Lessons from a Fall

1. Lessons from a Fall Mt 26:69-75

2. What a blessing it is to serve a God who forgives sin!

3. What a blessing it is to serve a God who forgives sin! • “Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you” (Acts 8:22, ESV).

4. What a blessing it is to serve a God who forgives sin! • “Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you” (Acts 8:22, ESV). • “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 Jn 2:1, ESV).

5. While God stands ready to forgive, we need to strive not to fall.

6. While God stands ready to forgive, we need to strive not to fall. • “Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!” (Rm 6:15, ESV).

7. While God stands ready to forgive, we need to strive not to fall. • “Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!” (Rm 6:15, ESV). • “Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame” (1 Cor 15:34, ESV).

8. Tonight, we wish to study Peter’s fall to see what lessons we can learn.

9. “Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, ‘You also were with Jesus the Galilean.’ But he denied it before them all, saying, ‘I do not know what you mean.’ And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, ‘This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.’ And again he denied it with an oath: ‘I do not know the man.’ After a little while

10. “the bystanders came up and said to Peter, ‘Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.’ Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, ‘I do not know the man.’ And immediately the rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, ‘Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly” (Mt 26:69-75, ESV).

11. What do we learn from peter?

12. We learn the danger of over-confidence!

13. Peter told Jesus that even if all the other apostles stumbled, he never would!

14. Peter told Jesus that even if all the other apostles stumbled, he never would! • “Then Jesus said to them, ‘You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.’ Peter answered him, ‘Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.’ Peter said to him, ‘Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!’ And all the disciples said the same” (Mt 26:31-35, ESV).

15. Peter told Jesus that even if all the other apostles stumbled, he never would! • Mt 26:31-35. • Peter really believed that he was safe from sin.

16. Peter told Jesus that even if all the other apostles stumbled, he never would! • Mt 26:31-35. • Peter really believed that he was safe from sin. • Certainly, that’s one reason that he fell so easily.

17. We need to be careful about being over-confident!

18. “Pride goes before destructions, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov 16:18, ESV).

19. “Pride goes before destructions, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov 16:18, ESV). • “Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor 10:12, ESV).

20. “Pride goes before destructions, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov 16:18, ESV). • “Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor 10:12, ESV). • If we believe we will never commit a certain sin, we will run into serious trouble.

21. We learn that sin is progressive.

22. Peter got deeper & deeper into sin.

23. Peter got deeper & deeper into sin. He was over-confident, he followed from a distance, he sat by the fire of his enemies, he denied the Lord, he cursed, & swore!

24. Sin often leads to more sin.

25. Sin often leads to more sin. • “Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (Js 1:15, ESV).

26. Sin often leads to more sin. • “Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (Js 1:15, ESV). • “Evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Tm 3:13, ESV).

27. Sin often leads to more sin. • “Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (Js 1:15, ESV). • “Evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Tm 3:13, ESV). • Once we begin on a path of sin, it’s difficult not to keep from going deeper & deeper into sin.

28. We learn that bad company leads to sin.

29. Had Peter gone on to the trial, he might never have betrayed Jesus.

30. Had Peter gone on to the trial, he might never have betrayed Jesus. • He surrounded himself with bad company & he ended up sinning.

31. We need to be careful about the company we keep.

32. We need to be careful about the company we keep. • “You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly” (Deut 7:3-4, ESV).

33. We need to be careful about the company we keep. • “You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly” (Deut 7:3-4, ESV). • “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals’ (1 Cor 15:33, ESV).

34. We learn that letting people know where we stand lessens temptation.

35. Had Peter told the others who were there where he stood, he may not have run into temptation.

36. Had Peter told the others who were there where he stood, he may not have run into temptation. • But, he was not willing to stand on conviction.

37. Had Peter told the others who were there where he stood, he may not have run into temptation. • But, he was not willing to stand on conviction. • Another time, Peter got into trouble because he wouldn’t stand on conviction.

38. “But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy” (Gal 2:11-13, ESV).

39. We need to stand firm on our convictions.

40. We need to stand firm on our convictions. • “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Cor 15:58, ESV).

41. We need to stand firm on our convictions. • “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Cor 15:58, ESV). • “Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved” (Phil 4:1, ESV).

42. We need to stand firm on our convictions. • “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Cor 15:58, ESV). • “Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved” (Phil 4:1, ESV). • Are we standing firm on our convictions.

43. We learn that the consequences of prayerlessness are horrible.

44. After Jesus prayed in the Garden, “he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, ‘So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, ‘My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.’ And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, ‘Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand’” (Mt 26:40-46, ESV).

45. Had Peter stayed awake & prayed, he likely would not have fallen into temptation.

46. Had Peter stayed awake & prayed, he likely would not have fallen into temptation. • When we stay away from prayer, we see disastrous consequences.

47. Had Peter stayed awake & prayed, he likely would not have fallen into temptation. • When we stay away from prayer, we see disastrous consequences. • “Have those who work evil no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon God?” (Ps 53:4, ESV).

48. Had Peter stayed awake & prayed, he likely would not have fallen into temptation. • When we stay away from prayer, we see disastrous consequences. • “Have those who work evil no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon God?” (Ps 53:4, ESV). • “You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask” (Js 4:2, ESV).

49. Prayerlessness is so very dangerous!

50. We learn that the consequences of fear are disastrous.