from a distance a distance right into the courtyard of the high priest and he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire. And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, you all, sir, were with the Nazarene Jesus. But he denied it. saying, I neither know nor understand what you mean. He went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed and the servant girl saw him and began again to say to bystander the bystanders, this man is one of them. Again, he denied it. After a little while, bystanders again said to Peter, certainly you are one of them. You for you are a Galilean. began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, I do not know this man of whom you speak. And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times. He broke down and wept. Grass withers and the flowers fade. The word of our Lord will stand forever. The Gospel of Mark, like any book in the Bible, has many different layers to it, you can say, and sum it up and say, this is the one point, this is the one thing that the Gospel or the author of the book of the Bible is trying to explain, and Mark, obviously, is centered around the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ, of his teachings, his authority over all things. but also then his death is resurrection then his resurrection but then throughout a book of the Bible you can also see the sub layers these other things that are going on that he'll point towards that main thing one of the ones that we point out here as we're studying through the Gospel of Mark is who do you say that I am. Not just a book about who Jesus is and what he done has done is also challenging the people who are reading it and saying who do you say Jesus is. Another great theme that flows throughout the book of Mark is that of discipleship. That you see the journey that the disciples go on. that even if you were to read through the Gospel of Mark and just focus on the disciples, you see there's great highs in their time with Jesus. But it really shows the realities of the Christian walk. The Bible does not paint the picture of disciples who follow God perfectly, but it shows and paints the picture of those ordinary men and women who follow the perfect Christ imperfectly. In Mark we see particularly the emphasis on Peter. We looked at when we looked at the introduction that many say that Mark shares a relationship with Peter and Peter is really the gospel of Peter written through Mark. Find out things about Peter that you don't find out about in other gospel accounts. In chapter fourteen we see an emphasis on Peter. As a key person, he is the one who boldly proclaims that I will follow you, even if I die. See, Peter specifically rebuked in the garden for falling asleep. And even in today's passage where Christ is there in the courtyard in his unjust trial, Peter is in the background. Peter is watching from a distance. But we also see him move further away from Christ. And as he moves further away, it actually drives him closer to God. And Mark uses his classic Markian sandwich right in the middle of this passage of Jesus' trial. You see, as we read before in verses 54, that as Jesus is brought into the courtyard, there is Peter, outside, warming himself by the fire. We're reminded of that as we turn to the passage this morning. And in verse 67 we see that he's warming himself in the fire. Mark is reminding us of what has happened before. Peter is close by. It's hard to think about the last 24 hours in the disciples' lives that it was just even moments before, 16 hours before, Jesus had told Peter and John to be able to go into Jerusalem to be able to find a man with a water jar by the well. As Peter and John walked to the well, I'm sure they had many discussions about what they were thinking was going to happen. They finally find this man, as Jesus had said, they go and prepare a Passover just like any other year. They grew up in the house of Jonah and Zebedee and they would have sat there, watched other people prepare it, eventually become a man and help prepare it themselves. They would have sat down as little children as they sat before this meal and they would have asked those six why questions. Why is this night different than any other nights? And they've celebrated Passover before but never like this. This night was different. Jesus was not like the other rabbis or the religious leaders. Jesus had said many things the disciples did not understand. After the supper, Peter had boldly proclaimed that all the other disciples might abandon you. They might all scatter, but he would not. However, this night was not like any other night. This night was different. Of course, they finished the Passover, they went out, sung a psalm together. This night was different. They were able to see the sorrow in Jesus' face as He went up to the garden to be able to pray. I've seen moments before where He's moved with compassion as the people gather and they ask to give something to eat to this crowd. They were told to pray. And to watch and pray. But they failed. They failed to stay awake. But finally this night, that was not like any other night, changed very drastically. A mob came to this silent garden, come towards Jesus and treat him like a criminal. Clubs and swords. And who's leading this mob? It's Judas Iscariot. Judas comes up and kisses Jesus on the cheek. Just like before, but this time is different. This night is not like any other night. Peter, the one who had boldly told Jesus that he would die following Jesus, lunged forward to be able to cut off one of the servant's ears. His instinct was to do all that he could to be able to save his master. and short sleep obviously gave him this boost of confidence to be able to carry that out. But as they lead Jesus away to the criminals, all of his disciples do exactly what Jesus said he would do. They all scatter. They all run. Except for Peter. Peter stays, but at a distance. He still is the only disciple who is following Jesus. And he makes it as far as the courtyard. And I'm sure many things were going through his head that night. His face had been a very busy, different 24 hours. Thinks back at the time when Jesus called him on the shore, trying to catch his fish, burger net on the other side. But Lord, we've been laboring all night. His life from that moment had never been the same. was given an opportunity before to be able to return to fishing. But he said that, where would we go? Jesus, you have the words of life. Now, Jesus, his master, the one who has the words of life, is now in the hands of sinners. But Jesus was close, but not that close to where Jesus was. Again, it was a night like no other. Peter stood around wondering what would happen to his master. As he stood there, as he begins to shiver and shake as the cold of the night sets down, as he's warming himself by the fire. He stood around this charcoal fire warming himself. As warm embers of the fire flickered in the darkness, things probably went through his head. Did he try and cover his face so the darkness would not reveal who he is? Was he thinking about the false accusations of what was happening in the trial of Jesus that was next door? Was he thinking about Judas and how he could have betrayed Jesus? Was he thinking about his brother Andrew and wondered if he had gotten away safely from the mob? Was he thinking about the last words Jesus had said to him? Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak." Whatever he was thinking in that time, in that moment, I'm sure he was not expecting that the voice of a small young girl would send a shiver down his spine, make him shake all the more. As he stood by the fire, this girl comes up and asks him one simple question. for a statement you were with Nazarene Jesus. I'm sure in this moment millions of things went through Peter's mind. In what they've done to Jesus. Jesus had done nothing wrong yet they treated him like a criminal. Finally turns around and answers. I neither know nor understand what you mean. Denial number one. Truth is, he knew exactly what she meant. Mark tells us that he was moved then from the courtyard to the gateway. As Mark is showing us, as Peter has made this denial, he's moving away from Christ. He's no longer trying to follow Christ, even at a distance, he's moving further away. Remember this image of what happened when Jesus' family came and said, your brothers and sisters and your mother is outside, and Jesus says, My brothers and my sisters are inside. The ones who are closest to Jesus, Mark often has this image of those who are close to Jesus are the ones who are his true disciples, but yet Peter is walking away. Not only Mark tells us that Peter is walking away, but Mark also tells us there's a sound that happens in the background. The echo of a rooster crowing. I'm sure maybe faintly in the background, emphasized for us. I'm sure Peter is more worried about that getting out of the courtyard rather than listening to the sound of a rooster crowing. Yet Peter is in a new location. Yet the same problem occurs. He is recognized again. The servant girl comes up and asks him a second time and points him out to the bystanders. Not just this girl understood who he was, but now everyone around him. These bystanders are the mob that came to arrest Jesus, the guards who were warming themselves by the fire. One of which Peter cut off his ear. And a servant girl more emphatically says, this man is one of them. This is a bolder assertion than the first. The first says that he was with Jesus. This assertion says that he is one of them. Now, we know this to be true. He is one of the disciples. He was one of the three that went up to the top of the Mount of Transfiguration. He saw Christ transfigured before him. Moses and Elijah appeared. He is the one that said, let us build a tabernacle for you, Jesus, and Moses, and Elijah. Yet he denies. And he is one of them. One who ardently proclaimed about twelve hours or so before. If I must die with you I will not deny you. Are in affirming the servant girls claim. There's no real guarantee that this would lead to death. But we see that this profession of being a disciple of Jesus, right even from this chapter in 14, is always a bold profession, a dangerous profession that one would claim. We have denial, number two. Then we see, as time passed, Luke explains that it's about an hour or so As we see this night coming to an end, the sun beginning to rise on the horizon, the colors of the sky begin to change from red, amber, and orange, and into pink. The bystanders continued to press Peter. One girl pointed out to the bystanders, and now the bystanders are asking the question. That his answers before were not sufficient for them. were able to be able to tell that must be one of them because he's a Galilean. And we don't know why they can see that whether it's the clothes that he wore his facial features whether it's his accent. However they all begin to ask and claim that certainly you are one of them. Or you are a Galilean. What's interesting in this passage Mark says that they ask him again. Now this is the first time that Mark records a question from the bystanders to Peter. So it could be, and Mark is saying that he asked him again, that it's the question that he's emphasizing. The girl has asked him twice before, and now again this question has been asked. Or it is over the period of this hour or so that they've been asking Peter some questions throughout this whole time. That might be why they know he's a Galilean. But yet, Peter's answer, a third time, says in verse 71, he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear. First, he claimed ignorance. He didn't know what he was talking about. The second, he denied it outright. And the third time, there's an emphasis that he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear. The Greek simply says that he began to curse and swear. Either way, Peter is either swearing by himself that he does not know who this man is, or he is swearing by God, which is far worse. that Peter doesn't just deny being one of the disciples of Jesus or with Jesus, he says that he does not know who this man is. Do not know this man that you speak. He went to far great lengths to be able to affirm this denial. To swear upon oneself is no small feat in this culture. We'll often make simple and foolish claims. We don't intend to be able to fulfill those promises. I make a statement, I'll eat my hat. I've never seen anyone actually eat their hat. But here in this culture was a lot more serious and severe to be able to swear or make an oath. There was always ways you could get around it the Pharisees did so by Corbin promising things to the temple and then therefore not looking after their parents. We see in Acts when the people in Acts chapter twenty four when the people say that they're going to. not eat or drink unless Paul is dead. We don't know the outcome of this, but there are ways that they could invoke a get out of free of jail free clause for not actually carrying that oath out. But here this thing that oaths are not as flippant as we use them today. He's gone from just expressing that he doesn't understand the question to now saying that he does not know who Jesus is. Before we move on, we must think of this situation. We can arrogantly come to text of the Bible and we can read them in an arrogant manner, and what I mean by that is that we're quick to be able to point out the faults and the flaws of others as we read the scriptures. The truth is, when we read the story of Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, we think that we would all be like them. We'd all be able to stand up for our faith. However, you think about it, all the Israelites that went into exile, there were only four people, three in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and then Daniel, who did not bow the knee to these false idols, who did not pray Nebuchadnezzar, the king. Now, these men did serve as officials, so that number might be a little bit fewer, but you must understand that it's great. Out of all those people, there are only four people. You can read of the great heroes of the Bible. I think we generally don't emphasize how few and far between they are. Out of all the Israelites in the army of Saul, it is only David who says that he will fight Goliath. We often think of this. Of course we would be David. Of course we would be Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And here, even in Peter's failure, at least he's in the courtyard. At least he's in the gateway. All the other disciples have scattered. It is Peter who is only here. But, if we're honest, we've probably never been in a spot like this. Where we would have to affirm Christ and die, or deny Him and live. I would love to believe that I would never deny Christ. And I pray, if it ever were to happen, that as I die, however means that might be, that Christ my Savior would be on my lips. That I would, in all my days, proclaim Christ as Lord. As Peter said, where else would I go? You have the words of life. I would pray that I would stand boldly professing my Savior who died for me. However, this might just be a claim like Peter 12 hours before. I would never deny you. But even if we just remove death from the question, how often do we deny Christ? How often do we falter and fail? Maybe just a little. How far would we be willing to take our beliefs? And I often think, We would much rather be martyred than isolated. We would rather be able to take this big heroic action than these small, important decisions in our day-to-day life. Let me repeat that. I often think that we would much rather be martyred than isolated. We would rather take one big action to be able to stand for our faith than small ones throughout our days. The truth is that we don't know how big that action was for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. All they were asked to do was to bow down and worship a golden image. And I'm sure there's many Israelites that are around there in that day that try to explain in their minds that maybe I will fall down and look like I am worshiping the image, but in that time I'm just going to worship Yahweh. So I have the appearance of what they want, but in my heart I'm going to worship Yahweh. Others might have explained it's not that big a deal. God is gracious and merciful towards us. It's no big deal. It's not every moment of every day. Others might have been able to explain, this is better for my family. So I can keep my job. It's better to be able to have friends around me. So I can stay on and have people with places and influence. I can be connected to the Babylonian Parents Association. It's better for me and my children, maybe because they might get better spots on the field in the Babylonian soccer team. The issue in the Old Testament is not that Israel completely denies God and His existence. It's not that they completely say, let's demolish the temple and worship and erect other temples. What they did is they subtly They would set up asteripoles. They would start to worship Baal on the side. It was subtle. I think one of the hardest things in the first commandment is not that we should serve the Lord our God. But it's found in the last part. We should worship and serve the Lord our God and Him alone. Often we think about this large heroic action that we would never deny Christ, but in truth, we're told we do. We deny His reality and sufficiency when we look to other means. And we, just like everyone else, can have reasons why we shouldn't live as Christians. Why we shouldn't do what God commands us in His Word. You can read of these stories and become arrogant, thinking that this would never happen to us. But the truth is it happens to us all the time. I would say daily. We make promises we do not keep. We wander far from Christ. We fail in the hour of testing. We do not follow Christ. If we do, we do not do it perfectly. We deny being a disciple. Either without words or even with our actions. I think we should be very cautious to be able to see these heroes in the Bible. Often we see their failures all the more. It doesn't take long. What happens to Noah after the flood? What happens to Abraham right after the promise in Genesis chapter 12? He goes into Egypt. He is not my sister. Genesis chapter 15, the glorious promise of the sun to come. Working out of Hagar. Doesn't take long to be able to go through and see the failures. Now we have the third denial. The second crow of the rooster. And as the new day is about to begin, the rooster cues right on time. Rose another time. And Mark explains that it happened immediately. Now often Mark uses this word is a change of scene that immediately this is a scene but here it means immediately. This time it was not unnoticed. Peter remembered what Jesus had said to him. Luke explains that Jesus looked Peter right in the eye. Somber moment where all of Peter's arrogance was stripped away his shoulders that maybe once stood tall were now sunken over Just as he had boldly said to Jesus you are the Christ and moments later Christ rebuked him Now this feeling is back once more. I will never deny you Now after the rooster finished growing he had done so three times So much that he broke down and wept Peter places his hands on his face and begins to weep. This word is used twice before in the Gospel of Mark. At times, it was when those who were weeping over the death of Jairus' daughter. Peter, once proud, is now humbled. Brought to his knees. At this moment, the story of Peter is put on hold. Peter is the most often mentioned disciple. Now is silent in absence at the culmination of Jesus' earthly ministry. Peter is mentioned eight times by name. Chapter 14 is not mentioned at all in chapter 15. However, unlike Judas, who's last mentioned in chapter 14. No other mention from Mark, what happened to Judas, we do have a mention of what happens to Peter. Peter is mentioned again in Mark, chapter 16, verse seven. But go. Tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you to Galilee, and you will see Him just as He told you. The women, the two Marys, Solomon, are at the tomb and told by Jesus that Jesus is not there. They were to go and tell the disciples, specifically Peter, that Jesus would meet them there in Galilee. And we know of these appearances of what happens. Read about them. One sticks out in this instance, the third appearance. Simon Peter tells his disciples that he's turning back to fishing. Where would we go? You have the words of life. Now he returns back to once he what he once knew. It seemed the empty tomb, it seemed Jesus appeared to him. As he goes fishing in the sea of Tiberias that morning, he hears a voice from the shore that cries out, children, have you caught any fish? John leans in and tells Peter, this is the Lord. Peter jumps out of the boat and runs to Jesus after they eat breakfast. Jesus asked Peter three times, do you love me? Three times, Peter denied Jesus. And now three times, Jesus asks him, do you love me? Every time, I'm sure, it brought up this moment in this morning when he'd heard that rooster crow. His hands went into his face and he wept. I love the Bible for many different reasons. One of the reasons I love the Bible is that often it does not stop when people fail, falter, or fall. You would say that this is when the gospel often shines the brightest in people's lives, when our times and our sin shows us the darkest. The discipleship is never about perfection. You could say discipleship is about perseverance. enabled by the Holy Spirit. The story of Peter is great hope for all of us. You could say that this is one of the worst moments in Peter's life. Jesus explained what discipleship is. Discipleship in Mark 8, verse 38. If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Yet Peter did the opposite this morning. He swore by himself. He left the cross. He ran from Jesus. Instead of denying himself, he denied Jesus. Yet as we read this, this gospel is not the gospel of Peter, it's the gospel of Jesus Christ. That after chapter 14 comes chapter 15. In the end, it's not whether we say if we know Christ, there's many warnings in the Bible that those who deny him will be denied by Christ. There's also glorious hope that when people come in the end and they say, Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name. We healed the sick, cast out demons in your name. It's not about whether you say you know Christ. It's about whether Christ knows you. It's about whether Christ knows us. Peter, in this moment, is no less saved on this morning because of his actions. Although it is important to profess Christ publicly, it is Christ's relationship to Peter, not Peter's relationship to Christ. If salvation was up to us, we'll lose it every day. Every moment. Peter, years later, would write a letter which we call 1 Peter. The letter begins after this introduction with these great words. Now I want you to think, as I read this, this morning, these three denials, these bold assertions of Peter saying that I do not know Him. This is what Peter writes. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy. He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. To an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading, kept in heaven for you. Who by God's power are being guarded through the faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Here Peter writes, the one who we just read about, He realizes he's got nothing great to write about himself. He says, according to his great mercy. He understood the great mercy from the start when Jesus called him throughout his life, when he cried out, Depart from me, I am a sinner. And yet he still followed Christ. Because of God's great mercy. Those who have professed their faith in Christ, that have been born again to a living hope. That is something that Peter says, that I have something that is imperishable. An inheritance that is undefiled, that is unfading, kept in heaven for me. It's nothing because of what I have done, because what I have done is failure. It's not that we never fail. It's not that we never deny Christ. But we would know that as the sun rises, we know these abundant mercies never run out, that they're new every day. That it is God's great mercy towards us. This is discipleship. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. O gracious Heavenly Father, I give you thanks and praise. For a sinner is such as I. Lord, as I read your scriptures, I see your great abundant mercy. Lord, I see men and women who fail and falter. Lord, we see even in Peter, one who denies you three times. Yet he understands your great mercy towards him. that He has an inheritance, a living hope that is unfading, undefiled, that You keep it for us. Lord, let us know this great truth as we fail, as we turn to You. Let us run to You. For where would we go? You have the words of eternal life. I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you for listening to this sermon from Seven Springs Presbyterian Church. If you want to learn more about us, please find us on Facebook or visit us at sevenspringspresbyterian.com. Seven Springs Presbyterian Church began in 1874 and is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America located in Glade Spring, Virginia. Please join us for worship on Sunday at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. for His glory and His gospel.