Steps that Lead to Falling – Matthew 26:69-75 – Bible study
STEPS THAT LEAD TO FALLING
Matthew 26:75
Bible Truth Web Site
INTRODUCTION: Peter a saved man, a man who walked for three years with Jesus,a man taught and trained by the Lord Himself, a man who believed and was bold in faith, failed greatly in a time of difficulty and denied the Lord. How could that happen?
- It is a fact…saved people at times and in different degreesdo fail their Lord and Savior. It would be wonderful it thiswere not so….but it is so and we should address it and understand it thoroughlythat we might not fall at Satan’s tempting.
Satan wants to devastate us to destroy us. Thebeliever is open to attack by all the forces of Hell and we must be awareof it. We must be on guard and be totally committed to doingall we can to be faithful to the Lord that we not fail.
Peter was a good candidate for failure. He wasbold and outspoken. He deeply loved the Lord and wanted to do right. He was one of the outstanding of the disciple along with John, Jameswhich made up the inter circle of Christ’s disciples. It was in aposition of leadership.
Satan laid devious plans to destroy him spiritually and renderhim a failure, and thus branding Christ’s message and ministry a failure.
Let us look at him this morning and let us understand clearlya shocking truth. If Peter could suffer such a tragic fall, so couldwe!
Let no one here who is saved by God’s Grace, say “I am safe.”
Let us understand what Peter meant in his First EpistleChapter 5:8, “…The devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someoneto devour.” Peter knew that truth first hand!
This should be a stern warning to each of us!
- A. Satan had long been lying in wait ready to perpetrate Peter’sfail. He had be watching and stalking Peter for some time priorto Peter’s fall.
- 1. No one falls in a moment. There mustbe preparation. There are always steps that lead to failure. There are many small failures that precede a great failure such as Peterexperienced.
2. It must be understood that Peter’s failurewas brought on him by himself.
Though Satan was behind working to defeat Peter, to have beensuccessful Peter must have been a collaborator.
3. Man is not made like a puppet in which variousforces act and produce certain results.
A believer does not grow and mature or backslideas a passive pawn.
A believer does not grow in the Lord and matureinto a spiritual Christian able to be used of the Lord by having a passiveattitude.
“Passiveness means submissive.”
- 1. God wanted Peter to growth spiritually, tolive a purposeful life of accomplishing many things for Christ.
2. But the enemy of the children of God, theenemy of God, Satan is inflamed by the sight of spiritual growth…..andwith increased rage he launched a brutal attack against Peter.
- “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desiredto have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee,that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” Luke 22:31-32
1. Jesus also prayed for Peter. Yet Peterstill failed.
2. Did you note Luke 22:32? Peter hada task, to strengthen and be an example to the others. Satan was wellaware of Christ’s purposes to use Peter.
3. Peter had walked with the Lord. Hoursearlier had spent a blessed time in the Upper room with Christ Jesus at theLast Supper.
- But these experiences with Christ did not makehim invulnerable to Satan’s attacks!
On the contrary….they exposed him to the possibilityof new dangers.
Folks that is Satan’s prime moment! Hewaits for one to develop such and unhealthy attitude.
- 1. It was the spirit of spiritual pride and selfconfidence that led to his fall.
2. When Jesus that evening warned thatthey would be tempted Peter’s ego took over and he proclaimed, “Never me,Lord.” He even went so far as to say, “Lord the other disciples mayfail you, but never me!” [Matt. 26:31-35]
- 1. Peter was comparing himself with the otherdisciples and judging himself superior!
2. Folks this is a fatal error. There isonly one standard of comparison for the believer! That comparisonis with Jesus Christ. There is not other!!
3. Do not think you are something because youare not as bad as someone else. The correct standard and questionsis this: “Am I like Christ Jesus my Savior.”
To much the world is deceived by Satan todayto accept a different standard that the Bible gives.
- “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformedto the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”Romans 8:29
5. Peter separated himself from the others andthought himself greater spiritually that they.
Peter was bold in his testimony for Christ. He was steadfast….yet he was the one who fell.
- Peter could whisper to each of us, “Be careful, my brother-mysister, for that’s how I started to that evening. I started with aboast about my spiritual strength, and suddenly I found myself denying byMaster and Lord!”
- A. All the disciples had come to the garden together exceptJudas who was busy arranging the betrayal.
- 1. Jesus then selected three of the men and went to a remote corner of the garden. Peter was among them.
2. They were the closest to the Lord. In Christ’s hour of great need as He agonized over the coming Cross, he asked them to be with Him.
3. He prayed in earnest to the Father, as they slept.
He was kind and understanding. He said, “the spirit is willing butthe flesh is weak.”
- 1. The flesh is weak, yet Christ had told themto pray. They gave in the flesh and went to sleep. Folks ourphysical bodies can lead us to fail. It can happen when we are tried. When we are under pressure. When some hurts us.
2. Would Jesus have ask them something that wasbeyond their ability to do? Surely not!
3. They could have but did not. Peter neededprayer, Jesus knew it and told him…but Peter refused.
4. In a few short hours Peter would need thestrength that prayer would have given him, yet when the hour came Peter wasunprepared.
- 1. We can proclaim, but I am a child of God…Godwill protect me!!
2. But dear friend, the way God protects is ingiving us prayer, His word, principles to life by. Strength comesin doing, in following, in experiencing and by this learning and receivingthe strength of God.
3. You must appropriate the power of God. If you do not do as Christ says the power is not available to you
4. Too many professing Christians put everythingbefore the Lord. Colossians 1:18 says that in all things Christ mighthave the preeminence….yet for many serving the Lord is a matter ofconvenience.
Sunday is the Lord’s day for Christians to worship, but likerebellious Israel many often cannot take the time to give the Lord one day of theseven He gives us. Israel had a rebellious heart and would not obeythe Lord. One symptom was they would not keep the Sabbaticalyears. God said to set aside the land every seven years. Hesaid in the six year the harvest would be bountiful and enough for the sevenyear. Israel could not see it. There was money to be made, therewere things to do, they could not obey the Lord. Can we not see thatthis was a test of their truth faithfulness to the Lord. They failedand spent 70 years in captivity because of it.
What is the price of our unfaithfulness? What is the result in our lives of putting things before God? Failureto live righteous lives….which simply means doing what is right and bestpays bitter dues. Failure is no fun dear friend.
- A. Peter started out unprepared. Pride, lack of prayer,lack of faithfulness and commitment to the Lord set the stage for Peter’sdenial of Christ and for his great fall.
- 1. Matt. 26:58, states that Peter follow theLord, but at a distance.
How many believers follow the Lord at a distance? Would it not be better to be by His side? Yet, oftenwhen difficulty comes we back off in a lack of faith.
2. This was the same man who proclaimed, “othersmay deny you but I never will.” Peter had said that he wouldfollow the Lord even to death, I will not be absent from you side.
- Paul speaking to the Galatians said, “Ye did run well; whodid hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?” Doyou note that the verse says the once were faithful and doing well, but nowthey were not obeying the truth. That is the way is always happens.
3. Yet, here Peter was following, but at a distance.
4. How sad so many believers, choose to followJesus “at a distance”. No they do not leave Christ, they can not breakthe relationship, yet they take precautions to maintain a safe distance,least they be called on to sacrificially serve the Lord.
5. To follow Christ puts the believer at manytimes in opposition to the sinful world around them. The world hatesJesus. They hate truth. They do not look favorable on those whowould live for Christ and stand for truth.
Christians know this……thus many want the blessing of eternallife….but are not comfortable getting to close to the Lord. They cannot seem to surrender to Him completely and for what ever reasonswill not get too close.
The reasons they do not want Him too close is because it exposestheir unfaithfulness to the Lord. Their sins come between themand the Lord and therefore the are most miserable of people. Not comfortablein the world, not comfortable close to the Savior.
6. Mark 14:54 says that Peter warmed himselfat the fire in the court yard. How that is a picture of so manytoday. Making themselves comfortable while the evil world judgesChrist and tries to destroy Him.
Many to a degree remain close to the world and they are lookingback at it not wanting to lose all its worldly and destructive pleasures.
- A. Peter made his final contribution to his denial of Christby telling a lie.
- 1. One part of the lie was he told the servantgirl who if he was a not a disciple of Christ. He was!
2. Peter’s second lie was being outside by thefire he was with the enemies of the Lord, and he tried as best he could toact as if what was going on inside did not matter to him. It did!Matt 26:69-74
- 1. Peter had cooperated with Satan so well, sodiligently that he made his own fall almost unavoidable!
2. Soon the rooster crowed and it was over. He had denied the one who loved him and would soon died for his sins.
3. As the first maid asked him if he waswith Christ he could have stopped, he could have repented and been the faithfulservant of God he had claimed to be….but he did not.
4. The second maid asks him the same questionand again he has a chance to turn from his sin….yet he does not.
- The third time, Peter angrily cursed and swore denying thathe knew Christ. Those there knew the truth….they said his speechbetrayed him. You can not live with the Son of God three years andnot have a change in your speech.
The awful hurt and bitterness that he felt as he fully realizedwhat he had done.
- 1. Peter’s tears were tears of repentance. Peter knewhow terrible he had failed… He did not try to hide it, or deny it…hewas guilty and he repented for his great sin.
- I’m happy this message does not end here! I’m happythe story is not over because failure need not be the end for the believerwho would repent.
I am amazed at the love of God. We fail Him, yet Hislove for us is not swayed and He remains true to us. Even when wegive up He never does. He remains faithful and will not forsake us. He stands ready with open arms, with scolding, ready to forgive andrestore us to a close relationship with Himself. That is our AlmightyGod and Savior…..what a wonder He is!
2. Is it not interesting that after Jesus arose fromthe Grave, He visited Peter. Yet, even this visit did not keep Peterfrom failure.
3. A second time Christ came to Peter, as Peter again had failedand gone back to fishing. (John 21:14-19).
Jesus appeared to Peter and three times instructed him, Feedby lambs, Feed my sheep. (John 21:14) Why did he tell Peterto go and feed His sheep? Peter was a failure wasn’t he. Hecertainly deserved no ministry from the Lord. Yet, Christ told him…feedmy sheep.
4. God forgave Peter the most serious and great denial. He loved Peter and mighty used Peter. He had a will for Peter’s life.In Peter’s great failure….Christ was magnified. Peter’s firstsermon, 3000 souls were saved.
- Later, God used him to heal the sick. and He continued fromthen on faithful to the Lord. Peter did die and he wasmartyred being hung on a cross upside down. With God’s helpPeter overcame the problems and was faithful to the Lord even to death.
- Is there pride in you heart…do you think you are above failure…doyou consider yourself spiritual.
Do you fail to pray and spend time with Him…oh if so youare on a precarious road that may end in a great failure.
Do you think more highly of yourself that you ought to? Do you look at others and see yourself as more spiritual and deserving thanthese?
Do you follow Christ a far off?? Not close enough tobe by his side. Are you not fully committed to Him.
You may have already fallen…you may have denied your Lord.
Folks God will forgive. Turn this day, the moment fromyour course set for you by Satan who would destroy you in a second.
Will you? God awaits your answer. He waitsto see your tears of repentance.
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