Peter: The Disciple with Egg on His Face

turn to Luke chap 22 Luke chapter 22 one of the hard things when you're doing a series is do you break up your series when there's special days and so do I stop the series to preach about Thanksgiving or do I go ahead and preach on the series and I decided to go ahead and continue the series and uh because we're going to be stopping some of the series during Christmas time obviously and uh we'll have a message on Thanksgiving tonight as we have our prayer praise and Pie Fellowship together but today I want to continue on the series of the dirty deser talking about the 12 disciples and how that God used men that were basically had a lot of flaws a lot of cracks so to speak they were cracked

up if you want to put it that way and yet God used them and so uh we're going to talk about today one of the disciples that is we're going to talk about Peter and uh we're going to talk about Peter the disciple if you look at Luke chapter 22 and beginning with verse number 31 it says the Lord said Simon Simon remember Simon is another name for Peter behold sayith say Satan hasth desired to have you that he may shift you as wheat but I prayed for thee that thy faith fail not and when thou are converted strengthen thy Brethren and he said unto him Lord I am ready to go with thee both into prison and to death and he said I tell thee Peter the shall not Crow this day before that thou Hast Thrice

denied that thou knowest me Peter was the strong one of the strongest disciples in many ways had a great personality was a leader and yet Peter if I had to describe him I would say Peter was the disciple with egg on his face all the time now you've all heard that statement for egg on the face and I thought I'd visually illustrate that for you so I'm going to take Peter out of the eggs right here and I'm going to smash it on somebody's face and you all heard how Zeke was making fun of my jokes this week and last week as well and he also said something about me being old with my birthday and so Zeke would you come on up here and we're going to show you what it means to have egg on your face

here all right so come on up here Zeke and we're going to go ahead and do this ah I can't do it I love Zeke I'm not going to do it there so I'm G let you off this time but no more no more making fun of my jokes all right all right all right there you go but you know Peter is just this an interesting character he was the first among the disciples look at it well you I can read this to you Matthew 10:2 one of the list disciples it says now the names of the 12 Apostles of the the first Simon who is called Peter so he was first in the disciples he was first in every list he was first of disciples he wasn't first in order though there was other disciples that are actually chosen before him but

the word first here means he was Chief among disciples so Peter was kind of the designated leader he was the one that Jesus turned to for leadership among disciples he was the one that naturally by his personality and his abilities took that leadership but he was not the first to come to Jesus if you'll turn over to John chapter 1 John chap 1 and verses 40-42 it says in John chapter 1 verse number 40 one of the two which heard John speak and followed him was Andrew Simon Peter's brother he first finded his own brother Simon sayth him we found the Messiahs which is being interpreted the Christ so his brother came to know the Lord Before Peter did and he went first to find his brother he says

I want a I want Peter to know about Jesus and found his brother let me ask you a question who is it that you need to find it says that Andrew first found his own brother Simon and then if you'll skip down to verse number 45 it says and Nathaniel who is the next one to come to know the Lord said unto him can there any good thing to come out of Nazareth Philip say to him come and see so Philip got saved and he said I've got to go find my best friend Nathaniel and and bring him to Christ as well and I wonder who is it that you need to find to bring to Jesus in Luke 14: 23 and the Lord said the servant go out to the highways and hedges and compel them to come in that my house may be filled we're

coming into the season when the world is thinking about who Jesus is and when we celebrate the birth of Christ and this is a great opportunity for every one of you in this room to find someone that I can give a track to someone that I can give a gospel witness to somebody that I can invite to church someone that I can bring to Jesus it may be a family member like Andrew and Peter it may be a a best friend like Philip and Nathaniel it it maybe some other uh person that you know that you God would put on your heart that this is the person that I need to bring to Jesus who do you need to find now the problem with a lot of people think well you know I I don't know if I have all the answers

though what what if I tell them about Jesus and I I can't answer their questions well neither Andrew or Philip had all the questions they had just found Jesus they didn't have all the answers in fact look at verse number 42 and he brought him to Jesus see simply what we need to do is we need to bring people to Jesus because he's the one that's got all the answers skip down to verse number 45 Philip said Philip find Nathaniel and say then we found him of whom Moses and the law and the prophets did right Jesus nazare son of Joseph and Nathaniel said un him can there be any good thing come out of Nazareth Philip say to him come and see you may not have all of the answers but if you know enough

how to be saved you know enough to tell someone else how to be saved just tell them what God did for you tell them what you found in Jesus and bring them to Jesus where they can find him for themselves as well in 1 Peter CH 3:1 15 it says but sanctify the Lord God in your your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that's in you with meekness and fear we ought to always be looking for people that we can bring to Jesus we ought to be always going out to find someone that I can give a track to that I can invite the church that I can share my testimony with that I can tell them about the Lord and bring them to Jesus we need to be doing that

wherever we are see Peter wasn't the first one to come to Christ his brother Andrew brought him to Jesus now Peter seemed to be the most important disciple in the Bible Peter's name he's mentioned 191 times now you compare that to lebius how many of you know who leus is he's actually one of the the apostles we get confused because he's given three different names he's called lebius and thus and Jew you know he's got three different names there and and and yet he is only mentioned three times and then there's Judas not a scariot Judas there was two judases in the apostles list there was Judas scariot the one who betrayed Jesus and then there was the other Judas in fact that was how he was

known Judas not a scariot Judas the other guy and and they weren't so well known but Peter is mentioned 191 times in the Bible look at Galatians Chapter 2 and look at verses 6 through1 Galatians Chapter 2 and beginning with verse number six gal aans 2: 6 says but of these who seemed to be somewhat whatsoever they were it maketh no matter to me God accepted no man's person for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me but contrarywise when they saw that the gospel the uncircumcision was committed unto me as the gospel of the circumcision unto Peter and and for that he wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision the same was mighty in me toward

the Gentiles and when James and sephus and John who seemed to be pillars perceived the grace that was given unto me they gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of Fellowship that we should be uh go onto the Heathen and that they the onto the circumcision only would that we should remember the poor the same which I also was forward to do so Paul is saying well these guys seem to be the important people Peter John uh these Apostles James they were the they were the big wigs they were the ones that were important and sometimes we look at people say well that person seems to be important and sometimes it may seem like well I'm not important I'm not like Peter I'm not like Paul I'm not one of

those guys that's important but the Bible says in 1 Corinthians chapter 12: 22 and 23 n much more those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary and those members of the body which think they be less honorable upon these we bestow more abundant honor and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness he said sometimes the problem is sometimes we think we're not important but God says you know what the parts of the body that seem not important they can be very important you want to know how important your little finger is hit it with a hammer you'll find out how important it is there there are many parts of our body that don't seem important but they have a purpose

they have a reason for being and every one of us is important to the work of the Lord Peter seemed like he was important and sometimes important people can think of themselves more highly than they ought to think go to Galatians chapter 6 Galatians chapter 6 and I think this was sometimes a a struggle for Peter as he he began to believe his own publicity he began to think that I I am the most important Apostle I'm the most important guy in the room and we see that by some of his actions and in Galatians chapter 6 in beginning with verse number one it says Brethren if a man be overtaken The Vault you which are spiritual restore such one a spirit of meekness considering thyself lest thou also

be tempted bury one his burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ now listen next part for if a man think himself is something when he's nothing he deceives himself but let every man prove his own work and then shall he have rejoiced in himself alone and not in another for a man shall bear his own burden sometimes we begin to think of ourselves as more important than we really are and this is one of the things that that Peter struggled with with Peter had some some great natural talents or abilities he was a leader he was a strong willed person he was a take charge kind of guy he was a a great speaker there was a lot of good qualities about him and and I think what happened is sometimes Peter

would rely on his natural talents and abilities rather than rely on the Lord in Jeremiah 1: 4 and 5 it says then the word of the Lord came unto me saying before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee and before thou CEST out of the womb I Sanctified thee and ordained thee a prophet of the Nations every one of us in this room the Bible tells us in Psalms 139 at the very moment that you were conceived God was in control that he gave you the DNA that you have he gave you your personality he gave you your talents he gave you your abilities and those are all not you it's of the Lord and sometimes when we have a a talent or natural ability sometimes we'll begin to think of ourselves more highly

than we ought to think and we'll think well I can do it in my own strength and I can do it my own power and and sometimes we forget that we need God and we rely on ourselves and that was one of Peter's struggles throughout his ministry throughout his life is that he sometimes would rely on himself instead of relying on God and he forgot that that even those natural talents and abilities that he had were given to him of God so Peter had to learn how to Humble himself go over to John chap 21 John chap 21 and look at verses 15-19 John CH 21 and beginning with verse number 15 you remember now that uh Peter had denied Christ at uh before he was crucified and then uh he had run away and hid and

and and Jesus was crucified and buried and rose again and some of the other disciples saw him before je Peter did finally he revealed himself to Peter and the other disciples in the upper room and then right after that Peter said I'm I'm going fishing he he was even though he'd seen the resurrection savior he felt so much like a failure because he had denied Christ he didn't think God could ever use him again and so he's going to go back to his old profession of fishing and then Jesus revealed himself we talked about that in another message and and uh and this is at that point now that Jesus is speaking to him and and look at verse number 15 of John chapter 21 so when they had DED Jesus say

to Simon Peter Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me more than these he saith to him L yeay Lord thou knowest that I love thee he saith to him feed my Lambs he sayth to him again the second time Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me he saith to him yeay Lord thou knowest that I love thee he saith and feed my sheep he said him the third time Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time lovest thou me and he said unto him Lord thou knowest all things I knowest that I love thee Jesus said I'm feed my sheep now one of the things you need to understand In this passage is that in in the Greek language there's two different words used for love Jesus said Peter

do you agape love me remember the word Agape is the giving sacrificial love like God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son in Romans 5'8 but God commendeth or showed his love towards us in that wer yet sinners Agape Love is a love that's given unconditionally as given sacrificially he given out of the heart of the person giving it and every time Jesus would say Peter do you agape love me and you know what Peter's answer was yay Lord I fileo you fileo love is where we get our word Philadelphia from the City of Brotherly Love fileo Love is a responsive love he was saying yay Lord I respond in love towards you and the reason that was because Peter couldn't say I Unconditionally

Love You Because he denied the Lord I I think he was feeling guilty I would think he was feeling like a failure he's feeling like all my natural talents and abilities didn't keep me serving the lord like I should loving him like I should and he he was grieved he got that third time he was asked do you love me he was just like Lord I I love you but he just couldn't bring himself to give that agape love he had to Humble himself in 1 Peter chter 5 and verse number six it says humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time folks let me tell you something either we learn how to Humble ourselves or God will humble us and folks I'd rather humble myself

than have God have to Humble me because when God humbles you you're humbled and one of the things that Peter hadn't learned yet was how to Humble himself how to remember it's not me it's God and so this is a lesson that Peter had to learn to Humble himself and and even there he struggled with it even right after after Jesus said Peter do you love me three different times you know what Peter does next look at John chapter 21 look at verse number 20 then Peter turning about seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following which also leaned on his breast at supper and said Lord which is he which is he that betrayeth thee Peter seeth him saith to jesuslord and what shall this man do Jesus said un

him if I will that he T till I come what is that to thee follow thou me Jesus asked Peter three times do you love me he told Peter you're going to die a very difficult death you're going to have by die as a martyr and then instead of just saying Lord I love you and whatever you want me to do what's he do well what about him that old nature kind of came out again didn't it and sometimes we struggle with that old nature do we not and no matter how talented you are and no matter how much you think you can handle things you need to learn to humble yourself and realize I'm not as strong as I think I am that old sin nature it just keeps wanting to take control even when I I believe Peter was

sincere Lord I love you I love you I love you but then it'll let you say but what about him and so often we let that old nature take control instead of trusting God see Peter he was the chief among the disciples yet he struggled with that old sin nature and Peter also struggled with a very difficult disease called foot and mouth disease you ever had that problem you ever had the time where you just stuck your foot right in your mouth Peter did that over and over again look at Luke Chapter n Luke chapter 9 and vers 43- 45 Luke chapter 9 and beginning with verse number 43 down through verse number 45 and they were all amazed at the mighty power of God but while they wondered every one of the

all things which Jesus did he said to disciples let these sayings sink down into your ears for the son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men but they understood not the saying it was hid from them that they perceived it not and they feared to ask him of that saying so the disciples all the disciples like we talked about in the previous message they struggled with understanding they were with Jesus for over a year and a half they heard all the preach and they saw all the Miracles and they still struggled I mean they saw 4,000 fed and then when it was 5,000 and when it was 4,000 they thought what what are we going to do they heard Jesus talk about how he's going to die and be buried

and raised again and and they said no Lord you can't do that they just struggled with understanding the Lord for some reason they just didn't get it including Peter now Peter at least did ask in Matthew 15: 15- 16 it says then answered Peter and said unto him declare unto this the parable I said the other week There's no there's no question the only dumb question is the one not asked and that's true but yet look how Jesus responded to Peter Peter said Lord explained to us the parable and the next verse it says and Jesus said are you also yet without understanding so Jesus actually rebuked him for asking a question maybe that's why they were afraid to ask because uh Peter asked and he got

kind of rebuked for it but you know Jesus was saying to him listen are you guys just not listening are you not hearing what I say I I can understand this frustration because as a pastor I see people come to church week after week after week and I'm preaching the word of God and and yet it seems like it makes no difference in their lives they just kind of leave it here at church and go home and nothing changes and and Jesus rebuked Peter because even when he asked the question maybe it was because he just wasn't really listening go over to Hebrews chapter 5 Hebrews chapter 5 and look at verses 11-4 Hebrews chapter 5 beginning with verse number 11 of whom we have many things to say and hard to

be uttered saying you're dull of hearing for when for the time you ought to be teachers you have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of of the orles of God and it become such as a need a milk and not a strong meat for everyone that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness for he's a babe but strong meat belong to them their full age even those who by reason of use have their senses exercise discern both good and evil at the time you ought to be teachers you have need that one teach you again we're having to go back through the basics over and over and over again and some of you in this room is it's frustrating because you've heard these things you you've

heard what God says you've heard what the word says and yet it's not make any difference in your life and and and that's kind of where Peter was Peter why are you asking this question I've already answered it for you I've already told you this again and again and again and yet you're not getting it and Peter even when he did the right thing he still got it wrong in in Matthew chapter 16 Jesus said who do people say that I am and Peter you know he's always the first one to speak up in class you know and Peter yells out you're the Christ the son of the Living God and and Jesus comes up and puts his hand around him says Peter that's right you got it right and upon this statement I'm going to

build my church he just praised Peter and patted on back and what a great feeling that is when you get the answer right isn't it isn't a great blessing when you when you know you got it right and Peter got it right but what happened just a few verses later Jesus started saying how he's going to die and be buried and rais again and Peter grabs hold and said no Lord you can't die and Jesus says get the behind me Satan in the very time just moments after he got it all right he got it all wrong I mean this is Peter now folks understand sincerity is not enough in Proverbs 14:12 it says there is a way which seeth right unto man but the end there of the ways of death and I hear this all the time

people will say you know it doesn't matter what you believe as long as you believe it does matter what you believe you can believe that the gun's not loaded but when the trigger's pulled doesn't matter what you believe you're going to die you see it does matter what you believe and sincerity alone is not enough and Peter was he sincere when he said no Lord you can't die he was as sincere as you could be he didn't want Jesus to die but he was sincerely wrong Jesus what started this whole process was Jesus said who do people say that I am and they said well some think you're John the Baptist some think you're Elijah some think here and he said well who do you say that I am and so that's the

question I would ask you today who do you say that Jesus is you see Jesus is not good and he is God the Bible says in Mark 10:18 Jesus said why callest thou me good there's none good but one that is God Jesus clearly claimed to be God and if he's not God then he is not good you take God out of good and you have nothing left Jesus is the only way to heaven John 14:6 I the way the truth and the life no man cometh on the father but by me do you believe that Jesus is the only way of Sal salvation that these the only one in John chapter 14 Thomas ask the the Lord he says I want to see the father he says if you've seen me you've seen the father and and he gets down and says here's the way and he

answers the question I am that way it's only by me that you can come to God the Father do you believe that Jesus is who he said he was that he's the savior of the world the son of God the one who died upon the cross was buried and rose again in Romans chap 10: 9- 10 it says that if thou shal confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and Shall Believe in thine heart that God has raised the dead Thou shalt be saved for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation in Romans 10:13 it says for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved who do you believe that Jesus is have you believed upon him as your personal savior have you

confessed with your mouth and believed in your heart that he is the only way the truth and the life it's only through him you can have salvation you see Jesus had to die Peter said no Lord you can't die he understand if Jesus did not die upon the cross there is no salvation without the death and the barel resurrection there is no hope for you and and I our hope is in the gospel the good news our hope is in what Jesus did upon the cross for us he had to die go over to Matthew chapter 7 Matthew chapter 7 there are a lot of people who are very sincere but they are very sincerely wrong there are people who are sincere in their religion they're sincere in their beliefs they're sincere in what

they do but Matthew chapter 7 beginning verse number 21 says not everyone that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter in the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven many will say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out Devils thy name done many wonderful works and then oh I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity here were people that were so sincere they were doing wonderful works in the name of Jesus but all their Works were not enough for their salvation you can be sincere and be sincerely lost in 1 John chapter 5 we often quote verses 12 and 13 but let me let me read you

what it says in verse number 10 in 1 John chapter 5 it says in verse number 10 he says he that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness himself he that believeth not God hath made him a liar because he believeth not the record that God gave of his son and this is the record that God had given to us eternal life and this life is in his son he that hath a son hath life he that hath not the Son of God hath not life these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the son of God that you may know that you have eternal life that you may believe on the name of the son of God let me say something you can know for sure you're going to heaven I have people say well how can you

know that that's arrogant to think you can know you're going to heaven you know how I know it because God said it and he's not a liar it's that simple and when you say I can't know that I'm going to heaven you're calling God a liar when you say I don't need Jesus as my savior you're calling God a liar when you're saying my religion is good enough you're calling God a liar and that's not a good thing to do when Peter grabbed hold Jesus said no Lord you can't die Jesus said get thee behind me Satan you need to believe in the gospel in Jesus Christ as your savior because when you believe in anything else you're saying Jesus is not enough and Titus Chapter 3 and verse 5 it says not by works of

righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost it's not by works of righteousness it's not Jesus plus religion it's not Jesus plus baptism it's not Jesus plus anything it's Jesus his death his burial his resurrection you need to call upon him as your personal savior who do you believe Jesus is don't let the Simplicity of the Gospel confuse you in 2 Corinthians 11:3 and 4 it says but I fear lest by any means as a serpent beg galed Eve through his subtlety so your mind should be corrupted from the simplicities in Christ for he that cometh preaches another Jesus whom we had not preached or receive another

Spirit which we have not received or another gospel which you have not accepted you might well be bear with him he said listen don't be confused by the Simplicity of the Gospel it is simple to get saved but it was not simple for God to give his only begotten son it was not simple for Jesus to be crucified and bear the sins of the world upon his shoulders and to be buried and raised again there's nothing simple about the gospel in what God did but there's everything simple about the gospel what you and I can do by trusting is our savior Peter he struggled with asking questions but asked the wrong questions he struggled with saying the right thing but then saying the wrong thing he also

struggled with pointing out the obvious in Mark chapter 11 veres 20- 22 it says in the morning as they passed by they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots and I remember earlier in the day they'd walk by this tree and everything the tree you you know some if you can look at a tree you can say there's there going to be fruit on that tree you can T it well they got to the Fig Tree and they supposed to have fruit and had nothing and Jesus cursed the tree he said that tree is going to die it's it's done because it didn't have fruit and uh and and so they go back by the tree and and it says in Peter calling to remember sayith unto him Master behold the Fig Tree which thou curs curses is

withered away he he thought he's going to get a Pat in the back for this he thought look at Jesus the tree that you said was going to die it died and what was Jesus answer and Jesus answered and said un him um I'm sorry Jesus answered and say to him have faith in God he said Peter why are you surprised why are you surprised I said I was going to do this why is this surprising you you should have faith in God in Mark 11:14 it says Jesus answered and said and no man eat fruit of the Hereafter forever and his disciples heard it they heard exactly what Jesus said and yet they didn't believe Peter just it just would miss the lesson in John chapter 15 verses 1 and two it says I am the True Vine

and my father is the husbandman every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit he purges it may bring forth more fruit Jesus had taught that in a parable then he gives a visual representation of what he did to the tree and Peter's still like what was that all about you know he just didn't get it and then the third thing about Peter is even when he got it right he still got it wrong you remember the story of Peter Walking In The Water right remember how he had in Matthew chapter 14 the storm came and Jesus walking to the disciples in the water they were scared I mean these were fishermen and they were scared they were going to drown and then they

see Jesus walking across the water and Peter God blessed him he says Lord if it's really used tell me to walk under water and I'll come out to you you and he did he walked in the water but then he took his eyes off the Lord and he started seeking and and a lot of times you hear well you got to commend PE Peter at least he had Faith to walk in the water the other disciples didn't and you think that that would be worth something wouldn't you but what was Jesus response turn over to Matthew chapter 14 with me Matthew chapter 14 I want you to look at verse number Matthew 14 and um we're going to go down towards the end of that section and it says that uh Jesus had come and when Peter was come

down verse number 29 out of the ship he walked in the water to go to Jesus when he saw the wind boisterous he was afraid and beginning to sink he cried saying Lord save me and immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him and said unto him now you think the Lord would say Okay Peter good job at least trying he says oh thou of little faith wherefore did thou doubt you see sometimes we think we're doing really good and God says no you're not doing as good as you think you are and Peter even when he got it right said if if it's really you Lord you're going to make you're going to help me to walk in the water but he still did not have that Faith to follow through then we look a

little further in Matthew chapter 18 and verses 21- 22 and and Jesus again speaking here and look at verse 21 Matthew 18:21 it says then came Peter to him and said Lord how often shall I my brother sin against me and I forgive him till seven times I mean he was kind of proud of himself Lord how should should I forgive him seven times and Jesus answered and saith un him I say unto you until seven times uh till seven times but until 70 times seven now Peter thinks he's being spiritual I'll forgive him seven times the Lord said that's not enough in fact later on in John chapter 17 he tells the disciples again to forgive their brother seven times in one day for the same things and what was the

disciples response to that John 17:5 it says and the apostles said the Lord increase our faith sometimes we think I've got I'm I'm really doing good in this area of faith God says well let's see if you're really doing well and sometimes we need to be challenged to increase our faith Peter thought I'm so spiritual I'll forgive him seven times Jesus said that's not enough multiply that by 70 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse number one says furthermore then we beseech you Brethren exhort you by the Lord Jesus that you received us how you ought to walk and to please God so you would abound more and more listen folks don't ever get to a place you think you're doing good enough when you think

you're doing good enough and loving your spouse when you think you're doing good enough in this area or that area of your Christan Christian life you are now backsliding God says no matter how good you're doing you can do better you can abound more and more and Peter thought I'm being so spiritual and yet he wasn't in the area of worship go over Mark chapter n Mark chapter 9 look at verses 2-8 and after six days Jesus take with him Peter and James and John and led them up to a high mountain apart by themselves and he was transfigured before them remember the story the mount Transfiguration and the shik glory of God comes down they're they're there with u Elias and Moses and what's Peter's

response to all this instead of falling on his face and worshiping God when he sees the glory of God what does he do look at verse number five and Peter answered and said to Jesus Master it is good for us to be here and let's make the three Tabernacles i instead of Falling Down To Worship the Lord he's thinking about making some tense so often we come to church and we miss the most important thing and that's we're here to worship god did you worship God today did you actually lift up your heart and worship to the Lord today because if you missed that you missed everything and Peter missed an opportunity to Worship the Lord now later on he talks about that he talks about how that uh we I was

there when the glory of God came down I saw all that but he says I I have something even better than that I have the sure word of Prophecy the word of God In Prayer in Matthew chapter 26 Jesus right before he's crucified remember he said he asked just a few discipl would you come with me and pray with me and what did they do they fell asleep and Jesus wakes them up says can you not stay awake for one hour and pray with me and he went off again and they fell asleep again he couldn't even pray and Jesus says in Matthew chap 26:41 watch and pray that you enter not into temptation the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak in Luke 18:1 and he spake a parable onto this to and that ought

always to pray and not to Fain let me ask you a question how much have you prayed this week I know I failed the Lord so many times in this area then one of the thing that Peter got right but he got wrong is what we started with and that's when the Lord said you're going to deny me and what did Peter do he denied him three times even with swear words he denied the Lord but he said ' no Lord I'll never deny you I'll die for you folks let me say something it's easier to die for Jesus than it is to live for Jesus because if you die for Jesus you're in heaven and that's good and it's easy to say I die for Jesus and I hear people say that but you're not living for Jesus you know what's hard is to

get up every day and live for God to be faithful to the Lord to be faithful to church be faithful reading your Bible to be faithful in prayer don't tell Jesus you'll die for him until you've learned how to live for him Romans 121:2 I beseech you therefore Brethren by the mercies of God that you present your body as a Living Sacrifice holy acceptable on him which is your reasonable service and be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove was that good and acceptable and perfect will of God Jesus is not looking for people to die for him as much as he's looking for people to live for him would you be one of those people Peter was the chief of

the disciples he was named more than any other disciples in the Bible he talked more than all the other disciples put together and yet he struggled you know what that does that encourages me if God could use a Peter maybe there's hope for me but it also challenges me do I need more faith do I need to pray maybe I think I'm doing pretty good when I'm not doing so good maybe I think I got it all figured out when I don't have it all figured out maybe I need to do better and not be satisfied with what I'm doing