Sermon Cloud

Conflict and Community:

Saying No About God

Luke 22:54-62

Introduction

      Jesus is nearing the end of his life, and things are beginning to unravel.  A couple of weeks ago, we looked at Judas’ betrayal of Jesus and we talked about the tragedy of being betrayed by a friend… but what do you do when you are the one who does the betraying? 

      Most people long for the approval of others.  It’s a great feeling when we know that someone is proud of us, when someone validates us.  It makes us think we’re worth something.  This is powerful—so powerful in fact that for some people, their happiness is based on whether they sense the approval of others.  I struggle with this personally.  Do you?  If I begin to think I’m on the outs with someone, I begin to invent all kinds of fiction in my head, re-interpreting my whole relationship history with them—they never really liked me, they were just acting nice. 

      The uneasiness grows and grows until I finally get the chance to bring something up, and it comes out that I misunderstood them.  Then life is good again.

      But what do you do when you really fail someone else?  When their disapproval isn’t fiction, but it’s based on something you did, or failed to do?  When was the last time you failed someone else?  Or failed God?

      Last week, we saw Jesus teaching us how to say no to God in prayer.  This story is about Peter saying no about God to others (hence, the title of the sermon).  In his denial of God, he invites us to see how we handle this sense of failure in our lives.  As we see Peter’s failure, we’re going to see three things today:

I. When Good People Fail, II. When You Can’t Come Back, III. When Others Can’t Come Back

1. When Good People Fail

      Peter has declared his allegiance to Jesus just three scenes ago.  V33 “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”  but here he completely fails.

      The pressure has been mounting for Peter.  V54 Jesus is arrested and brought to the high priest’s house.  Peter demonstrates his own courage and bravery in that he followed the crowd, wanting to stay close.  Maybe he was looking for the chance to do something.  He even got into the house of the high priest where Jesus’ trial would be.  These houses typically were built in a square, with a large open courtyard in the middle.  Peter entered the house grounds, and was with the crowd gathered in the courtyard.  It was the middle of the night, so a fire was built to ward off the cold.  Peter came near the fire.  Most likely, he was a mixture of courage and fear… and unfortunately for Peter, the fear won out.  As the pressure began to heat up, Peter’s heart melted like wax.

      V56—A servant girl was staring at him, and then figured it out:  “This man was with him.”  But he denied knowing Jesus, v57 “Woman, I don’t know him.”  Public pressure is heating up, Peter is wilting.  He’s trying to stick close to Jesus while remaining incognito.

      V58—“You are one of them.”  V59, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”  His accent gave him away.  But Peter denied Jesus a 2^nd and 3^rd time, v58 “Man, I am not [one of them].”  V60 “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” 

      There’s an interesting escalation of Peter’s three denials.  He denies his relationship with Jesus (“I don’t know him.”)  Then he denies his relationship with his fellow disciples—the community of Jesus’ followers (“I am not one of them.”)  Then he denies any knowledge of being a part of Jesus’ ministry (“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”). 

      Peter has been transformed by Jesus, he was given a whole new identity, a radically new direction for his life.  He had done miracles, cast out demons, healed people, he was given new hope and joy—a whole new life, and he was giving other people this same new hope and joy and new life.  But here, under the mounting pressure, he throwing his whole history with Jesus away. 

      This is exactly the same pattern that we experience when we deny Jesus.  We deny our relationship to Jesus, then our particpationg in the church community, then our new identity.  This denial process changes who we are and what we do.

      Where are we with this?  I know that I’ve failed Jesus.  Christians fail Jesus in two main ways.  First, we are like Peter and we fail to be honest about our relationship with God.  Have you ever denied knowing Jesus?  What he has done for you?  How he has made you a different person?  Usually, people don’t tend to outright deny Jesus, they are more often guilty of not speaking up when they think they should.

      Second, we can fail Jesus by being obnoxious or annoying about our faith.  This is the other end of the spectrum.  Someone who is always pushing their faith on others.  I think this can be a denial of Jesus. 

      I’ve done both of these things—failed to speak up, and (more often) I’ve been that obnoxious, know-it-all Christian telling everyone else God’s will for their life. 

      Here’s the balance God is looking for from us:  We should want his approval more than anyone else.  And we should love people so much that we share our own faith in a way that helps them to understand it and be blessed by it.

      Non Christians also fail Jesus, sometimes without even knowing it.  Some of you live your lives as though Jesus didn’t need to come at all.  He didn’t have to go through this suffering and betrayal, his crucifixion and death.  Though he came to bring salvation and peace, joy and new life, you live as though he could have stayed in heaven and not come at all. 

      Still others of you don’t want to identify with Jesus.  You’re attracted to him, but you don’t want to “become a Christian” because you’re afraid of what people might think of you. 

      So whether we deny Jesus verbally or silently, or by a lifestyle that says we just don’t need him, we all have some of Peter in us.  This point is entitled, when “good people” fail.  Peter gives us a healthy description of “good people.”  This failure is in all of us.

      What happens to Peter? Three things hit him all at once:  The rooster crowed, v60.  It happened immediately.  It made Peter remember Jesus’ prediction from v34.  Peter saw what he had become.  Bold statements, valorous defenses with the sword, and here Peter has resorted to cowering before people, unable to stand for Jesus.

      Then the worst happened.  V61 Jesus turned and looked straight at him.  Can you imagine this?  Peter denied him three times.  Have you ever had to face someone you’ve disappointed.  Even failure can be okay, as long as you can keep it a secret.  But what happens when you come face to face with the one you’ve just failed?  The cock crowed, Peter realized what he was doing, and in desperation he looked toward Jesus, probably hoping that Jesus didn’t know.  But, sure enough, when he found Jesus in the crowd, Jesus was looking right back at him. 

      Then words began to flood Peter’s mind.  Peter knew what Jesus would say to him:

Luke 9:26   ²⁶ "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory.

Luke 12:8-10 ⁸ " Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.  ⁹ "But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 

These words echoed in Peter’s ears, ending all hope.  Crushed, with no reason to stay, Peter left and wept bitterly.  It was over.

      There are some amazing stories of martyrs who have valiantly stood against persecution in the history of the church.  Thomas Cranmer, in the 1550’s wasn’t one of them.  When threatened with death by burning at the stake, he denied his faith to avoid persecution.  He was spared the stake, but had to live with the horrible anguish and shame of his denial.

      We have a song that is going to be sung that may capture the words of Peter’s heart at this moment.  The words are printed here: 

Heart Like Mine 
Lyrics based on a hymn by John Newton (Gadsby, 999), c. 1779. Music: Cameron Gray, 2007.

Oh Lord, with a heart like mine, 

Unless You hold me fast,  
I feel that I must and shall decline 

And leave my Lord at last 
And leave my Lord at last

You alone have power, I know,

To save a wretch like me; 
Where or to whom shall I go 
If I should turn from Thee? 
If I should turn from Thee

No voice but Thine can give me rest, 
No strength my fears depart,

No love but Thine can make me blessed

Or satisfy my heart

Or satisfy my heart

Oh Lord, with a heart like mine

2. When You Can’t Come Back

      From this text, there is no good news.  Jesus watched Peter fail.  He sees us when we fail.  So is this the end?  Peter thought so.  If you deny Jesus, is there any hope?  Just as the song says, the only one who could give you hope would be Jesus.  The song tells us.  Jesus would have to initiate. 

      Look at John 21.  Jesus does come to Peter.  This is good news for Peter—for you if you’ve denied him.  John 21:1-18.

      Do you love me?  Once, twice, three times.  The third time, Peter got it.  Jesus was coming to restore him.  What does Jesus do?  Does he demand Peter to explain?  No.  He simply asks Peter, what’s in your heart?  Do you love me?

      Have you failed Jesus?  Was it bad?  Jesus is here today and has one question for you:  “Do you love me?”  He asks it as many times as it takes for you to realize that he can forgive the past.

      Jesus the betrayed becomes Jesus the restorer.  What’s the difference?  The difference is Jesus’ death and resurrection!  When Jesus went to the cross, he took Peter’s denial with him.  On the cross, God punished Jesus, turned his back on him, God punished Jesus for … and he did it so that our betrayals would be forgiven.   This forces us to revisit the look that Jesus gave to Peter in v61.  It wasn’t resentment or anger at Peter, but Jesus’ look said, “Peter, I know what you did.  And that’s why I’m here.  I love you; and I’m doing this for you.”

      Now he comes to you and all he asks is, “Do you love me?”

Steve Camp, “For Every Time”

Three times Peter swore, I don’t know him

When he said he’d follow to the grave

A thousand bitter tears couldn’t wash away the sins 

In fear he wondered, “What would Jesus say?”

Three times Jesus asked, Do you love me?

Three times his heart cried, Lord, you know I do

Once for every time that he denied him

Jesus restored him to the hope that he knew

For every time, we broke his heart

For every time, we’ve fallen

For every time, we thought we’d gone beyond his grace

Once for all he stood in our place.

When you can’t come back.  Jesus comes to you.

Our final point is…

3. When Others Can’t Come Back (The Culture that Prevents the Tragedy)

CREATE A CULTURE OF FORGIVENESS

      If you’ve been restored (some of you have just been restored), feed his lambs.  Love his people.  Care for his family.  This shows the importance and power of community—you need people to experience this restoration.  Now you need to share this restoration with others.

      How do you treat others who have failed?  Do you welcome them back in?  Do you make them pay?  In the early church, there was much controversy over this.  People were tortured and killed at the stake, but there were some who gave in.  What would you do?  Your parents, brother, daughter burned in Nero’s garden.  Then found out that someone in the  church denied Jesus to save his life, but after they asked for forgiveness.  How would you feel? 

      I’ve been in churches where this culture is not cultivated.  Churches that preach grace, as long as you don’t struggle with [blank], as long as you don’t [blank].  We need to have a culture here that is as open and willing to restore people who fail as Jesus was. 

JESUS USED THIS AS LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

      Jesus had a purpose in all this.  Jesus helped Peter see what was in his own heart.  Helped him see that his self-confidence wasn’t enough.  He needed to see his own weakness. 

      This is good for all leaders today who tend to be self-confident.  They typically have the weakness that they are intolerant of others who aren’t strong like them.  Self-assured—they don’t’ have time for them. 

      Peter wanted to do great things for Jesus.  But he needed to learn that he must receive from Jesus.  Only after failing could Peter learn to “strengthen his brothers,” to feed Jesus’ lambs.  If it were about him, he’d have nothing to offer anyone.  But once he is broken of his self-reliance, he can make others strong.  When Jesus restored Peter, he became strong.  He received the Holy Spirit, and he grew strong! 

Acts 5:29   ²⁹ Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men!

Acts 4:13   ¹³ When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

OUR ROLE AS JESUS’ WITNESSES

      Stand strong for Jesus, humble without being obnoxious.  Remember the balance:  you look for God’s approval above all else.  And you love people so much that you share your faith in a way that helps them understand it and be blessed by it. 

      There was more to the Thomas Cranmer story.  After denying his faith, he repented, returned to his faith, and got in trouble again with the authorities.  He was again brought to be burned at the stake.  The year was 1556.  He was given the opportunity to deny again, but this time, he publicly confessed his shame at his prior denial, and he put his own hand voluntarily into the fire. 

      This is the love of Jesus that inspires such a life.  This is the joy that counts it a blessing to suffer.  The joy of the soul that’s forgiven and free.