The Killing of Jesus Act 2 - Mark: The Messy Gospel

Alright, if you have your Bibles, would you turn with me to Mark chapter 14?

Mark 14 · chapter mention

And if you don't have a Bible, they're probably somewhere in a slot in front of you.

They do have Bibles.

I don't know if they have what version is that that they have here?

Is that NIV or New King James?

NIV.

NIV?

Okay.

Well, that's that's a um that's an interesting version.

Um I I think NIV is great.

And I I don't want to be negative or anything.

It's easy to, it's actually probably easier to understand initially than the NKJV, but I like NKJV better.

New King James Version because it's it's more literal.

That's what I like, that's what I teach from, that's why I can do word studies and things like that.

But NIV is great.

But just I'm saying that because the wording is going to be slightly different, and the wording that you'll hear from uh from me up here is more accurate to uh the literal Greek.

Um and that's absolutely true, and even NIV will admit that um because it's a little bit more of a they take some liberties on the paraphrase.

But anyway, this isn't our church, okay?

So we're kind of working with what they've got, and it's awesome and it's great, and these are cool chairs and a great carpet, and I like everything here.

But I just wanted to be you to be clear on that if you didn't know that I was actually going from the other one.

So, okay, this is I I'm entitling this message, The Killing of Jesus Part 2.

Last week was The Killing of Jesus Part One, because in Mark 14, 15, and 16, as we close out this book, which we've done 53 messages in, um Mark, it's really important you get this.

Mark became a disciple of Peter.

Now, this is this is all this stuff starting to happen right now.

This is the end of Jesus' life.

So Mark's gonna actually show up here.

He's gonna show up as a streaker.

He's the first streaker in history that we know of that's written about.

And it's in the Bible.

Um, so Mark the streaker is gonna show up.

He's the author.

But here's what I here's what I want you to get.

I was at a I was at a game today with my son, and I was talking to one of the coaches about it.

He said, What are you teaching on tonight?

And so I was explaining what I was teaching.

And he goes, um he goes, Wow, that's really interesting.

Because I mentioned the streaker part, you know, that kind of kind of got his interest.

Um, there's like nude people running around in the Bible.

And I said, Yeah, it starts off that way.

What are you talking about?

Um I guess you could say he's the second one.

Third, third one, right, third one.

First one in the New Testament, first of all.

But um here's what's interesting is that we're gonna be looking at the denial by Peter.

All of us can relate to Peter.

Emotional, doesn't think before he talks, steps into all kinds of issues that get him in all kinds of trouble.

So we can relate to Peter.

But here's what's interesting.

Remember, don't miss this.

Mark was discipled by Peter, and Peter is probably hovering over him while he's writing what we now have as the gospel of Mark.

So I find it interesting, and it says something about the humility of Peter that he is encouraging probably Mark to put all the stuff we're about to read that's negative on what Peter did.

He doesn't skip anything, he expresses very clearly his denial.

Mark writes that, and it could have been skipped.

He's why don't we just move past that?

You know, let's just get to the trial and just skip over what I did.

But rather it's actually very clearly there, and it says a lot about Peter to us.

Last week we looked at Mary of Bethany and her worship of the Lord, and um boy, I wish I could have unpacked just that part.

The difference between Mary and Martha, the difference between Mary and Judas, who's there, and the other disciples that criticize her for probably taking her dowry.

She probably took her dowry, this uh Spike nard, this uh this perfume almost like a lavender, and she's and she spilled it on the head of Jesus, preparing.

She says, she's preparing me for my death and my burial.

And we believe it's probably around$50 or$60,000 that that perfume was.

And she gave it all to Jesus because of her love for him.

And then in contrast, we looked at Judas, who on the one hand criticized, oh, couldn't this, couldn't this money, couldn't this money have been used for the poor?

Oh, wow.

Sactimonious religious Judas.

And then he turns right around and he takes 30 pieces of silver and he denies that he knows Christ.

See, that's what religion does to you.

Religion kind of makes you a big faker.

You become a big imposter.

And so you talk a religious language, but when actually the rubber meets the road, you're no different than anybody else.

And so we're gonna look in.

There's a lot of drama here.

Look at verse 27.

This is where we left it last week.

Then Jesus said to them, All of you will be made to stumble because of me this night, for it is written, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered.

But after I've been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.

Peter said to him, Even if all, all the others, everybody else are made to stumble, it will not be me.

And so here's what's interesting about what Peter says is that he's actually contradicting Zechariah.

Because what Jesus is explaining to the group is actually a direct quote from Zechariah, and he's proclaiming his allegiance.

How many times have we proclaimed our allegiance, but when trouble comes, we become cowards?

That we can proclaim our allegiance in a certain group, but when but when we're but when we're called out or there's an opportunity to be different than everybody else, we pull back.

That's what's about to happen to Peter.

Jesus said to him, Surely I say to you, today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.

But he spoke more vehemently.

If I have to die with you, I will not deny you.

And they all said likewise.

So Peter will deny Jesus three times.

The other disciples will all deny him at least once.

And here's what I want us to get tonight.

It's not a failure of faith.

Remember?

In the Gospels, it says, Peter, you'll deny me, but I have prayed for you.

I've prayed for your faith.

You would not lose your faith.

You know, you can fail, but not lose your faith.

You can fail, and you're going to fail, and you will fail, but there's always repentance, and there's always reconciliation, and there's always a way back.

Peter's going to discover that.

Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane, which you guys means oil press.

And Jesus is about to be pressed, an oil press.

And he said to his disciples, Sit here while I pray.

And he took Peter, James, and John with him.

So this is his closest group of men.

Peter, James, and John.

His closest, most intimate group of friends.

And he began to be troubled and deeply distressed.

It's interesting, Gethsemane.

You can find Gethsemane today.

There's some dispute about the location of Gethsemane there on the base of Mount of Olives, but there's a general agreement about this one area being Gethsemane.

And the oldest olive trees in the world are in Gethsemane, and they've traced several back thousands of years.

And those are probably the roots of and the sprouts of the original trees that Jesus prayed under.

Gethsemane means oil press.

And I don't know if you've ever seen an oil press, but an oil press has a big wheel, big stone wheel, and they would drop the olives into this trough and it would and it would go around with an oxen and it would crush the olives, and then the oil would be pushed out and through these gullies that were set up and they would catch the oil that way.

And it was a breaking process.

It was a tearing process.

When we were in Israel, each time you go to Israel, and the next time we go to Israel with me, we'll go into Nazareth, and in Nazareth they do it for you.

They show you an oil press.

That's what that's Gethsemane.

This pressing, this breaking, this ripping, this pressing out of everything that's within an olive.

And Jesus is entering into this deep time of what the word says here, distress.

Really interesting word.

Deeply distressed in the Greek means to be displaced.

Away from home.

Out of place.

He has no home.

He misses his home.

This is so foreign to him.

He knows something.

I don't think he knows it all.

Because I believe that when he came and became a man, he he gave up.

The scriptures say he gave up, as it were, some of his divinity.

So he's not fully able to comprehend everything.

But he's deeply troubled because he's out of place.

Have you ever been in a group?

Have you ever been in a place where you know it's just not your home?

And you can feel that loneliness where maybe you miss your loved ones, you miss your intimate spouse.

Jesus is about to be broken because here's what's happening, gang.

There's going to be an exchange of cups.

There's going to be this exchange of cups.

Just last few hours before this, maybe only an hour before this, we don't know exactly.

He took the cup, remember?

He took the cup, he took a cup of communion, he took a cup of fellowship with his disciples.

He's about to exchange the cup of fellowship for a cup of wrath.

And he's deeply, deeply distressed.

He's about to exchange the cup of friendship with a cup of condemnation.

And he feels out of place.

It doesn't fit.

It's unfamiliar for him.

Verse 34.

And then he said to them, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.

So he feels, he feels almost like death is pressing him down, even at Gethsemane.

Stay here and watch, saying to his best friends, would you just stay here and watch with me?

I need fellowship.

I need some people with me.

I need some friends.

He went a little farther and he fell on the ground and he prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.

And he said, Abba, Father.

One of the cool things when you go to Israel, you'll see like a ball bouncing down the street or something.

At least we did.

We saw this like a soccer ball going down the street, dirty soccer ball, and uh and I hear, Abba, Abba, Abba.

And the little Israeli kids are playing soccer with their dad.

It's a very intimate term for daddy.

He says, Daddy, Daddy, all things are possible for you.

Take this cup away from me.

Nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will.

He's broken.

He's displaced.

His heart is breaking.

And nobody's going to be there.

Nobody's going to be there for Jesus.

Amen.

I'll tell you, I've been in a lot of situations where nobody's there for me, but usually I deserve it.

But this is Jesus.

This is God.

This is God's Son.

He's about to receive the cup of wrath.

Psalm 75 says, For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red.

It is fully mixed, and he pours it out.

Surely its dread shall all the wicked of the earth drain and drink down.

Jeremiah says, Take this wine cup of fury from my hand, and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it.

And they will drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them.

That's the fury of the Lord.

Revelation, speaking of the third angel in the time of the tribulation.

If anyone worships the beast in his image and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of his indignation.

That's what, listen, that's what Jesus is about to receive.

With no sin within him.

For us.

Nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will.

Jesus is crying out to his father that that wrath, that indignation, that cup of fury might pass, but he says it again, not my will, but your will be done.

Complete and absolute surrender.

Father, you can change this.

Daddy, this doesn't have to happen, does it?

Does it have to go this way?

Nevertheless.

God, do your work.

And then he came and he found him sleeping and said to Peter, Simon, I think it's interesting that he doesn't say Peter here.

He goes back to his original name.

Simon, are you sleeping?

Could you not watch one hour?

Couldn't you just pray one hour in my distressing time?

Church, what might have changed if Peter, James, and John had prayed?

I don't know.

I mean, I believe in the sovereignty of God.

I believe the cross was his destiny because we have the scriptures that prophesied thousands of years before of the cross.

But what might have changed in the Gethsemane exchange that's about to occur?

What might have changed in Simon if he had taken one hour to pray?

Many years ago, we were in Atlanta, Georgia, and I was, Liz and I were really struggling on the mission field.

We had been in Japan, I think, about seven years at that point, and it was slow going.

And we were seeing God do a lot on the one hand, but it wasn't enough, and we were praying for more, and we wanted to learn about prayer.

And there was a guy that was real popular in the 80s, a guy named Larry Lee.

And I don't know what ever happened to Larry Lee.

I don't hear about him anymore.

Um, but he he had this tape series that we came across, and it was named after this passage, and it was called Could or Can You Not Watch for One Hour?

I think that was the title of it.

And it taught you how to pray through the Lord's Prayer one hour every day.

And I just got into it and loved it.

And so for the next 10 years or so, you know, almost every day, not every day, but tried to pray the Lord's Prayer for one hour every day.

Before we skip past this, I want to kind of throw out a challenge.

I'll tell you this there is there is miracles of the power of the Holy Spirit that are hidden mysteries until you learn how to pray.

I mean, you look at your life, you go, man, this this area, yeah, this is doing pretty good.

This area's doing okay.

Man, are we we really, this is a lousy area over here.

And why is my daughter doing that?

And why is he doing that?

And you wonder, don't you, sometimes like if we actually began to have prayer as a regular part of our marriage, or prayer as a regular part of our life, what might happen?

Jesus is just saying, we just I just need I need one hour.

He wasn't asking for six.

Just give me one hour.

Men and women, may God begin a work in this body to teach us to pray.

We do a conference call.

We've done a conference call the last three mornings.

Um I think you get the e-blast, it shows that from Pam and our prayer ministry team.

And it's been awesome to pray with many of you in the mornings that come in.

And if you get that, you might look it up and join us tomorrow morning at 7 a.m.

We pray for 30 minutes together, and uh it's an awesome time.

Watch and pray.

Here's why we pray, lest you enter into temptation.

The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Hello.

Isn't that true?

Watch and pray.

Like watchmen on the wall, watch and pray.

Be alert and ready.

But oftentimes, and probably the biggest struggle is with our flesh.

Our flesh takes over and we just find ourselves hungry or we find our mind wandering, we find ourselves losing focus.

It is what we do, it is the way we are.

And I think the Lord understands that.

And I would challenge us.

There's a way, there's a way to pray.

There's a way into prayer that works.

And as we work that out in our own lives, find that, gang.

For some people it's a prayer list.

For others, it's different things, but but learning how to pray.

Again he went away and prayed and spoke the same words.

And when he returned, he found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy, and they did not know what to answer him.

Then he came a third time and said to them, Are you still sleeping and resting?

It is enough.

The hour has come.

Behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.

So three times he comes, three times they sleep.

We've got the three stooges here.

And they just sleep on.

Last time Jesus just kind of hovers over them.

He knows they're not going to wake up.

And so here's Jesus deeply, deeply distressed.

Maybe to use maybe our words in our vernacular day, maybe he's depressed.

And here's James, who's going to be dead in about a month.

Here's Peter, who's going to deny him three times in the next couple hours.

And here's John, who's going to be boiled in oil and survive somehow, and end up on a little island of Patmos, and write the book of Revelation.

And Jesus is looking at James, and I wonder if he prayed for James' family.

And his mom and dad, and maybe his spouse, and his children.

He probably knows them by now, and he knows he's going to be dead in about a month.

And then he looks at Peter and he prays for Peter because he knows that Peter is going to deny him and then be so despondent that we don't even know anything about Peter for the next three days.

We don't know where he goes, we don't know what he does, but he's so broken over what he does that it's just silence in Scripture.

And then John.

John's the wealthy one in the group.

We believe historically that he probably had some connections and had money.

And some believe that what we're about to read next is the way that Peter actually had access into the uh the palace area where he will be keeping himself warm uh when he has his time of denial.

We believe that John was the was the uh doorway in through some connections that he had.

And so, how many times you think that the Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus, hovers over your bed?

And he knows what you're about to go through, and he prays for you.

He intercedes for you and knows what maybe nobody else knows but you and him about your life and your shame and your brokenness.

And those prayers that you lift up that nobody really would care about hearing, but you do it anyway because you're distressed, deeply distressed and depressed, and he's there and he knows your tears and he knows your heart.

So I believe he prayed for Peter, James, and John.

Verse 42.

Rise, let us be going.

See, my betrayer is at hand.

And immediately while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.

Now his betrayer had given them a signal saying, Whomever I kiss, he's the one.

Seize him and lead him away safely.

So Jesus looks like anyone else.

He doesn't glow, he doesn't have a halo like all those paintings.

He just looks like everybody else to such a degree that Judas has to identify him because he would not be identified without help.

Remember that.

Jesus is a regular guy in the human sight of him and the way he looked.

He didn't walk in, you know, levitating six inches off the ground or have a halo.

He looks like everybody else.

And as soon as as soon as he had come, immediately went up to him and said to him, Rabbi, rabbi, and kissed him.

Then they laid their hands on him and took him, and one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his hair.

So Peter's got a sword.

We know from some of the other, uh all the gospels cover this part.

Peter's got a sword.

So, I mean, we came from the Last Supper down through the Kidron Valley out of Jerusalem from the upper room, and now they're they're in Gethsemane, so he picked up a sword somewhere.

So he either bought it, you know, somewhere, went, you know, went to the the sword store and got it got a sword, or he's had it, but I dare say he probably, I don't think he brought it into the Last Supper or anything like that.

I think he's got it, and he is ready, man.

He saw Jesus in power in the Transfiguration.

So I think what Peter's thinking is, man, we're gonna have a rumble tonight, and I'm gonna lead out and I'm ready.

So, I mean, this is kind of weird because he's been asleep.

Okay?

So he's been asleep.

And so he gets up groggy from sleep and just starts swinging, takes this guy's ear off.

Malchus is his name in another account, takes over the ear.

Can you imagine if he'd been awake?

I mean, we're talking like headshot, man.

I mean, he's going for the head.

This is what I think it happened.

He went for the head, Malchus goes like this, and he takes off the ear.

Now, this is this is why I asked the question earlier.

Because I've been thinking about it all week.

If he had not slept, which I don't believe was God's perfect will, but he had stayed awake, he would have taken off the guy's head.

Think about that miracle.

Whoa! Whoa! I mean, ears are cool.

I mean, that's all right.

I mean, dig I dig ears, man.

You know, whack off the ear, put it back on, see.

I think beheadings is even cooler.

I mean, just put the head back on.

Whoa.

Well, anyway, here's how here's how John actually depicts the scene.

You don't need to turn there, I'll read it to you.

But this is John depicting the actual scene.

They answered him saying, Jesus of Nazareth.

And Jesus said to them, I am he.

So this is when they all come.

So Judas comes up.

Who's Jesus of Nazareth?

He says, I am.

Now, in your Bibles, even in the NIV and even in the New King James Version, he is italicized.

So it says, I am italicized he.

You know why?

Anybody know why?

Because that's a missing word in the later translations and in the earliest translations.

If it's a missing word, they put italics on it.

So it could be that there was nothing ever there.

That's important.

Because what Jesus said is not, I am he, but he might have said, I am.

I am.

And Judas, who betrayed him, also stood with them.

Now when he said to them, I am, I'm gonna say, I am, ego am I in Greek, ego am I, ego am I, I am, they drew back and fell to the ground.

This is missing in Mark.

Mark doesn't say this.

Then he asked them again, whom are you seeking?

And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.

Jesus answered, I have told you that I am, ego am I.

Therefore, if you seek me, let these go their way, that the saying might be fulfilled which he spoke, of those whom you gave me, I've lost none.

So when he says, Ego am I, boom, power shows up, knocks everybody down.

Do you think do you think the name of Jesus is not powerful, church?

You've got to call Ego Mai.

You've got to cry out the name of Jesus over your home.

You've got to pray the ego Emiah, the name of Jesus over your kids.

You've got to pray the Ego Emiya, you've got to pray the name of Jesus over your loved ones every day.

And so when he says that, man, everybody's blown back.

They fall on the ground.

Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear.

The servant's name was Malchus.

So Jesus said to Peter, put your sword into the sheath, shall I not drink the cup which the Father has given me?

That drink, that cup of wrath.

Here's what's interesting: there's no record in history about Malchus except here in John's gospel.

I like that.

Because who's Malchus?

He's just a servant of the high priest who is smart enough to duck.

But we've got his name.

God's got your name.

He knows you guys.

He knows your name, every one of you in this room.

He knows your name.

Even if at some point in your life, and maybe even tonight, you're on the wrong side.

You're on the wrong team.

He knows your name and he loves you.

And he felt like it was important enough to tell John when he was writing scripture to write down his name is Malchus.

He's not just a servant of the high priest, his name is Malchus.

And I think I'm just guessing.

I don't know.

I looked it up, did a lot of research.

I don't know much about Malchus.

Maybe I looked in the Catholic records.

They always have great stuff on people that you've never heard of.

And then I looked up the other historical stuff, and there's no record much of Malchus, but the dude must have gotten saved.

I mean, his ear, ground, blood just probably spewing out.

And Jesus picks it up, puts it on, like, whoa.

And he's, and you know he had to be thinking, I wonder if he would have done that if that guy had gotten my head.

Verse 48.

Then Jesus answered and said to them, Have you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs to take me?

I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me, but the scriptures must be fulfilled.

Then they all forsook him and fled.

And here's Mark the streaker.

Now a certain young man followed him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body.

And the young men laid hold of him, and he left the linen cloth and fled from them nude.

So I wonder, you know, so Mark and Peter sitting around the fire, you know, having some wine or beer, I don't know, and they're writing this thing.

And then you know, you know, you just know, Mark said, should I put this in?

And you know, Peter said, Absolutely, that's that's really cool.

I mean, that's that really makes it come alive, man.

All under the inspiration of Scripture, all under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Now, I want you to underline verse 53, first part, or highlight it.

Really important.

They led Jesus away.

They led Jesus away.

Men and women, everybody look at me.

You're always in trouble when you're leading Jesus.

Don't lead Jesus.

Follow Jesus.

He's looking for followers, not people who lead him.

Church does this all the time.

Pastors do it all the time.

I do it all the time.

Let me lead Jesus.

Let me tell Jesus where he needs to go.

And they led Jesus away to the high priest, and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes.

So he goes to Annas, which is the son-in-law of Caiaphas, high priest, appointee of the Romans.

There's two high priests at that time functioning in that position.

And then he's going to go before the Sanhedrin, which is the 71-man sort of Israeli Supreme Court, that he's going to be brought before.

And it's going to be an illegal trial.

It's an illegal trial.

It's at night, which is illegal, and they're going to and they're going to pass judgment on him, which is also illegal, because you're supposed to have a 24-hour period of waiting.

And then the other thing that's illegal about it is only the Romans could cast a death penalty because the rod or the sword had been taken away from Israel before that.

And so they're breaking a lot of laws here.

Their own laws and Roman laws.

Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard, it says.

And again, I'm telling you, tradition would have us believe that maybe John was the connection that got him into the courtyard of the high priest.

So this is either Caiaphas or Annas, the high priest.

And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.

Hmm.

Peter followed him at a distance.

And then he warms himself at the fire.

You know, it's really hard to do.

It's really hard to follow Jesus at a distance.

It's hard to follow Jesus from a distance, and when you do, you end up at the wrong campfire.

Follow Jesus intimately, and you'll be where he's at.

But Peter's following at a distance, and he finds himself at the enemy's fire.

Never works.

Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none.

For many bore false witness against him, but their testimonies did not agree.

Then some rose up and bore false witness against him, saying, We heard him say, I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another one made without hands.

That's not what he said.

What he said was, destroy this temple.

He didn't say, I will destroy this temple.

He says, destroy this temple, and he was speaking of his own body.

Verse 59, but not even then did their testimonies agree.

And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, Do you answer nothing?

What is it these men testify against you?

So Caiaphas has had it.

One guy tells a lie over here, another guy tries to testify with another lie over here.

Nothing's lining up.

He gets up, he's going to, he, what is it?

Who are you?

What did you say?

Jesus doesn't say anything.

He kept silent.

He answered nothing.

Again the high priest asked him, saying to him, Are you the Christ, the son of the blessed?

Because the Jews didn't use Elohim.

They didn't use Yahweh.

They didn't say the name.

So he said, Son of the blessed.

Didn't want to use God's name.

Jesus said, I am.

Ego am I.

I am.

And you will see.

I don't think he said, I am.

And you'll see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the farm.

Isn't that the kind of picture?

I mean, there's a famous painting, I don't know who it's by.

Some reason I'm thinking it's Raphael.

And it shows this picture of Jesus kind of like this.

And he's been beaten.

So I get it.

And I and I and I'm not criticizing it too much.

But he's like this.

But I think Jesus might have said it this way I am, and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the power and coming with the clouds of heaven.

Daniel chapter 7 is what he's quoting.

Daniel 7 · chapter mention

And Caiaphas just comes unglued.

Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, What further need do we have of witnesses?

You've heard the blasphemy.

What do you think?

And they all condemned him to be deserving of death.

And then some began to spit on him and to blindfold him and to beat him and to say to him, Prophesy.

And the officers struck him with the palms of their hands.

So the Son of God, Jehovah God, spit upon him.

Beaten.

Jesus knows who did it.

They blindfold him, but he knows who did it.

And he's burying up.

See, see what's happening, gang, is this is the cup of wrath, beloved.

This is the beginning of the cup of wrath upon Jesus.

Now, as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.

But he denied it, saying, I neither know nor understand what you're saying.

And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.

So Peter ignores the rooster.

Jesus is getting beaten.

Jesus has prayed for Peter's faith, and Satan is sifting Peter like wheat.

Verse 69.

And the servant girl saw him again and began to say to those who stood by, This is one of them.

But he denied it again.

And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.

So the accusation is getting stronger.

The accusation is getting more specific.

And now they're saying, We know that y'all.

You keep saying, Y'all, you know, we know you're from Galilee.

We know you're a heck.

We can tell.

And then this is interesting.

Then he began to curse and swear, I do not know this man of whom you speak.

Here's what it literally means, gang.

It means I'll be damned if I know him.

And it's so strong and it's so vehement that everybody backs off.

He can't be one of them.

He can't be one of Jesus' disciples.

He cursed himself.

He's basically cursing himself if it is true.

That's the level of denial by Peter.

The second time the rooster crowed, then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said to him before the rooster crows, twice, you will deny me three times.

And when he thought about it, he wept.

And in Luke 22, it says that Jesus looked at Peter.

Can you imagine that?

To deny you know Jesus.

And then Jesus looks at you with blood probably flowing down his face at this point, as he's already been hit many times.

And then they all fled.

That's what's so cool about chapter 16, 7 that we'll look at in a couple weeks, is the first thing, one of the first things Jesus says, go tell Peter.

Peter's a broken man.

Have you denied the Lord in your life?

Have you been in those situations where you could stand for him and you're maybe some friends, or you guys are at a bar, or you're hanging out, and there's a chance to go party and there's a chance to go do something.

Hey, you know, we've been here and you've been going to church and stuff.

And you hear you're going to that weird church that meets on Saturday night.

And that kind of outlaw pastor that runs it.

That's kind of a weird church, man.

I mean, what are you doing?

Um, you know, you're not gonna drink anymore now, man, you know, and and you've been in those situations?

If you haven't, and you're new to the Lord, it's coming.

If you're older than the Lord, it's because you don't probably have any non-Christian friends anymore.

But um, if you're if you're in that world, man, they're out to get you, dude.

And I mean, they're just gonna they're gonna hammer you, they're gonna make fun of you, and and everything in your flesh is gonna want to say, well, you know, I'm just checking stuff out.

I don't know, maybe.

Yeah, I don't go all the time.

Are you starting to give money to those people?

Isn't that that church where nobody wears a tie?

That's not a real church.

They don't even carry Bibles that say holy Bible on them.

You know, that's not a real church.

And so in John 21, Jesus comes to Peter and he asks him, Do you love me more than these?

Three times.

And he says, Feed my sheep, tend my lambs, feed my sheep.

And Jesus comes to restore Peter.

Listen to this in 1 Peter.

This is awesome.

This is what Peter would later write.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Let me read it slowly, and I want to emphasize one word.

There's one word I want to emphasize.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again, has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Again.

And again, and again, and again.

That blessed hope when you've denied him, when you've you know that you've turned your back on Christ, you can come to him again and again and again, and he loves you, and he's there for you.

But what was the difference?

Talk to me.

What was the difference in Peter's life?

What changed him?

There's more than one answer.

Forgiveness?

What else?

Jesus had prayed for him, amen.

Okay.

Awesome.

All those are right.

Well, um, I heard a phrase many years ago.

Let me let me just give it out this way.

You can't do the work of God without the God of the work.

You can't do the work of God without the God of the work.

I believe what sums up everything that every one of you said is the filling and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Certainly Peter felt forgiven.

Certainly he felt faith and love well up in him through Jesus Christ.

But something happened, which is covered in Acts chapter 2, and it was the baptism and the filling of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

Are you filled with the Holy Spirit here tonight?

Are you filled with his power and his love and his faith through the work of the Holy Spirit?

Because that's what made the biggest difference in Jesus' life.

53 times the word Holy Spirit is used in the book of Acts.

And so the Holy Spirit is the power source for us to live the Christian life.

And it's not a title.

So many people today use the Holy Spirit like, well, I was filled with the Holy Spirit 10 years ago when I had this experience with God.

I was knocked down to the floor and I spoke in tongues.

Great.

I don't care.

Are you filled with the Holy Spirit today?

You see, the filling of the Holy Spirit is not a title, it's a function.

It's a lifestyle.

Actually, in Ephesians 5.18, it says, do not get drunk with wine, but be filled with the Holy Spirit.

And that phraseology is be being filled.

Not be filled, but be being filled.

And so it's a continuous action of surrender to Christ.

And so tonight I want to challenge us that whether we've denied Christ, whether we're following closely with Christ right now, let's get it refilled.

Let's get refreshed.

Let's be re-empowered.

When we come together next week and we're going to have some fellowship out there, and then some of us are going to come in here, we're going to pray.

We're going to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

We're going to pray in power.

A group of us is going to get together tomorrow in that conference call at 7 a.m.

And we're going to pray.

And I pray that we'll be filled with the Holy Spirit.

And we'll pray through the power of the Holy Spirit.

That's what God does.

That's his MO in our lives.

That's what he did with Peter.

And he loves you.

Let's stand.

You can't do the work of God without the God of the work.

God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

Always a second chance, folks.

At the road, we believe in building wholehearted disciples, and we give everybody a second chance.

You know, you can fail, but still have faith.

I hope all of you will be risk takers in your life.

I hope every one of you will take risk.

Maybe even going into some areas where you're not even sure if you can handle the pressure, but you're trusting God.

That's when you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

That's when you know you don't have what it takes unless God shows up.

Sometimes that's the greatest place to be.

So, Father, in the name of the blood of Jesus, tonight we say to you, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Amen.