Forgiveness for a Fallen Saint

Intro: Our study of Mark's Gospel has brought us to one of the saddest and most tragic passages in the Bible. Every time I read this story, I am reminded of how fast and how far a saint of God can fall. Yet, in this tragic account of Simon Peter's fall, I find a message of hope and encouragement. That may sound strange, but there is a great blessing in this text if we will allow God to show it to us.

Peter failed God, and he failed God in a big way, we all know that. I do not believe that any other saint of God in the Bible ever sinned as deeply, or fell as hard as Simon Peter did on this occasion. Even David with his adultery, his murder, and his lies, did not fail God as bad as Simon Peter did. Peter’s sin, to my mind, even eclipses the sins committed by Judas Iscariot. The reason I say that is because Judas was a lost man sinning against the Lord. Peter was a saved man, and the sin of a saved man is far worse than the sin of a lost men!

I said there was hope in this passage, and there is! Peter’s story does not end with him failing God. Even though Peter failed God in a big way, he was forgiven, he was restored, and he was used by God in a mighty way. So, while Peter’s story does deal with a despicable and heinous sin, it also showcases the grace and forgiveness of Almighty God. Today, we will consider both the negative and the positive aspects of Peter story. We will look at his fall and why it happened, then we will consider God's forgiveness and restoration.

Peter’s story is important to us, because we all find ourselves in the place of failure from time to time. When we do, it is a comfort to know that our heavenly Father is a God of boundless love, unending mercy, and absolute forgiveness. It is a blessing to know that, just because we are down, does not mean we are out. Just the fact that we have failed the Lord and sinned against Him, does not mean that we are doomed to end our lives in that condition. I want you to know that there is hope for the sinning saint of God.

If you are in trouble, I want you to see that there is a way out. If you are headed for trouble, I want you to be able to recognize the warning signs. If you have ever been restored, I want to remind you of God’s great grace in your life.

I. PETER’S REJECTION OF KNOWING JESUS-VS. 67-71

· It might be helpful at this point if we set the scene. Jesus has just been arrested by the Jewish leaders. They were aided in His arrest by Roman soldiers. Jesus has been taken to the palace of the High Priest, where He endured a sham trial, in which the Jewish leadership did everything it could to guarantee that He received a guilty verdict and a death sentence.

When Jesus is arrested, everyone of His disciples run away in fear for their lives, v. 50. Two of them, Peter and another whom many believe to be John, follow the mob as they take Jesus to stand trial.

When these two disciples arrive at the palace of the High Priest, John, who is known to the High Priest is allowed to enter the palace with the Lord Jesus, John 18:15. John goes back out and speaks to the girl who is watching the door and convinces her to allow Peter in as well, John 18:15.

· This brings us up to where our text begins today. As Peter sits at a fire in the courtyard warming himself, v. 54, he approached by a woman.

You can imagine that she did not walk up to him and whisper her accusation to Peter. She said what she said in a voice that everyone who was nearby could have heard.

· When Peter hears her words, he immediately denies any connection to the Lord Jesus. He gives this loud denial saying, “What? I don’t know what you are talking about! You’re crazy!” Then he walks away, v. 68.

As soon as Peter makes this first denial, the sound of a rooster crowing can be heard in the courtyard, v. 68. That rooster was a warning to Peter.

Jesus had told him very clearly that before the rooster could crow twice, Peter would deny his Lord three times, v. 30. When Peter heard that rooster crowing, he should have walked out of that courtyard. He should have removed himself from danger.

At this point, Peter was not thinking about roosters, he was just trying to deflect attention from himself. I can imagine him standing around trying to look nonchalant; just trying not to draw attention to himself.

· Peter’s attempt to hide himself failed. No sooner does he walk away than another girl sees him and yells, “This is one of them!”, v. 69. Again, she says it loud enough to draw the attention of everyone within earshot, Matt. 26:71.

Peter denies any ties to Jesus for the second time. According to Matthew 26:72, this time Peter denied the Lord with an “oath”. This means that Peter swore before God that he did not know Jesus. He may have said something like this: “I swear before God that I do not know Jesus of Nazareth! I do not know this man!” What a tragedy! This time Peter did not just lie, he told a double lie. He lied when he said that he did not know Jesus and he lied when he swore that he wasn’t lying!

According to Luke, when Peter was confronted by the second maid, a man also approached him and identified him as one of the Lord’s disciples, Luke 22:58. So, the heat is on! Peter has been recognized. The people in the courtyard are on to him now. His secret is out. His identity has been revealed.

Peter is angry, confused, frustrated and embarrassed. More than anything, he is afraid. He knows that his life is on the line.

· Peter is approached for the third time. He is accused of being one of the Lord’s disciples again, v. 70. Peter’s accent has identified him as being from Galilee, the place where every one of the Lord’s disciples but Judas called home.

If you are from the south, you know how that is. You can go out west or up north and simply speak to someone and they immediately want to know where you come from. Your accent gives you away!

When Peter hears this accusation, he loses all hold on himself. Peter begins to “curse and to swear”, v. 71.

When the Bible says that Peter began “to curse and swear”. It means that he invoked God as the ultimate witness to his denials of knowing Jesus. Peter may have said something like this: “May God Almighty damn me to Hell if I am lying! If what I am saying to you is a lie, may God Himself take my life right now.”

Peter is on dangerous ground. He has fallen fast and he has fallen far. He has come to a place where he has no fear of God.

First Peter lies.

Then he tells a double lie to cover up the first lie.

Then he tries to prove his lies by taking God’s name in vain.

It is just the grace of God that Peter was not struck down by the Lord where he stood that night.

I. Peter’s Rejection of Jesus

II. PETER’S REASONS FOR REJECTING JESUS

· Peter would have never believed that he could have done what he did. Jesus tried to tell him, but he refused to believe the Lord. Peter fell and he fell fast!

Yet, there he stands! This man who was the leader of the disciples. This man who swore that he would die for Jesus before he would deny Him, v. 31. This man who had tried to defend Jesus with his sword just a short time before, v. 47. There stands the same Peter calling down curses upon himself and swearing before God that he knows nothing about Jesus Christ. The text suggests that he kept on cursing and swearing.

· Peter would never have believed that this could happen to him. He would never have believed that he could come to such a place in his life. What happened to bring him to this place? That is what I want to investigate for a few moments.

· There are some clear signs that show us that he was headed for trouble in his spiritual life. These signs can also reveal the presence of spiritual problems in our own lives.

· Here are few of the signs that should have served as a warning to Peter.

Ø Self-confidence – After Jesus and His disciples finished the Passover meal earlier in the evening, Jesus told His men that they would all forsake Him that very night, v. 27. Peter spoke up and told Jesus that the rest of them might leave, but he never would, v. 28. Peter believed that he had reached a place in his spiritual life where failure was an impossibility! That is a dangerous place to be.

Ø Defiance – Even though Peter was told very clearly by the Lord what would happen, Peter rejected the Word of the Lord, v. 31.

Another sign that a believer is headed for trouble is when they refuse to listen to the Word of God. You can do as you please, but the Word of God will always be right! If you want to be right, line up with the Book. If you want to fall into trouble, stand in defiance to this Bible. Any believer is in trouble when they refuse to obey the Word of God!

Ø Following, but “afar off” – We must give Peter credit. His love for Jesus refused to allow him to stay away. He followed the Lord, but we are told that he followed “afar off”, v. 54. The physical distance between Peter and Jesus was a picture of the moral distance that was opening up between them. When Peter was near Jesus, he was filled with confidence and faith. When he was separated from Jesus, he was filled with fear and doubt.

The same is true for us.

Ø Bad Company – While Jesus was being tried, spit upon, and beaten, the chief of His disciples was warming himself at the enemies fire. Peter’s downfall was accelerated because he found himself in the company of people who had no love for Jesus.

When we surround ourselves with people who do not honor the Lord, we are headed for trouble. When you find yourself spending more time with lost people than you do with the Lord’s people, you are headed for a fall. The company you keep reveals where your heart is.

Wrong company will result in wrong living, wrong loving and brutal falls. 1 Cor. 15:33, “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” 1 Cor. 5:6, “...Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?” Pro. 13:2, “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”

I challenge every believer in this room to examine your life in light of Peter’s experience. He failed because he allowed these things to live in his life. The same does not have to be true in your life! It’s time to make a change if you have identified any problem areas.

I. Peter’s Rejection of Jesus

II. Peter’s Reasons

III.PETER’S REMORSE-VS. 72

· Peter denies the Lord three times. As soon as he does, a rooster crows for the second time, just like Jesus said it would, v. 72. When this happens, Peter instantly realizes what he has done.

According to Luke 22:61

Luke 22:61 KJV 1900

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 cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

when Peter denied Jesus this last time, the Lord Himself turned and looked at Peter. When their eyes met, Peter remembered the Lord’s words. He remembered that Jesus had told him he would do what he had just done.

Do you think the Lord’s eyes were filled with anger and hate? Do you think the Lord looked at Peter with a look of judgment? I am sure the Lord’s eyes were filled with hurt. But, I am just as sure that the Savior’s eyes were filled with love, grace, forgiveness and compassion. I think that look said, “Peter, I tried to warn you, but you wouldn’t listen. You denied me, but I still love you. You denied me, but I will never deny you.”

· When Peter saw those eyes, the Lord’s words came back to mind. When Peter remembered, he ran from the courtyard and “he wept”. We are not allowed to watch Peter as he weeps his way back to the Lord. This is a time of private repentance and it is none of our business. The phrase “he wept” literally means that “he broke down”. He lost all control of his emotions. He was a broken man and he fell before the Lord in tearful, sincere repentance!

· What does this say to us? It simply reminds us that the Lord sees us in our waywardness too. He sees the sins we tolerate in our lives. He sees the evil attractions we follow after. He knows all about the forbidden friendships we keep. He looks upon everything we do. He hates the sins that drag us away from Him, but He loves us in spite of our sins and He calls us to come back to Him with a broken, repentant heart.

If we will come to Him confessing our sins, He will forgive us. That is His promise, 1 John 1:9. If we refuse to come back, He will have no choice but to send chastisement into our lives in an effort to bring us home, Heb. 12:6-12. If we repent, we will be blessed, if we refuse, there will be a higher price to pay, 1 John 5:16.

I. Peter And His Rejection

II. Peter And His Reasons

III. Peter And His Remorse

IV. PETER’S RESTORATION BY JESUS-MARK 16.7

· Here is where this story begins to be a blessing. There is no question that Peter failed the Lord in a huge way. There is no question that the fall was his fault. There is no question that Peter was way out of God’s will. But, there is no question that when he truly repented, Peter was forgiven and restored. The facts prove this to be true.

After Jesus rose from the dead, the angel who came to the tomb said this: Mark 16:7, “But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.”

A few days later, Jesus met Peter by the Sea of Galilee, John 21:15-17. While they are there, Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves Him. Three times Peter affirms his love for the Lord and Jesus promises to use Peter. This promise is fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost when Peter is filled with the Holy Ghost, and when he preaches the Gospel, three thousand souls are saved. Then, all the way to the twelfth chapter of Acts, Peter is the dominate figure in the early church. Yes, Peter failed God, but he repented and he was forgiven and restored by the very God he denied.

· What the Lord did for Peter, He has done for many in this room. There are people sitting here who have walked away from the Lord, denying Him by the words they spoke and the lives they lived. But, some of those people have come back to Him. When they did, they were forgiven and they were restored and God is using them again for His glory.

Now, some of the people around them haven’t forgiven them or forgotten what they did. But, the Lord has and that is all that really matters. Those who refuse to forgive the failures of others are walking in pride themselves, and they too are headed for a fall, Gal. 6:1-2.

· If you have wandered away from God, you can come home. If you will, the Lord will receive you and He will forgive you. He will do more than that, He will restore you and He will use you again for His glory. If you are not where you need to be, or if your relationship with Jesus is not as close as it used to be or should been, come home today! Don’t delay, get to Jesus!

Conc: This time in Peter’s life was a time of extreme embarrassment and spiritual pain. Did Peter take anything away from this time of failure? Did Peter really learn any lasting spiritual lessons? I think he did.

If you will read the books of First and Second Peter, you will see that Peter addresses some of the problems that led to his own failure.

· He Writes About Pride: 1 Pet. 5:5-6

· He Writes About Disobedience: 1 Pet. 1:2; 3:1; 4:17

· He Writes About Prayerlessness: 1 Pet. 4:7

· He Writes About Compromise: 1 Pet. 3:15; 2 Pet. 3:17

· He Writes About Diligence – 1 Pet. 5:8; 2 Pet. 1:10

Peter learned his lesson and he repented and he was restored. The question is, have you learned your lesson? Are you ready to come home? Aren’t you tired of wandering around out there in sin? Come home child of God, come home!

Can you see the danger signs in your life today?

PRIDE? PRAYERLESSNESS? SELF-CONFIDENCE? DISOBEDIENCE? COMPROMISE? IMPULSIVENESS? BAD COMPANY?

The fact is, some of you are headed for trouble and you don’t seem to realize the danger you are in today.

Listen to Luke 22:61 again, “And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter.” If the Lord could see Peter, then Peter could see the Lord! Get this in your mind. Peter could see them as they spit in the face of Jesus. He could see them hitting Him, mocking Him and abusing Him. Peter could see the Lord! He was that close and he still fell.

You are not that close to Jesus today. What makes you think you are immune to failure? Turn around and make whatever changes you need to make. Get away from the danger before you wind up in serious trouble

Have you been restored by the Lord? Have you thanked Him lately for His love, His grace and His forgiveness? Today would be a good day to do that.