Address—D. Mearns
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Well, as I mentioned earlier, I'm in the book of Luke, my reading, but I want to turn back to the book of Mark.
This morning.
What I would like to do, with the Lord's help, is look.
That's the steps.
That led.
To Peter's denial.
And I'd like to look at that. It's a portion that we're well aware of. It's a, it's a.
I'm not going to bring anything new today, but I I just my hearts been touched by looking at it in marks possible it's different in marks gospel than is the others to work on us stay in mark but what I've really been impressed with is looking at these steps that led to his denial and how.
In his epistle he warns against each one of these steps.
That that's been fascinating to me. So let's look at Marks Gospel, the 14th chapter.
Where we'll pick up.
So.
And that's something we're going to pick up where?
Right after the remembrance back then, which is 26, and when they had sung at him, they went over to the mountain rolls so right after.
The Lord.
Cast those emblems to his own. We got this.
Jesus said unto them, All, Ye shall be offended because of me, solicited Mark 14 and 27. Jesus said unto them all, He shall be offended because of me this night, or is written now, So Micah shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. After that I am risen. I will go before you into Galilee.
And now we.
Pick up here.
Of Peter and I'd like to look at, look at these, these steps, as I said, the steps that led to his denial, his denial, and then to look just for a moment or two on his personal restoration. We usually look at his public restoration. That's usually what we look at in John's gospel, but I'd like to look at his personal restoration.
It's been touching to my own heart. So here we thought, here we take off on our subject now in verse 29. But Peter said on the end.
Although all shall be offended, yet will not die.
That's the first step that led to Peter's denial. What is it?
It's really the the most certain forerunner of any fall is self-confidence.
It's self-confidence and that's what we see here. We see here, although all shall be offended yet now you can just picture being there and Peter, you know, looking over the other to say, you know, Lord, I don't know about these guys. You certainly can't. You can't, you can't count on them. But me, you can count on me. There's no question. And that's the first step. Well, he writes about that. Let's turn to first Peter.
First Peter chapter one.
First year chapter one.
And.
323 being born again, not a corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. And then he writes this imagine him writing this looking back in his own life to how he how he was so full of self-confidence and pens these words in verse 24 all flesh.
Is that grass?
All the glory of men as the flower of grass.
The grass withereth, the flower thereof falled away, but the word of the Lord endureth forever. He heard the Lord forecast what was going to happen. It happened. He recognized in his own soul the confidence that he had that didn't matter about all the rest of these guys who were total failures, but Mount Peter. And now he writes.
That's why she's this grass. That's something to pick that up.
After what transpires?
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That's gone down now in Mark's gospel. Mark's gospel.
Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, that this day, even this night before the **** grow twice. Brother, you're talking about stories. I've talked about chickens. Well, as far as I'm going to go with chickens, today is the cockroach here.
But the Lord says I.
This day, even this night before the cockroach twice that thou shalt deny me thrice.
Maybe I will turn over to Luke here with regards to this because I said I was going to stick in Mark's gospel maternal turnover to to Luke's gospel.
Where?
22.
And it's in relation to the Lord speaking with Peter and Luke 22.
Verse 31 The Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desire to have you, that he may sift you as weak, but I pray for thee not that he wouldn't fail, because the Lord knew he was going to fail. So I prayed for thee that thy faith fail not that when thou are converted, strengthen thy brethren.
Well, the Lord of those are framed. Those are the dust, what matters not.
You're talking about grains of **** This morning, Mark, I was thinking of the Lord Jesus speaking about green. It was of a mustard seed. And you said if you have green, it was a mustard seed. And it goes on there. And I wondered why a mustard seed? Why not a grain of sand or a piece of dust? But the Lord picked something that was alive. Alive, a mustard seed. Well, here he speaks.
Of praying that Peter's faith would not fail. And what's important in our own lives is not so much the amount of faith.
But what it's attached to at the other end, that's really what's critical is what it's attached to at the other end. So here in Marks Gospel, where we have the next.
The next step?
He warns Peter that the cock's going to grow twice, he's going to deny it 3, three times, and now Pure pipes up again.
But he spake the more vehemently verse 31.
If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all he goes a step further. He has his self-confidence, but now there's proud boasting about it.
I've seen that in my own part. Now let's look over it at first Peter again, chapter one. And what do we see? Peter responds as he's ready to those strangers scattered, but also to our own hearts in that first chapter, first Peter one.
And.
What does he say here?
These early verses.
Elect according to the foreknowledge of God, blessed by God the Father. Inheritance, incorruptible. Verse four. But then he says verse five were kept.
The fire cells don't find anything. We have in ourselves kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed at the last time.
Marvelous to realize that that's the only way we're going to be kept. Is it kept by the power of God? I, I look at my own heart and I, I, I look at my own life's experience and having made every mistake that's possible to make in the book and recognize that there's any keeping in supply.
Or keep it. Look at Peter and imagine them writing this, having gone through these steps in his own life, kept by the power of God. Beautiful. Well, let's go on down now. Mark 14.
Keep your finger in there every time we turn back to first Peter, because we're going to come right back. So they come to a place which is named Gethsemane, he saith. His disciples sitting here while I pray.
They take it with him, Peter, James, and John, and began to be sore makes to be very heavy. He said unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death.
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Tarry ye here and watch.
And he went forward.
A little unfelt on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might 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 find them sleeping, and saith unto Simon Peter.
Speak us down.
Curse thou not, watch one hour. Watch and pray.
Lest he enter into temptation, the Spirit truly is ready, but the flesh.
Is weak and went away again, and prayed and speak the same words, and when he returned he found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. Neither was they one to answer him.
Well.
I understand that concept. The Spirit truly is.
Is willing, as Mr. Darby puts it, that the flesh is weak. Well, let's look back and see what Peter pens with regards to this. So again, go to first Peter.
And this, this next step towards his denial is unwatchable Ness.
That's what it is. So if we go to First Peter 4 again, imagine him writing these words in First Peter 4.
He speaks about giving an account in verse five to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. And for this cause shall the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God of the Spirit at the end of all things of this hand be therefore sober and.
In this interesting.
Imagine writing these words.
When the Lord Jesus has just said watch and pray. And now here he is years later, writing these very words.
Watch unto prayer.
To me, it's beautiful, and that's when we're speaking about repentance this morning. And when it's worked, it's perfect work.
It brings full restoration and he's able to speak about these very things. If there hadn't been, he wouldn't be able to think of him in the book of the app saying same to the that company. He had denied the Holy One and the jest. I think, are you kidding me? But that's because there was such full restoration of Peter after there had been full repentance.
Beautiful to see here, isn't it? He pens these very words.
Watch on. The prayer is what the Lord says, and now he writes that very thing to us.
Watch unto prayer above all things. Have fervent charity among yourselves. Well, back to Mark's Gospel.
And we'll carry on.
Verse 40 when he returned.
He found them asleep again, for their eyes very heavy, neither wished they what to answer Him. And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on thou, and take away your rest. It is enough. The hour has come. Behold, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hand of sinners. Rise up, let us go. Lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.
Now we're going to the next time is in the 53rd and 54th verse. But let's let's read on these verses.
At verse 44, verse 43, immediately while he gets big comes Judas, one of the 12 with him a great multitude with swords and staves from the chief priests, the scribes and elders. And he that betrayed him had given them a token saying, Whosoever, I shall kiss that same as he, take him, lead him away safely.
And as soon as he had come, he goes straightway to him and said, master, master kissed him. And when they laid their hands on him and took him, one of them that stood by drew a sword. Well, we know who that was, don't we? And smoke the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. Isn't that something? The Lord's last miracle was fixing Peter's mistake, his last miracle that we read of in the Gospels.
Typically, I don't think fishermen are good source men. I don't expect he was aiming at this man's ear.
We'll have to wait to get the full story on that one. I think we can guess, though, what he was aiming at. And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are you come out as against a thief with swords and staves to take me? I was dealing with him, the temple teaching King, and he took me. Not that the Scripture must be fulfilled. And they all forsook him and fled. And then you have this account of the young man that fled from the naked well.
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Verse 53 They led Jesus away to the high priest.
And with him were assembled all the chief priests, elders and scribes.
And Peter followed him.
Far off.
Even unto the palace of the high Priest.
Following.
Afar off.
There's a.
This afternoon I anticipate taking up a subject.
A number of years ago I took it up, actually at Michigan Camp. I think you were there. You took up the subject of Amalek.
Interesting enough, the brethren in Brazil just a couple days ago says we wonder about Amalek. Could you talk to us about Amalek? Something to do this afternoon? But one of the things that's that's fascinating to me about animal, I guess it turned to Deuteronomy 25.
25th chapter.
It gives us really a picture of what transpired and what's transpiring here is.
In Peter's life, so Deuteronomy 25 and verse.
Verse 17 Remember what Amalek did unto thee, by the way, when you're come forth out of Egypt, how he met thee, by the way, and smote timeless.
Of the even though that were feeble behind me when thou faint and weary heared not God. Here's here's an elect approaching the people of God and those that are lagging behind those that are faint they're weary. We understand that concept just tired and it makes us follow. Yeah, we follow, but more like Peter maybe a far off.
And doesn't that open up the way for the enemy to come in and do his deadly work?
That's what Emily did here. Those that were lagging behind, that's, that's who he attacked. What we find here in in this portion.
Verse 54. Peter followed.
Far off.
And this is even unto the palace of the high priest. And he sat with the servants and warmed himself. You know, it's really a picture of what you can picture what Peters doing here. He falls far off, and when he gets there, here's this fire, and he sits down with those there.
It's an awkward situation for him. He's sitting in the circle.
Of those that hate the Lord Jesus with a passion, they hate him with a passion.
There is right in that company and his his behavior before that has LED into this. Sometimes we get ourselves into a situation and we don't know how we got there, where it's awkward and we we don't know how to get out there. He is warming himself.
At the fires of this world.
To me, one of the, one of the.
Perhaps one of the most vivid examples that we have in the Old Testament of somebody doing that is Lot.
Remember Lot he he chose the well watered flame after he and Abraham separated and we agreed that he pitched his tent towards Sodom. And then of course, there's another step. We find him, He's right in Sodom. And then we find there's another step and we find that he's sitting in the gate of Sodom.
I've appreciated that because who is it that brings up lot in his writings?
It's not James. It's not Matthew.
Peter, he's the one that touches in on law. He says how he was vexed with I think that that that Peter let's turn to that it's in I might need help to find that for a lot of us vexed with the.
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The.
The second Peter 2.
Second Peter 2.
He speaks of in verse six turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes and condemning them with an overflow, making them an example into those that should live ungodly and delivered just lot.
We wouldn't pick up on that until we get to this portion that he was a just man.
Vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked, but that righteous man dwelling among men in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day-to-day with their unlawful deeds. I'm sure that was just exactly how Peter felt when he was right there.
Warming himself those fires and not being able to do anything about it. That word vexed remember when the disciples.
Turned with him, but it's in Mark's gospel, the 6th chapter when they're they're rolling across the the the water is when the Lord comes to them in the water and there's a storm and it's it says there they were toiling and roaring, toiling and roaring. That's the same Greek word as vexed.
Very same word as we have here. They were toiling and rowing and that's I'm sure what Peter felt when he was there. Just what am I doing here? But you know, he was there to save his own skin. It's really what he was there for. He just said to the Lord, you know, I'm going to die with you. But you know, this all LED up to, didn't it, what we have in the falling versus here in March 14th.
Verse 55. The chief priest.
And all the Council suffer witness against Jesus to put him to death.
Found none many beer pulse with us against him and witness agreed not to give him there arose certainly bear false witness against him, saying we heard him saying I'll destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands. But neither so did their witness agree together. The high priest stood up in the midst and so on and go on down that portion to verse 66.
Where we read.
Peter was beneath in the palace. There cometh one of the maids of the high priest, when she saw Peter warming himself. So here he is in that condition that we just spoke about.
She looked upon him, he said.
That also was with Jesus of Nazareth.
He denied saying I know not neither understand I without saith whenever it is a porch.
And the cop crew.
Whenever there's failure in our in our Christian pathway.
There are always warnings.
This is the second one the Lord had given in the morning that he shouldn't boast like that because he's going to deny that should have been a morning. That's the first one. Here's another one, the cock crows. He should have picked up on that. We don't believe he did.
It says he denied that 68 verse that we read. I know not neither understanding without say it that he went on a porch and a cock crew. There's that warning side and the maid saw him. The maid saw him again began to say to heaven stood by. This is one of them. He denied again.
A little while after, David stood by and said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them, Thou art a Galilean. My speech agreeeth thereto. Now he really gets reckless.
He began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom he speak.
I don't expect this is the first time he was cursing and swearing in his life. Spent some time down in Florida with the fishermen. That's something that characterizes them well. He really gets reckless here. He begins to curse and to swear.
And what happens here the second time the cock crows? Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said to him before the cockroach. Twice. Thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought there.
He worked.
It's a little more vividism than Luke's gospel flip over there. Luke 22.
Luke 22.
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And verse 61.
And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter, And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him before the **** crow, Thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and.
Throughout bitterly imagine that look.
That the Lord gave Peter What was in that look, I don't know we'd be.
Be maybe stretching things if we could tell, but oh how it would have been an arrow into Peter's heart just to realize exactly as the Lord had spelled it out is what happened.
Well.
Somewhere in between this.
And the next, for a while, there was Peter's personal restoration.
What did that look like?
What did that look like? We know what is public restoration looks like. It's it's spelled out to us very vividly.
His personal restoration is, I think, camouflaged a bit, but we have it.
And I'd like to look turn it over to Mark's gospel.
You know which is where we are, but the the the last chapter.
We.
This is after the resurrection. Kate in the first chapter, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Slow me come.
Early in the morning.
And entered into the sepulchre in the 5th 1St Thy young man said unto them, You seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified. He is risen, He is not here. Behold the place where they laid him. But go your way, and tell his disciples. It's this phrase, this, this clause, and Peter.
I've so been impressed by how this would have been received for them to get to that room where they were and then have this message for the disciples. But then to isolate Peter and to say and the message Peter, there was a specific message for you and you could picture him.
In this you know what happened after he left.
Where he wept bitterly. Where did he go?
I don't know, there's sometimes I just want to be alone with the Lord. And in his case, he couldn't be. He just had to be alone. You know, he had a wife. Remember when I when I was single and I was.
Remember this last when I was single and I got into a bad state of soul, It was me and the Lord and my bad state of soul. When I got married, it was me and the Lord and my wife and my bad state of the world. After I got Melissa was born. You can go down the road. It was me and the Lord and my wife and my oldest child and my bad state of soul. After there was four of them, same thing, four children, my wife, the Lord and.
So we know he was married. We know that.
Where was he during that period of time? It's withheld for us. We can't.
It's it's conjecture if we try to say what happened, but in a certain sense.
We know where what we feel like when we're in that very similar situation.
The difference is, as far as Peter was concerned, yeah, all those disciples, they were all sad, but they hadn't done what Peter had. It was really upsetting to him. And to have this message, hotel disciples and Peter, oh, how I would have touched him, I don't know. But but turn over.
Turn over to.
Turn over to Corinthians so.
Where we will be find another statement that I think is.
Is really is really good?
In First Corinthians.
1St Corinthians 15.
So the apostles writing here to the Corinthians and he, he, he says in the third verse, the end of his Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. He was buried. He rose again according to the Scriptures.
A very day and rose again the third day according to the scriptures. And then it says that he was seen. But if we if we go down now to because he spells out who he was seen by and let's work backwards from the ninth verse he says.
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He was seen of in the eighth verse rather he was seen of me also as one that was born in due time and we back up to the 70s. So you've seen it, Paul, but then you see at the end of that seventh verse of all the apostles and then earlier in that seven, first you've seen of James.
In the sixth verse we find there that he was seen of about 500 brethren at once, of whom the greater part remained unto this present day summer fall asleep. The end of the fifth verse he was seen as the 12Th.
But in incredible that when the apostle Paul is right into the Corinthians, the first one that he mentions.
That saw the Lord was Peter.
And have to do that here. But I think it, it's, it's, it's spelled out this way. If we connect that with what we have in Luke's gospel and, and, and in Mark's gospel with the message and Peter, we realize it's really significant.
So again, what does that look like? What did that? What did that interchange look like?
Well, as I said, the details of it would be conjecture for us.
However, we know the way it happens in our own life. We do know that.
And I've really enjoyed, you know, was there.
Was there awkward sciences? Was there tears? Was there confession?
Was there hurt? Look with the Lord Was there?
A really guilty presentation with Peter. We don't know, but we know how we all how we all feel when we're in this situation that Peter's just been in and we really want to be back with the Lord. And communion is not like a tap. You just can't turn it on. There has to be, as we have this morning, that repentance that works in our in our lives, and we know it did.
What I really I think the only way we can we can put it is turn to saw the 23rd sauce.
Pointers on.
We have those wonderful words in chapter in verse three of Psalm 23.
To restore my soul.
You know, I know about that.
It's happened in my life a few times.
A few 100,000.
It's happened a lot. I was impressed by.
David Livingstone, missionary to Africa If you read his biography, there was a number of.
Of miracles that he saw he was spared by from the lions here there was a number of things and it was well known of some of the miracles that transpired his life. And he was on fertile when he went from Africa and he was in England and he was at A at a Bible convention there. And they asked him to speak.
And they said, you know, we'd like to hear from you.
The most wonderful experience that you have, We've heard there's lots of miracles. Can you tell us? Give us your best shot, give us the best thing that happened to you when you were over in in Africa.
To get up on the platform just like this and he said the best.
Thing that happened to me while I was in Africa and read this verse, he said he restoreth my soul. He went established.
It's beautiful, It's beautiful. I just enjoy that in connection with Peter's personal restoration that we don't know the details of how it looks, but we've seen it in our own lives and we know all this, that it happened. We do know that it happened and that it was a full restoration. Beautiful to see that. Well, our time has come to the end. You told me how long to speak so.
Maybe just read. Let's just.
Sing One, verse 46 in the appendix.
Somebody please start that.
#46 in the appendix Eat out of the object right in fear to feel unsatisfied. The heart I hope to meet here nevermore from the depart I may undistracted be to follow, serve, and wait for somebody to raise that for us.
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See how they are.
My.
These two are.