If I can keep that point, then we'll be okay. All right. When I surveyed the wondrous floods, On this great and holy night, I regained sight All my pride. O little man, thou shouldst say in the name of Christ my God. All the great things that one repose, I sacrifice into this world. From His heav'nly seat, Son of God, full of grace, O come. Thee, O Son of man, and Son of God, lead, O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave. I'm sorry Jesus, He may bear the cross to bear the cross. Free to walk the healing stream, close to Calvary's fountain. In the cross, in the cross, in Thy glory ever, till my wretched soul shall find the rest beyond. ♪ In the cross a friendly soul, love and mercy found me ♪ ♪ Where the fire and the morning star shed its beams around me ♪ ♪ In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever ♪ me. ♪ Just beyond the river ♪ ♪ With a cross I'll watch and wait ♪ ♪ Holding trust in heaven ♪ ♪ Till I reach the golden strand ♪ ♪ Just beyond the river ♪ ♪ With a cross in my hand ♪ Away in a manger, no crib for a bed The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head The stars in the sky looked down where He lay The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes, But little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes. I love thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky, And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh. Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay close by me forever and love me, I pray. Bless all the dear children with thy tender care and take us to heaven to live with thee there. While we're up here, let's sing the very next song, 294. 294. When he cometh, when he cometh To make up his jewels All his jewels, precious jewels His loved and his own Like the stars of the morning His bright crown adorning They shall shine in their beauty bright gems for his crown. He will gather, he will gather the gems for his kingdom. All the pure ones, all the bright ones, his love and his own. Like the stars of the morning, his bright crown adorning, They shall shine in their beauty, bright gems for His crown. Evil children, little children, who love their Redeemer, are the jewels, precious jewels, His loved and His own. Like the stars of the morning, his bright crown adorning, they shall shine in their beauty, bright gems for his crown. Tell me the story of Jesus Write on my heart every word Tell me the story most precious sweetest that ever was heard. Tale of the angels in chorus sang as they welcomed his birth. Glory to God in the highest, peace and good tidings to earth. Tell me the story of Jesus, write on my heart every word. Tell me the story most precious, sweetest that ever was heard. Fasting alone in the desert, tell of the days that are past. How for since he was tempted, yet was triumphant at last. Tell of the years of his labor, tell of the sorrow he bore. He was despised and afflicted, homeless, rejected, and poor. Tell me the story of Jesus, write on my heart every word. Tell me the story most precious, sweetest that ever was heard. Tale of the cross where they nailed Tell of the grave where they laid him Tell how he liveth again Love in that story so tender Clearer than ever I see Say let me weep while you whisper Love paid the ransom for me Tell me the story of Jesus Write on my heart every word Tell me the story most precious Well, as I contemplated on what kind of lesson to bring tonight, I couldn't help but have my attention drawn back to Daniel 1 and verse 8 where it says, But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat and with the wine which he drank. Therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. I couldn't help but continue to just ponder about how Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself. There are so many opportunities temptations, the devil's walking about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He's throwing out temptation after temptation after temptation to lure us away from our first love, which is Christ. He's a deceiver. He's subtle. He'll try to make things look good, sound good, feel good, to try to lure us away from faithfully serving and trusting in the Lord. His sole purpose is to tempt us where we will bite and become backslidden. And when we're backslidden, we are not where we need to be in our relationship with the Lord. Daniel, every day he woke up, he purposed, in his heart that he would not defile himself. Can that be said of us? Over in Proverbs chapter 14. Proverbs 14 and verse 14. The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways. A good man shall be satisfied from himself." So this is someone who is a professor, a follower of God, but has somehow, someway declined in spiritual love, zeal, and obedience for God. Not where he needs to be in relationship with God. This is one who draws back from the ways of God and has found themselves drawn to the ways of sin. We also see in this verse, shall be filled with his own ways. The backslider will suffer the consequences of their sinful behavior. I've done some pretty dumb things in my life. Even as a 44-year-old, I find myself doing some dumb things from time to time, but sometimes I think back to even when I was a kid, some of the dumb things I found myself doing and the consequences of that behavior. It's so easy to just find ourselves in a backslidden state. It doesn't always happen just like that. Boom, you're backslidden. Often you find yourself just slowly drifting. I remember when we went to the beach once and we put all our stuff up on the beach. And I put it right where in my line of sight so I could kind of keep an eye on it, our towels, our bags, everything up there on the beach. And we were out in the water playing in the water and I looked up and it didn't feel like that I had moved anywhere. But our stuff was over there, and we were way over here. I didn't purposely walk anywhere. I didn't move anywhere. I didn't swim anywhere. We were kind of standing in one place, so we thought throwing a football back and forth, just playing. And all of a sudden, our stuff's way over there, and I'm way down the beach somewhere. We just drifted off, didn't feel it, didn't notice it, didn't pay attention to it. And I thought, how did I get here? How did we get over here? And often that's how sin works. You find yourself neck deep in it and you think, how did I get here? How did I get so far backslidden away from the Lord? Well, growing up, Brother Hobbs had a bunch of stuff hanging on the wall or the door going into his study there at the church. One of the things read, not as close to the Lord as you once were. Reckon who moved? Well, he didn't. Often we find ourselves backsliding away from Him. The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways. It starts in the heart and in your mind. Backsliding starts in your heart and in your mind. We also saw in Proverbs 14, 14, a good man shall be satisfied from himself. A good man here refers to the righteous, those who fear the Lord and those who, well, purpose in their heart to walk in His ways. Are we purposing in our hearts to walk in his ways? You know, the good man walks with God and finds joy in the things of the Lord, finds joy in his salvation, finds peace with God. Over in Jeremiah chapter three, Jeremiah chapter three, we'll read verse six. We'll do a little bit of jumping around here. Verse six, the Lord said, also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? She has gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree and there hath played the harlot. Verse eight. And I saw when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also. Verse 11, the Lord said unto me, the backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah. She's being unfaithful to God. Have we, today, been unfaithful to God? Have we failed Him in some form or fashion? You see, when you get backslidden, we find here in verse 11, And the Lord said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself. You'll justify your sin while somebody else is doing the same thing. We'll justify it some form or fashion. If it feels this good, how can it be bad? You can justify it any old way you want to, but if it is contrary to what God in His Word says we should be doing, then we have no business doing it. I don't care how you try to justify it in your mind, how you try to rationalize your sin, If God is against it and His Word teaches that you shouldn't do it, then we have no business participating. But we find here that you won't listen to God here in this passage. You go backwards instead of forwards. Hence the term backsliding. Verse number 12 here in Jeremiah 3. Go and proclaim these words toward the north and say, return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord, and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you. For I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger forever." So God, here, speaking to Israel, reaching out, saying, return from your backsliding. Return from your backsliding, verse 22. Return again, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God. What a blessing this is, as far from God as they were, not faithfully serving Him, following the ways of sin, he says this, return from backsliding. Doesn't that give you hope? Shouldn't that be, that's a joy to us. That should be a joy to us. Over in chapter eight of Jeremiah. Verse number five. Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? They hold fast to deceit. They refuse to return. See, that's the condition there. That's the very definition of backsliding. You're backslidden. We see here they refuse to return. You're holding fast to deceit and holding fast to sin. Rather than holding fast to God and to His Word, you're holding fast to deceit and to sin. You're not serving the Lord and you are not following His Word. In chapter 31 of Jeremiah. In verse 22. Jeremiah 31, 22. How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? For the Lord hath created a new thing in the earth. A woman shall compass a man." That's the question. How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? How long are you going to continue in this backslidden state? How long are you going to continue ignoring the things of God, ignoring your service to God, and focusing all of your attention on sin. How long? How long are you going to continue? I want you to think about what you're doing, where you are, how you're living, and how you're acting. Think about it. Ponder it. Where are you? in your spiritual life today. Over in Hosea chapter 14. Hosea 14 verse number 4. This is Israel being entreated here to return to the Lord. I will heal their backsliding. I will love them freely for mine anger is turned away from Him. See, this verse indicates to me that there is hope for those who are in a backslidden in their heart. When God convicts you and fills you up with your own ways and you get sick of your sin, you desire to return and to walk in the ways of the Lord again. You know, there's a lot of different ideas about backsliding. Some people believe when you sin, you can lose your salvation. They'll say, well, they're backslidden, so they must have lost their salvation. Well, that is contrary to Scripture. That is nowhere found in Scripture. There's no way that a genuine believer can lose the Lord's salvation. What kind of salvation is that? What kind of Lord is that? What kind of Savior is that? It's a pretty pitiful one if you can lose it. He is almighty, all-saving. He's the author and finisher of our faith. He's the one that keeps us. He's the one that never leaves us nor forsakes us. If you are saved and you've been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, you're born of the Spirit, you have the Holy Spirit indwelling inside of you, He'll never leave you and He'll never forsake you. So don't let someone say, well, you're backslidden, you've sinned, you've lost your salvation because that is not correct at all. If you've been bought by the blood of Christ, that debt has been paid and it is done once and for all. Just as we sing that song, once for all. You are His purchased possession. And he never loses any of his sheep that he has purchased. That makes us the object of his eternal love. We are loved with, as the Bible calls it, an everlasting love. And you've been given eternal life. Over in Psalm chapter 51, we'll get to my main text eventually. Psalm chapter 51. This is a prayer for cleansing, and I think we'll just read a handful of verses here. Psalm 51, verse 1. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness, according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies. Blot out my transgressions. Aren't you thankful we can cry out to God about this right now, today? Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin, for I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned and done this evil in Thy sight, that Thou mightest be justified when Thou speakest, and be clear when Thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part. Thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean spirit, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me." And here's the verse I really want to drive home. There's a few of them I want to maybe backtrack and think about. Verse 12, restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit. You know, this psalm here, Psalm 51, right at the very beginning, I have a note that says, to the chief musician, a psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. So we see David was in a backslidden state when he wrote this psalm here, when he had this affair with Bathsheba, and did what he had done with Bathsheba. And we see him all through this psalm, ask the Lord to have mercy upon him. We see in verse 7, purge me, make me to hear joy and gladness. In verse 8, hide thy face from my sins. Verse 10, create in me a clean spirit and renew a right spirit within me. See, he did not have a right spirit within him because he had sinned against God. Renew a right spirit in me. And we see in verse 12, restore unto me joy, the joy of my salvation. Not restore unto me my salvation. He's never lost that. But restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit. We'll have our salvation, but we might not have the joy of it. And God can restore that joy. Now the meaning of the word and all of its forms carries with it the idea of turning back or away from, to retreat, to draw back, to pervert or to rebel. Though the word backslide may not be used very many times in scripture, the actual practice is often implied throughout all of scripture. And I believe that backsliding begins in the heart and within the mind of the believer. If we're going to serve the Lord together, our hearts have to be set upon the Lord. You know, Jesus, over in Revelation chapter 2, Verses four and five. Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee. This is a message to the church at Ephesus. Let's go back to verse 1, Under the angel of the church of Ephesus write, These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil. And thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars. and hath borne, and hath patience, and for my name's sake hath labored, and hath not fainted." Well, that all sounds great, doesn't it? They're doing exactly what they need to do. Verse 4. Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember, therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of this place, except thou repent." You see, they were straight doctrinally. They were right on doctrinally. They were on fire as far as witnessing and evangelism. They were doing things right. But the thing they were doing wrong was they didn't love the Lord like they should. They had left their first love. And it's interesting to me that it was them leaving their first love when the Lord said, It was them leaving their first love that the Lord said, if you don't get it right, I'm going to take your candlestick. They were doing everything else right, but they had left their first love and I'm going to take your candlestick. The Lord said, you need to repent because you've left your first love. That should be a heart searching statement. Have we left our first love? Are we backslidden in any way? Do we need the Lord to restore us back to the joy of our salvation? If anyone knew firsthand the reality and the dangers of backsliding, I think it was Peter. As he discovered the night he denied Jesus. If you want to go ahead and turn to Mark chapter 14, As I mentioned at the very beginning, the process of backsliding is a gradual one. Sometimes it just takes a person just by surprise. We should carefully examine, and we're going to look at this very carefully, and I already know we're not going to get through the whole thing tonight, but we're going to carefully examine the process that led to Peter's denial of Christ. And then we're going to look at Peter's own words in the epistles that are designed to help us and to prevent the same happening to us. But before we do that, I want to just kind of dissect his story. The first thing we're going to look at is Mark chapter 14 and beginning in verse 27. And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night, for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee. But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I. And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, that this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. But he spake the more vehemently, if I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all. The first thing we're gonna look at is pride. In a very boastful manner here in these verses, Peter claims that he will not fall away. He would not deny Christ in any way, shape, or form. And by doing this, Peter's gonna take the very first step in backsliding. You know, Proverbs 16 and verse 18 says, pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. And this is certainly the case here when it comes to Peter. He said, there is no way. And again, look who we're talking about here. Christ is saying what all is gonna happen. And he's flat out says, Peter, Before this day, even in this night, before the cock crowed twice, thou shalt deny me not once, not twice, but three times you are going to deny me." Has Christ ever lied to them? No. He never lies. He's perfect. He is telling him this flat out, and what's Peter saying? If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. That's pride. He's puffed himself up in pride thinking he would never, ever, ever do that. And I'm telling you right now, the second you think that you would never, ever, ever do something, you are opening the door for you to fail. I'm telling you right now. Humility is so important. Daniel had humility as we studied him the last Wednesday and then Sunday evening. He was humble. His eyes were upon the Lord and not his own strength. Humility, humble yourself like a child, as it says in Matthew 18. If we lose humility, We're just gonna take that first step backward. The second thing we wanna look at, beginning in verse 32. And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane. And he saith to his disciples, sit ye here while I pray. And he taketh with him Peter and James and John and began to be sore amazed and to be very heavy. And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death, tarry ye here and watch. And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee. Take away this cup from me, nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. And he cometh and findeth them sleeping. And saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? Couldst not thou watch one hour? Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. And again he went away and prayed, and spake the same words. And when he returned, he found them asleep again. For their eyes were heavy, neither wist they what to answer him. And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest. It is enough, the hour is come. Behold, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise up, let us go. Lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand. So you would think that after what Christ told him in verse 30 about how you will deny me three times and Peter So prideful said, well, I will not deny thee in any wise. You would think that as they go on their way here to Gethsemane and Christ tells them there in verse 32, sit ye here while I shall pray. And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and they began to be sore amazed. And he goes off and he prays and he went forward and he comes and finds them, in verse 37, he cometh and findeth them sleeping. You'd think that after verses 30 and 31, he would be on guard. Well, you know, he, you know, Jesus said, I'm going to I'm going to deny him three times. Well, I'll I'll show him right. I'll prove him wrong. And he would be on the guard. You think Peter would be on guard, but here we see he goes to sleep and the Lord says, Simon, sleepest thou? Couldest not thou watch just one hour? You couldn't stay awake for just one hour? People, it's like pulling teeth sometimes to get people to do anything for any length of time. No resilience, no desire, just give up or don't even try to begin with. You can't just for one hour? And so it goes off again. And he goes to pray again. And again he went away and prayed and spake the same words and he returned and found them asleep again. What are you doing? You have verses 30 and 31. You have verse 37. Peter getting called out. And he goes to sleep again. Is he a child? It sounds almost like a teenager here. Like, come on, wake up. Put a little effort into this. He is not purposed in his heart at all. At all. To follow the Lord here. Laziness is kicking in. Pride kicked in number one, but now we see laziness is kicked in. He just keeps falling asleep and therefore this lack of diligent preparation is going to lead to more and more failing. See this gradual progression here where pride entered in first, laziness is entered in second. Without diligence, I need to do better in teaching diligence to my boys. They need to be more resilient in their efforts. I need to be more resilient, more diligent in my efforts. Without diligence, it's going to be very easy to be found unprepared. unprepared for what's next. And Peter's going to find himself extremely unprepared for what's next. Let's go over to Luke. Luke chapter 21. Verse 34. Take heed to yourselves. See, I want to stress this so much tonight. Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this life. And so that day come upon you unawares. You don't want to be caught off guard. Please have diligence here. For as a snare shall come on all them that dwell in the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man. Diligence. Watch. Pray. Be alert. Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, drunkenness, cares of this whatever that come upon you unawares. The snare is there. Watch and pray. And again, more often than not, it's a very gradual drifting, just as this verse tells us that it'll catch you unawares and unprepared over in Hebrews chapter two. Verses one through three. Hebrews 2, 1-3, Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him. Let's give this more earnest heed to the things which we've heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. But when we're proud of ourselves, when we're filled with pride, we become lazy. which will lead into the next thing, which I do not have time to go into tonight. But the next thing we're going to find, back in Mark chapter 14, and this will just be for preview for next time. We have Peter's denial foretold. We have them in Gethsemane, where he keeps falling asleep. And what we're going to lead into next time is the beginning of verse 43, the betrayal and arrest of Jesus. And with pride being a factor, and with laziness being a factor, Peter's going to find himself in a situation he is ill-prepared spiritually for. Very ill-prepared. so ill-prepared that he was so adamant in verse 31 that he would not deny Him, that he's going to be a complete and utter coward, beginning in verse 43. But we'll study that the next time. Let's have a song. Holy Bible, book divine, precious treasures that are mine. Mine to tell thee whence I came, mine to teach thee what I am. Mine to chide thee when I grow, Mine to show a Savior's love. Mine now are to guide and guard. Mine to punish or reward. Mine to comfort in distress. To start a ring in this wilderness. ♪ Time to show by living faith ♪ ♪ Man can triumph over death ♪ ♪ Time to tell of joys to come ♪ ♪ And the revel sinners do ♪ ♪ O thou holy God divine ♪ measures now.