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well good morning everyone welcome to free grace Baptist Church just a few announcements before we begin in God's providence and in His goodness this coming Tuesday we have our first public meeting for the South Surrey Bible study that will be happening at 7:30 I should probably know that 7:30 at the Pacific in you can't miss it on King George Highway and highway 99 and also please remember if you're able to attend the Wednesday night Bible study this week as well and then also next week will be our luncheon next Sunday I believe an email has gone out with what to bring and also please remember that the Hutchings have applied for membership and Lord willing we'll bring them in to the membership next week but continue to get to know them as part of our church family well for as we begin our worship our call to worship this morning comes from Psalm 147 so if you'll turn with me in your Bibles to Psalm 147 Psalm 147 verses 1 through 11 let us read together beginning at verse 1 praise the Lord for it is good to sing praises to our God for it as pleasant and praised is beautiful the Lord builds up true solemn he gathers together the outcasts of Israel he heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds he counts the number of the stars he calls them all by name great is our Lord and mighty in power his understanding is infinite the Lord lifts up the humble he cast the wicked to the ground sing to the Lord with Thanksgiving sing praises on the harp to our God who covers the heavens with the clouds who prepares the rain for the earth who makes grass to grow on the mountains he gives to the Beast its food and to the young Ravens that cry he does not delight in the strength of the horse he takes no pleasure and the legs of a man the Lord takes pleasure and those who fear Him and those who hope in his mercy amen well our first hymn will come from the Red Salter will sing Psalm 96 if you're able we'll stand and sing together Psalm 96 [Music] you [Music] [Applause] [Music] maybe seated well join with me in prayer God Almighty you are lord of heaven and earth and you deserve our praise and you deserve the honor that is due unto you for great is your unders is your understanding and your power and might is infinite Oh God we thank you for your mercy we thank you for your grace that you the God would be pleased to dwell with your creature through the work of Christ our Lord and we pray O God that you would come down that you would open the heavens and join your people this day in your house for you have promised to be with your people you promise to never leave them or forsake them O God so by your spirit working us today sanctify us O God strengthen us by your spirit that we might know you more that we might know Christ more and that we might hear of you we thank you O God that in your Providence you set forth your preacher you set forth the man who will proclaim your word the one who rightly divides your word and you are pleased to speak through him O God and when you speak that all the earth be silent for you our God and we pray that you would be pleased to continue to be with us for those that know you already God strengthen them help edify them O God by your preaching for those that don't know you O God we pray that you would save them you would call them out of darkness into marvelous light o God we pray that ultimately you would be glorified and as the the ones who are listening as the ones who are hearing may you help us to be awake and attentive for it is your word that is proclaimed and we pray that you would continue to be with us continue to dwell with us O God for you are God over all may this give us honor may give they may this give us great great hope and friend and grace and may this give us great joy knowing that you are with us and we pray these things in the name of Christ amen well our hymn if you'll turn with me in your head trinny hem note to him 484 that's him 484 we'll stand and sing together if are able [Music] seated well our consecutive scripture reading comes from the Gospel of Mark chapter 7 so if you'll turn with me in your Bibles to mark chapter 7 and we'll read verses 24 through 37 mark chapter 7 verses 24 through 37 let us read now beginning at verse 24 and from there he arose and went to the region of tyre and sidon and he entered a house and wanted no one to know it but he could not be hidden for a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit who had an unclean spirit heard about him and she came and fell at his feet the woman was a Greek a syrophoenician by birth and she kept asking him to cast the demon out of her daughter but jesus said to her let the children be filled first for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs and she answered and said to him yes Lord yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children's crumbs and then he said to her for this saying go your way the demon has gone out of your daughter and when she had come to her house she found the demon gone out and her daughter lying on the bed and again departing from the region of tyre and sidon he came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee then they brought to him one who was deaf and had had had an epidemic in his speech and they begged him to put his hand on him and he took him aside from the multitude and put his fingers in his ears and he spat and touched his tongue then looking up to heaven he sighed and said to him at fatha that is be opened immediately his ears were opened and the impediment of his tongue was loosed and he spoke plainly and he commanded them that they should tell no one but the more he commanded them the more widely they proclaimed it and they were astonished beyond measure saying he has done all things well he makes both the Deaf to hear and the mute to speak Amen well just a couple observations from our passage here you probably know this already but one of the main questions mark is seeking to answer is the question who is Jesus in the first eight chapters Christ is only mentioned twice in chapter one and chapter eight and so the way mark structures his gospel here in the preceding verses from our section he deals with the Pharisees these ones who should know who Jesus is these ones who should have known who the Messiah is when he came and yet what does Christ Christ deals with them chastises them and speaks concerning what defiles someone it's not so much what's outward but what's inward and then mark wonderfully beautifully contrasts the Pharisees with this syrophoenician woman she is one who is a Gentile and mark points this out for us in verse 26 the woman was a Greek a syrophoenician he wants us to see and highlight that this woman who was a Gentile who was considered a dog according to the Jewish custom knew who Jesus was and then as he moves on as mark records for us Jesus moving through the region of the Gentiles we get to this section when jesus heals this deaf mute man and the people say in verse 37 mark records they were astonished beyond measure saying he has done all things well he makes both the Deaf to hear and the mute to speak believer who is Jesus to you unbeliever who is Jesus to you and the answer is he is your only hope let us pray Lord God Almighty our Father the one who we can call upon as our Father we can experience this intimacy where we can offer our prayers and petitions unto you for some of us may have difficult relationships with our earthly father we may have lost our fathers O God and this day may be a difficult day you are our Heavenly Father and we can call upon you and look to you and we thank you O God that you were pleased in your in your plan of salvation your glorious plan to save sinners that you United Jew and Gentile but the gospel is the power of God for salvation for the Jew first and also for the Greek Oh God we thank you O God that those who believed on Christ have experienced the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places we thank you for justification O God that we are considered righteous in your sight that our sins are forgiven we thank you for sanctification O God that you continue to work in us that you deal with the corruption that still permeates our bodies because of the work of Christ our Lord and we do thank you for adoption of God we thank you that you have adopted us as sons that we might receive the inheritance what Oh God we look forward as we look forward to that inheritance as we long for it as we see foretaste of it Oh God we know that there are still trials and struggles that we face this day while you have saved us and called us out of darkness we still need you to sustain us O God many of us are struggling many of us are weak in our faith O God but we thank you that we could still saving faith O God and some of us like the psalmist crowd how long O Lord but Lord just like the psalmist says even though we sometimes don't feel you near we know that we will trust in you for you are God for those that struggle in their faith struggle spiritually strengthen them O God by your spirit may they make use of the means and by your spirit you continue to convict to rebuke to work in them O God for those that are struggling physically O God we pray that you would comfort them you pray that you help them to know a sense of your spirit with them that you'd help and in all these cases O God may eyes be fixed on Christ may we always long for that our heavenly home that heavenly time when we get to experience no more pain no more sorrow no more sin Oh God for we greatly longed for this day when there will be even no more death thank you that you do sustain us O God we thank you that we can cast our cares upon you for you do care for us O God we pray now that you would continue to be with us here in your house in your place and be with your preacher as he proclaims your word in a few minutes may we again be awake and attentive for this we thank you for these things in the name of Christ amen well our final him before the preaching is hymn number 400 in our Trinity hymnal that's him number 400 if you're able we'll stand and sing together [Music] you [Music] well please turn with me in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 26 Matthew 26 our focus this morning is on verses 31 to 35 but since we've been out of Matthew for a few weeks I'll begin reading in Matthew 26 at verse 1 just to remind us of the context beginning in verse 1 now it came to pass when Jesus had finished all these sayings that he said to his disciples you know that after 2 days is the Passover and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified then the chief priests the scribes and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest who was called Caiaphas and they plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill him but they said not during the feast lest there be an uproar among the people and when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper a woman came to him having an alabaster flask a very costly fragrant oil she poured it on his head as he sat at the table when his disciples saw it they were indignant saying why this waste for this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to given to the poor when Jesus was aware of it he said to them why do you trouble the woman for she has done a good work for me for you have the poor with you always but me you do not have always for in pouring this fragrant oil on my body she did it for my burial assuredly I say to you wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her then one of the twelve called Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests and said what are you willing to give me if I deliver him to you and they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver so from that time he sought opportunity to betray him now on the first day of the Feast of the unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus saying to him where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover and he said go into the city to a certain man and say to him the teacher says my time is at hand I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples so the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and they prepared the Passover when evening had come he sat down with the twelve now as they were eating he said assuredly I say to you one of you will betray me and they were exceedingly sorrowful and each of them began to say to him Lord is it I he answered and said he who dipped his hand with me in the dish will betray me the son of man indeed goes just as it is written of him but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed it would have been good for that man if he had not been born then Judas who was betraying him answered and said rabbi is it I he said to him you have said it and as they were eating Jesus took bread blessed and broke it and gave it to the disciples and said take eat this is my body then he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying drink from it all of you for this is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for many for the remission of sins but I say to you I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until the day when I drink it new with you in my father's Kingdom and when they had sung a hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives then jesus said to them all of you will be made to made to stumble 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 have been raised I will go before you to Galilee Peter answered and said to him even if all are made to stumble because of you I will never be made to stumble jesus said to him assuredly I say to you that this night before the rooster crows you will deny me three times Peter said to him even if I have to die with you I will not deny you and so said all the disciples amen let us pray our Father we thank you for your word we thank you that it is given by inspiration of God we know it does indeed communicate to us the truth concerning your attributes concerning the offices and nature of our Lord Jesus Christ and the power and the glory of the Holy Spirit God we thank that it sets those things forth and in particular it sets forth the life and the death and the resurrection of our Savior we give you praise and glory for the gospel we give you praise and glory for your grace and our hearts and lives enabling us to believe the gospel and we trust God if you're able to save wretches like us you're able to save others so we pray that today would indeed be the day of salvation your spirit would be at work here in the hearts of men women boys and girls she would give the graces of faith and repentance and may it be the case that sinners would close with Christ and God may we as your people learn the lessons of this passage the disciples go from a scrutiny of their own hearts is it I to denying and deserting our Lord Jesus Christ may we confess to you Lord God not our ability in our strength but our proneness to wander and the proneness to leave the God that we love and may we constantly depend upon your grace alone to sustain us may your power keep us and may you cause us to persevere for your grace for your glory and for your honor do forgive us now for our sins and our transgressions wash us in the blood of the Lamb when we look to your word and we see your holiness and your majesty we see our own waywardness and we see our own transgression against your your holy law so do forgive us and cleanse us in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and fill each and every one of us with your Holy Spirit and give us ears to hear and hearts to understand your truth and may you indeed grant us the grace to put these things into practice and we ask these things through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well as we see here just in the Behr reading of the scripture when they are told that one of them will indeed betray him they all say is it I and on the heels of the supper that place of most intimate communion with the Lord Jesus Christ Christ tells them that they will desert him and one will even deny him fact we ought to appreciate the truth represented by the supper and it's absolute necessity because these disciples had indeed been with Christ and nevertheless they desert him his hour of greatest need and even one denies him three times Davies and Alison in their commentary helpfully point out that verses 31 to 35 serve as a bit of a table of contents for the rest of the passion narrative Jesus foretells that the disciples will desert him they do that in 26:56 he says that Peter will deny him Peter does do that in verses 69 to 75 that Jesus will be struck or crucified and we'll see that in chapter 27 verses 32 to 56 also that he will be raised from the dead chapter 28 verses 1 to 10 and that he will regather his disciples he will meet with them again at at Galilee or in Galilee and in chapter 28 verses 16 to 20 that is fleshed out so I don't think that's inaccurate that's a good observation 31 to 35 contained the seeds of the rest of the gospel at this particular point as well we ought to appreciate by way of introduction we know the Blessed significance of Matthew 26 and 27 we know the glories associated with the death of our Lord Jesus we know the language of Paul that God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him if Christ doesn't die if Christ is not raised then we perish in our sins so chapters 26 and 727 are most glorious for our consideration but we also have to reflect on the fact that on the other hand it's a very dark chapter in the history of the world it's a very dark chapter when one who is holy harmless and undefiled is presented not as a king but under crucifixion and not least of which we see his godless enemies say away with him away with him crucify him but we see his closest friends we see probably just the eleven at this particular point those that he was most closely associated with abandon him in his hour of need so it is indeed a dark time in the life of mankind we also ought to appreciate that this saw short section in verses 31 to 35 demonstrate the sovereignty and the glory and the majesty of Christ nothing takes him by surprise you have to appreciate in these chapters at least up to this point and we'll see it as we move on Christ is in control he is not operating willy-nilly and he is not reacting to the various things that are going on so it demonstrates his control of the situation it does in fact demonstrate to us the weakness of disciples I mean the best of men are men at best and we see that displayed here but I think Matthew wants us also to reflect on something the road to suffering and death for the Lord Jesus is one he must walk alone there is no helper there is no assistant there is no participant with him in the work of redemption but rather in the language of Matthew 1:21 it is he and I think the angel would have us to understand that is underscored it is he and he alone that will save his people from their sins there is no help for him there is no assistance for him there is no sort of aid that is given to him by way of man to sustain him in this is darkest hour well in these three for in these few verses Jesus makes three predictions now if you're like me that word prediction sort of conjures up images of you know ladies wearing towels on their heads and rubbing their hands over crystal balls but prediction with reference to Christ means it's a certainty it's a prophecy it is indeed going to come true and he makes three predictions here that we ought to observe in the first place the prediction concerning desertion verses 31 to 32 secondly the prediction of denial in verses 33 to 35 and then the prediction of his death and resurrection we'll see that again in verses 31 to 32 but note in the first place the declaration of Jesus in verse 1 a 31 then jesus said to them all of you will be made to stumble because of me this night now this word stumbling has been seen in Matthew's Gospel up to this point literally it means to be scandalized the root word is scandal it has the idea of leading one to sin in Matthew 5:29 and 30 and then again in chapter 18 has the idea of being offended you see that Matthew 13 Matthew 15 and Matthew 17 and it also has the idea of falling away from the faith you'll see that Matthew 11 and then again in Matthew 24 so as we try to pinpoint the meaning here in the word of Christ all of you will be made to stumble because of me this night I think France helps us France says here this word falls somewhere between merely taking offense and ultimate spiritual disaster the failure which is predicted for the disciples is as serious as it could be short of final apostasy but they will eventually be restored to effective discipleship they will fall to rise again I think that's a good way to understand what's happening here Jesus is not saying you're going to be eternally lost you're going to be damned to hell but he does tell them you're going to desert me and one of you in particular the one who you know by all accounts is most likely the leader of them is actually going to deny him but in the language of France they fall to rise again we see the grace and the kindness and the mercy of Jesus Christ and we ought to appreciate that along the exposition this morning he not only tells of their fall but he promises of their he promises them of their recovery he says I will see you again in Galilee he doesn't say I don't have any regard for you whatsoever anymore you see his kindness his mercy His grace and His goodness even in the midst of this warning of his disciples now note specifically the reason why they will fall or why they will be made to stumble he says because of me this night it isn't because of any other thing than me Christ and this night signals the the events that are going to transpire namely his arrest and then his trial and then his crucifixion this will be a stumbling block to these disciples it will be an offense to them it will be a scandal to them as it was to first century Jews in first Corinthians chapter 1 Paul says we preach Christ to the to the Jews it's a stumbling block it's a scandal it's something that causes them to stumble to the Greeks it's foolishness but to those who are being saved it is the power of God but in this instance it will be because of me it underscores the situation as arrests as trial as crucifixion would prove to be too much for the disciples one commentator says it this way Jesus for sees his shaming arrest trial and death as so brutalizing the sensibilities of disciples that they will all lose faith in Him and flee you might ask the question why would they do that they were his close associates have you ever asked yourself the question why you don't want to pray in public why you don't want to witness to somebody that you know as a God hater for whatever reason there is within our hearts that prone is to wander that prone is to leave the God that we love there is that hesitancy to side with the Lord of glory there is that that sort of instead of just speaking forth the truth of the gospel so before we get on our you know sort of moral high-ground and say how could these disciples ever do what they did I'm not justifying it certainly not legitimizing it but I am suggesting brethren there's a little bit of these men in each and every one of us when there's this failure when there's this resistance when there's this hesitancy or this tendency to not confess with great joy the Lord whom we love and the Lord whom we serve now notice Jesus says or highlights that this is in accordance with the scripture all of you will be made to stumble because of me this night for it is written I will strike the Shepherd and the Sheep of the flock will be scattered now we've already seen Christ's appeal or Matthews appeal to Zechariah fact if you go to Zechariah say chapter 9 and read on it's a prophetic statement concerning the passion of our Lord Jesus occur I&I is when Messiah rides on the coal of the donkey we see that in Matthew chapter 21 we see in Zechariah chapter 12 verse 10 a reference to this this Messiah that would be Pierce and here specifically in Zechariah 13:7 it's Yahweh's plan this is sort of an isaiah 53:10 passage as isaiah 53:10 say says that the Lord Yahweh was bruised to pluck to crush it or are pleased rather to bruise him a crush yet the Lord God Most High the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is the one who engaged in the plan for the sufferings in the death of the Lord Jesus that's what is suggested here by the Prophet Zechariah I will strike the Shepherd and the Sheep of the flock will be scattered what does it mean literally the father brings the sword of judgment to bear upon the son but it's in accordance with the divine plan it's accordant according to his decree it's according to that that that blessed transaction prior to the foundation of the world where the father gives to the son a great number that no man can a great multitude that no man can number and the son covenants to go and to save them the means by which he does that is by a perfect life of obedience to the law a sacrificial death at Calvary and then the resurrection on the third day now if you're not a believer in Jesus Christ this morning you ought to listen to the significance of this why did Jesus come into this world that's a big question that people often ask it's a big question that we ought to get our minds wrapped around some of the bad answers are well he started a new religion I would suggest that he did do that but that wasn't the primary focus Jesus taught us how to be kind and loving on the Sermon on the Mount yeah he sure did but that wasn't the primary emphasis the primary emphasis in the life and ministry and death and resurrection of Christ is to satisfy divine justice to provide a righteousness to the Father that would then be imputed to those whom the father gave to the son in other words we need the cross we need the death of the Lord Jesus so that we can be forgiven of our sins but we need it's life of obedience we need the fact that he always did what was pleasing to the Father we need the fact that he said my meat is to do the will of him who sent me we need that life of obedience because it's that righteousness that God gives us and he gives it to us and it's received by faith so the significance terms the life and Ministry of Christ isn't a new religion it isn't the teaching to be loving toward one another again those things are present but the emphasis is on what Paul says Jew seek a sign Greek seek wisdom what does Paul say so we give them their signs and wisdom no we preach Christ crucified the centrality of the redemptive message of God's Word is not just be a better you its Christ died Christ was risen Christ is now enthroned at the right hand of God and if you're in your sins what you need is him what you need is to believe on him you need to look to him you need to come to him you need to accept him you need to receive him and you need to rest upon him metaphors for the whole idea of trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ alone to save you from your sins so you see that was the plan of God we've seen Christ already speak this way when he announced the betrayer notice back in Matthew 26 verse 24 the Son of man indeed goes just as it is written of him but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed it would have been good for that man if he had not been born so notice Christ highlights at the betrayal this whole situation it had been written of him in Luke's Gospel in the parallel Luke 22 22 it says as it was determined of him again it points to the decree of the father recorded for us in the prophetic word and fleshed out on the pages of the new testament by the Lord Jesus Christ that one who is Shepherd by office that man that one who is companion to Yahweh by nature that's the language employed in Zechariah 13:7 but Christ validates confirms or affirms what he says in terms of their desertion with an appeal to scripture I will strike the Shepherd and the Sheep of the flock will be scattered now incidentally it's that striking that will also provide the grounds by which they will be regathered so they will be scattered but Christ will in fact meet them in Galilee in Matthew 28 now know under the prediction of desertion we see the declaration of Jesus verse 31 but we also ought to appreciate the encouragement of Jesus in verse 32 but after I have been raised I will go before you to Galilee I think at times we are pretty familiar with our Bibles and we read passages or statements like these and they become sort of old hat in fact in our studies in Matthew's Gospel the three formal times of the three formal announcements when Christ is said that he must go to Jerusalem and he must suffer and he must die he's always said he must be raised on the third day he does this in chapter 16 chapter 17 and again in chapter 20 these disciples heard this these disciples knew this he has spoken of having been struck the Shepherd is being struck the Sheep of the flock will be scattered but he encourages them isn't this just typical of our God isn't this just typical of the mercy and the kindness and the goodness of God he tells them you're going to desert me it is my hour of greatest need I realize he doesn't elaborate it quite like that but having the the chapters we can reflect upon it it is indeed the hours of greatest need says you're going to desert me you're going to leave me you're going to abandon me you're going to walk away from me and yet on the heels of that he brings a word of encouragement not only answering to the fact that he's going to be struck that he's going to be smitten that he is going to be crucified but that I will see you again in Galilee it is a word of great encouragement but after I have been raised I will go before you to Galilee it is a statement concerning his future and theirs their present their current is not looking good according to verse 31 that you're going to deny you're going to betray me you're going to be caused I have a cause to stumble over me you're going to be scandalized you're going to be offended seeing me arrested seeing me tried seeing me Crusoe five you're not going to stand by with me but I will see you again my brethren I don't think God gives us these current encouragement to encourage us to sin in light of Romans 6:1 that's obvious right Paul declares the glory of justification by faith in chapters three and four and and to a degree in Chapter five and then he starts off chapter six by saying this what shall we say shall we continue in sin that grace may abound other words surely abuse the grace of God God justifies us freely by His grace so therefore go out and sin because you'll receive more grace Paul says may it never be so we ought never to interpret the encouragement that come on the heels of warnings as an encouragement to actually do the sin we are warned against you get that right oh well you know if you're going to see us again it doesn't matter if we betray you and deny you that that's not the reason for the encouragement the reason for the encouragement is because that's who God is that's what he's about that's sort of God hood for him you see it in the prophets you see it say for instance in Ezekiel 16 God rehearsing the history of Israel he says when I came upon you you were in your blood and I said live live and I picked you up and I cleaned you are cleansed you and then I decked you as a beautiful bride I put you know rings in your nose I put makeup on you I adorned you like I made you glorious and wonderful but what did you do you went a whoring from me you engaged in lawlessness you were worse than prostitutes because in the normal transaction of things a prostitute is paid for her services but God says to Israel you paid them to service you it's a terrible depiction in a picture of Israel's history you know chapter 16 ends with nevertheless a promise of God's dealing graciously and mercifully with them again not to encourage incorrigibility not to encourage them on a path of destruction but to just demonstrate his goodness and I think that's where we ought to understand Christ yes it's factual and yes it's table of contents ish with reference to the rest of the passion narrative but it's vintage Christ isn't it not only after I have been raised but I will go before you to Galilee Davies and Alison again make this observation not in Jerusalem somewhere he's going to meet them but in Galilee of the Gentiles where he first gathered his community well Jesus reconstitute the flock that had been scattered and then inaugurate the world mission that's sort of a you know historical redemptive flow quote but I think Matthew Henry gets at the nub gets at the practicality of it he says though he's just sort of personifying or taking a bit of liberty in terms of telling us what this statement in verse 32 means he says though you will forsake me I will not forsake you you see brethren we need to appreciate that this is our God if you surveyed the the him choices this morning Psalm 96 prays to God on the Lord's Day Sabbath him 484 ought to be our marching orders fight the good fight of faith when to man up be courageous be godly and be disciplined and consistent and faithful in our lives and we sing 404 a little bit of a dose of reality Robert Robinson writes prone to wander prone to leave the god I love if you can't admit that or confess that from time to time you're going to fall prey to the sorts of things that did Peter in not completely thankfully but matthew henry says though you will forsake me i will not forsake you though you fall I will take care you shall not fall finally believers fall but they don't fall in believers stumble but they get back up by the grace of God he says we shall have a meeting again in Galilee so that's his prediction of their desertion notice secondly the prediction of denial in verses 33 to 35 Peters response verse 33 Peter answered and said to him even if all are made to stumble because of you I will never be made to stumble this is a tough passage to preach because I think I see us all in this passage or at least one of us look at what Peter says here it's easy to admit the faults of everyone else isn't it though everyone else may stumble though everyone else may be scandalized though they have that remaining corruption though Robert Robinson and those who follow in his train we're prone to wander and prone to leave the god they love yet I will never be made to stumble it's pretty brash declaration it's bravado he acknowledges the weakness of the other disciples and he turns his own fidelity the particular word enlarges this idea of never enlarges Peters confidence he will never do what all others will do you see you have to appreciate as we move through the narrative this is a dangerous place to set yourself I think there's a place in the Christian life for a holy resolve I think you see that in psalm 119 for instance but that holy resolve should never be a denigration of the graces of others with an assertion of our absolute fidelity because that is what he is claiming here again I'm not picking on Peter I'm not saying Wow Peter how could you do such a thing I think Peter is a good specimen sample for you know what lurks in all of our hearts a brother and I recently commented and my brother pointed out I think very accurately you know we often qualify the doctrine of total depravity well it doesn't mean we're as bad as we could be total depravity means we're bad as terms of our mind and our factions in our heart and our hands in our land but it doesn't mean we're as bad as we could possibly be just give us time just put us in the proper or improper circumstances probably in all of us to out Hitler Hitler probably in all of us to out deny Peter probably in all of us brethren and we need to appreciate that not in terms of wow I'm black I've got the seeds of apostasy brilliant no appreciate it so that we can stand in dependence upon God now there's obviously some problems with what Peter says here in verse 33 I think a cursory reading would have to assure us of that let me just pull some things out in the first place it's a rejection of the word of Christ as a general rule if Jesus tells you you're going to do something don't argue don't contradict don't suggest that it could be otherwise Spurgeon says this was a very presumptuous speech not only because of the self confidence it betrayed but also because it was a flat contradiction of the Masters declaration Jesus says you're going to betray me and Peter has the gall to say even if all are made to stumble because of you I will never be made to stumble that is a flat contradiction of the word of Jesus Christ but secondly it is a contradiction of the written word of God see Jesus doesn't just throw this out willy-nilly remember what Jesus did as a man what Jesus did according to his humanity he read the Old Testament Scriptures he understood the Prophet Zechariah and its application in his own life and ministry and so Jesus makes this assertion concerning their desertion and NP and then invokes the Prophet Zechariah to confirm that word validate that word authenticate that word or affirm that word and so when Peter says I will never be made to stumble he not only contradicts the word of Christ he contradicts the prophecy of Zechariah were not supposed to do that you see something a cannon in John 20 remember when Thomas says unless I see unless I touch I will certainly not believe he's not just an innocent doubter there he is asserting with a with a particular convention I will certainly not believe something similar Peter does in verse 35 here what's what's Thomas doing there Thomas is saying that the Old Testament got it wrong but the Messiah would undergo decay as well he's saying that Jesus got it wrong because Thomas heard the announcement not only of Christ's death but of his resurrection and he's saying that the Apostles got it wrong because they just wandered into his presence and said we have seen the Lord well Peter is doing that very sort of thing here he rejects the Word of God word of Christ and he rejects the word of the Prophet Zechariah but as well it's a pretty terrible attitude toward the other disciples isn't it here again I think we see a little bit of us and Peter don't we think the worst of people are hound oh yeah they're going to fall but their posture at the announcement of the betrayal is much better it is it I is it I Lord I know what Robert Robinson's going to write and I can side with him I I know there's this prone as to wander and proneness to lead the god I love but but here yeah yeah everybody else may may stumble I get that Lord I can track with you there because you know I've been hanging out with these guys and they're not the brightest Bunch in the you know brightest Bunch and Galilee at this particular time or in Jerusalem that you know they're not as man manly as perhaps I am they may fall but I never will it's a real bad sort of attitude that he conveys with reference to his fellows but obviously the paramount thing is it's a confidence in himself Chrysostom says where he should have prayed and it said help us that we be not cut off he is confident in himself see when Jesus says you're going to stumble you're gonna have cause to stumble because I mean this night what should have been their response lord help us Lord keep us Lord shadow us under your gracious way not well you know those other slobs are going to leave you but I never will here's Matthew Henry again it argues a great degree of self conceit and self-confidence to think if it be possible that others may be offended I'm sorry I skip the line it argues a great degree of self conceit and self-confidence to think ourselves either safe from the temptations or free from the corruptions that are common to men we should rather say if it be possible that others may be offended there is danger that I may be so do you follow that we shouldn't just say oh those guys but not me well if it is the case that this is going to be symptomatic or tendency in the lives of your people then Lord keep me and what's the painful irony here what really kind of hurts Peter does it worse doesn't he he does it worse the one that's the most brash the one that's the most zealous the one that's got the most machismo spiritually speaking is the one that falls deeper and severe than the others except Judas of course Judas fell away Judas was an apostasy his betrayal was a final action not what Peter does here now notice Christ's response to this statement of Peter he highlights two things in verse 34 he highlights the nearness of Peters actions and the severity of Peters actions he underscores it with this ahmen statement Calvin says it functions like an oath he underscores with an oath this reality assuredly I say to you that this night before the rooster crows you will deny me three times so what has Peter said Peter has said I will never deny you I will never be caused to stumble on account of you if I can survey the road ahead is never going to be the case that I'm going to be a pro them to You Lord Jesus Jesus says it's going to happen before the nights over now some make a big to-do over mark has the rooster crowing twice and Matthew has the rooster crowing once Wow contradiction in the Bible well this timeframe between midnight and 3:00 a.m. was called the crow the point of the passage is simply this you're going to do this Peter and you're going to do it before the night is over Matthew and Mark don't want you to sit in the back and have a Bible study on whether there was one crow or two they want you to see the severity involved with Peters admission or Peters rather confession that I will never and Christ says it's going to happen tonight and it does you you know we don't we don't even need to have had some previous experience with the passage if your Bible is open and it's one of those nifty Cambridge wide margins you see where Peter denies the Lord Jesus Christ so the nearness of Peters actions but note the severity of Peters actions I say to you that this night before the rooster crows you will deny me see it's gone from this idea of being made to stumble because of me - you will deny me the others would in fact desert Christ 26:56 but Peter among them would be one who denies Christ and that is found in verses 69 to 75 but the severity is also seen in the repetition I don't think it's an accident that he says before the rooster crows you will deny me three times certainly that's what happens in this historical narrative the the girl says aren't you one of them no not me aren't you one of them no no no not me aren't you wanted no no not not me yeah he actually does that but the stress lie on the fact or laying the fact that he does it three times this is not good Peter we to stand among your fellows acknowledge their deficiencies and acknowledge their shortcomings and assert yourself as the model disciple who will ever succumb to such a temptation to either to do betray the Savior or to deny or desert the Savior and the Lord say the Lord Himself says surely I say to you that this night before the rooster crows you will deny me three times now I think that what we find here in verse 35 is why we both love Peter and kind of shake our heads about Peter he should have stopped shouldn t you ever get that where your husband is engaged in some things that he might not be saying to you know the company people I'm not saying foul things bad things just may be nice needs to shut up and you wives are kind of willing it to be the case maybe you don't ever do that and husbands it might be the guy you're willing that if I had the powers the you know thought control they would be quiet that's kind of how we should approach or I think we do approach verse 35 Peter stop what does the Bible do here the Bible shows us what's in us Peter said to him even if I have to die with you I will not deny you and so said all the disciples the parallel in mark 14 31 says but he spoke more vehemently that means he got more fired up he got more animated he probably increased the lanta the the volume of his of his voice he turned up the dial and he says even if I have to die with you I will not deny you now remember at the first formal prediction concerning the death of our Lord in Matthew 16 Christ says I must go to Jerusalem I must be tried I must be crucified I don't think he uses crucified there must be put to death and be raised the third day what does Peter say Peter says forbid it Lord there is no way I'm going to let you go to Jerusalem and engage in that kind of activity and so Jesus says get behind me Satan I'm not laughing because of what Jesus said I'm laughing because of Peter few verses earlier blessed are You Simon bar Jonah for flesh and blood did not reveal this to you but my father is in heaven and then he says get behind me Satan boy he goes from the mountaintops to the valleys pretty quick again I think that's why we love Peter we identify with him he's just this guy that you know just does he's a ready fire aim sort of a person if you ever shoot guns don't be that way don't ready fire and then aim you're supposed to aim and then fire but there's some people like Peter and others you know they're ready fire aim sorts of people and some of us that may imitate that sort of disposition kind of find affinity with Peter so on the one hand we shake our heads at what he's saying here but on the other hand we think wow Jesus even loved him that's very encouraging but Peter says no and then what does Jesus say in 1624 you search what true discipleship looks like if you're going to follow after me you have to be willing to die for me you have to be willing to take up your cross and die for me so perhaps Peter now has imbibed that mentality even if I have to die with you I will not deny you and here's what's really scary about this man Peter he is a faithful guy he is a bold brash believing man who is it in 2651 that takes out his sword and lops off an ear we're not dealing with milquetoast here we're not dealing with some passive guy here we're not dealing with the couch dweller here so we ought to surmise from that that Peter was indeed a strong brother was a faithful man he's ready to go into combat in the service of his Lord and yet this man nevertheless deserted and denied the Brethren it's doubtful at this particular time that Peters willingness to die was under the understanding of Christ's willingness to die in other words when Peter takes out that sword he lopped off the ear doesn't tell us in Matthew John tells us in John 18 that it was Peter when Peter does perhaps he is indeed willing to die has a hero he's willing to die as a defender of the weak he's willing to die in in some sort of military combat but as we survey the situation it is hard to appreciate or hard to understand that these men actually embrace the concept of Jesus self-sacrifice in a redemptive sense and notice what Peter does here is that he doubles down even if I have to die with you I will not deny you and there's that really affirmative I will never I will not do it the statement here by Peter indicates that he's doubling down in his self-confidence listen to John Calvin he says hence - we see more clearly how stupid is the intoxication of human presumption I suspect at times and I think this is good parents we tell our children don't use that word and so we hear that word and it's a bit shocking but brethren there's some things that a child shouldn't say that John Calvin should say in light of human nature we need to teach our children the right way to use that particular word some words kid your kids you're never supposed to say other words you're supposed to say when you actually know what it means and you use it in the proper context and you're dealing with theological opponents just kidding but Calvin says hence too we see more clearly how stupid is the intoxication of human presumption that when he is again reminded of his weakness by the Son of God and that with the solemnity of an oath he is so far from yielding or even making from making any abatement of his foolish confidence that he goes on to show those lofty pretensions with more fierceness than ever you see he's told this is going to happen he says it's never going to happen Jesus says it's going to happen this night before the rooster crows and you're going to do it three times but you're not going to just desert me Peter you're going to actually deny me Peter should've listened Matthew Henry again brief or briefer than Calvin makes this observation please internalize this please listen to this because I think it gets at the heart of the situation those often fall soonest and foul lists that are the most confident of themselves your biggest problem in your Christian life is you I realize that may not encourage you on Father's Day men and send you home happy Jim said I was a great dad no I'm saying you're your biggest problem boys thought you know that threefold enemy the world the flesh and the devil we're crossing that River Jordan into the New Jerusalem the world's given up on us maybe there's some vestiges the devil isn't Omni omnipotent and omnipresent and omniscient there are times and seasons where the devil isn't messing with us but who do we always have in our bosom we always have us it's one of the most depressing realities in the Christian life apart from the grace of God well listen to matthew henry those often fall soonest and felis that are most confident of themselves those are least safe that are most secure that's the lesson of the passage it's that first Corinthians 10:12 emphasis therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall now notice verse 35 and so said all the disciples I mostly picked on Peter in the course of the sermon this morning the rest of the disciples say the same thing we're not going to deny you we're not going to desert you we will be there for you Lord I mean we already see hints of it and guess cemani they couldn't even stay awake with him while he's praying and of course at the arrest what happens after the arrest verse 56 that all the disciples forsook him and fled so they all join in this now note conspicuously Jesus doesn't hear again respond he's not going to go tit-for-tat for them and say well you know I'm going to try and convince you the events will evidence the validity of his words we the reader don't need to hear of Jesus again saying oh no you really are going to desert me and you really are going to deny me he does that once specifically with reference to Peter before the night is over you are going to deny me three times he doesn't answer the disciples and he doesn't answer Peter here in the sense or in the idea the context I think it's because the rest of the chapter is going to manifest it to us well brethren there's the prediction of his desertion of his denial just quickly because it has been said many times up to this point the prediction of death and resurrection we need to appreciate in verse 31 the divine initiative in the death of the son of God the divine initiative in the death of the Son of God if man is to be saved God is to save him it's the divine initiative it's God Yahweh of Israel who strikes the Shepherd and the Sheep of the flock will be scattered as I said earlier this is how you're supposed to understand Isaiah 53 attack this man of sorrows this one acquainted with grief this one who walked about and in Israel and men hid their eyes from him he didn't have any comb leanness he didn't have a majestic appearance there was nothing in him that would draw men to him well the the divine orchestration is seen in 5310 it pleased Yahweh to bruise him to crush him and the same emphasis here is in Zechariah 13:7 I will strike the Shepherd and the Sheep of the flock will be scattered the shepherd the man who is the companion of Yahweh will be struck in accordance with the Father's plan this is Zechariah 13:7 John Gill makes this observation he says being an order of Jehovah the father's to justice to awake its sword and sheath it in his son is equal by nature and his Shepherd by office this underscores to us that Christ is not caught unawares he's not bouncing through this situation in his life by surprise but is going as it has been determined and as it is written of him as well the divine initiative in the resurrection of Christ verse 32 after I have been raised the specific referent is that the father would indeed raise him I will go before you to Galilee now what do we find when he goes to them and he sees them and he meets with them in Galilee he gives them the great Commission in Matthew chapter 28 and then what do we see with reference to those disciples now there's exceptions and there's probably issues and those problems and and whatnot you see Anna an attitude opposite don't you you see Peter on the day of Pentecost stand up in Jerusalem and declare the glory of Jesus Christ Chrysostom said and he teaches us to know what the disciples were before the crucifixion and after the crucifixion for indeed they who when he was crucified were not able so much as to stand their ground these after his death were mighty and stronger than adamant it's a good observation with reference to these disciples we ought not to have a negative opinion of them in terms of them we certainly ought to appreciate the reality that what they did was a nasty terrible horrible thing but as I said earlier given the right circumstances or wrong circumstances who knows what's in our heart with reference to deserting and denying the Savior well in conclusion a few thoughts and then we'll close first the blessed truthfulness of the word of God this is kind of a second samuel 11 and 12 passage isn't it remember when we went through 2nd samuel we got 2 chapters 11 and 12 i mentioned that this is one of the proofs of divine inspiration of Scripture because david was the king of israel David was the hero in David's day kids didn't collect baseball cards they collect King cards and David was the one to have but it's not literal but you get to Jess David was the hero of Israel and yet what does the author do in 2nd samuel 11 and 12 he tells us that this David committed adultery this David committed murder why because for the author the truth of God trumps the reputation of david isn't that what's happening here is that what's going on here Origen saw it this way he says if she the church had not been truth loving she would never have written down that Peter denied and that the disciples fell all the Bible's full of lies no it's not the Bible's full of contradictions these statements made by people who wouldn't know any biblical text if it fell on the tops of their heads they know it's wrong brethren this is just an indirect proof of the inspiration of Holy Scripture men conspiring to present things in its best possible light don't tell us that their leader is going to deny their Savior three times as well with reference to the Blessed truthfulness of the word we ought to appreciate its consistency you may be troubled by what we find here if you think back to chapter 10 verse 33 now I realize in our exposition we were there a long time ago but if you look at chapter 10 verse 33 you'll see something intriguing Jesus there specifically says but whoever denies me before men him I will also deny before my father who is in heaven why is it the case that Peter gets off lightly here well the Matthew 1033 denial is a settled opposition to Christ the Matthew 26 denial is a temporary lapse under pressure not saying it's okay not saying it's alright but saying the god of Psalm 103 lives in Matthew 26 he knows our frame and he pities us he knows that we are but dust in fact I think that's the background or at least could be in Jesus kind dealings with his disciples and Gethsemane if you are in your hour of greatest despair and you saw your friends sleeping how would you respond you'd probably give them a kick to get them up on their feet Jesus chides them be sure but nevertheless deals graciously with them I think a second observation we need to appreciate in terms of the situation here 31 to 35 is a respective historical situation where Christ announces what's going to happen in terms the disciples in terms of Peter specifically with reference to his crucifixion and his resurrection but I don't think it's moralizing to see ourselves in the tax and ask the question what should we learn here from Peter I would suggest there is in the first place the tendency toward pride instead of the cultivation of humility in us first Peter 5 what does Peter do in first Peter 5 he tells us God opposes the proud and he gives grace to the humble Peter learned his lesson didn't he took a while Peter was that kind of guy you know that vision he has a knack stand that this happened three times why Peter god--all needs to say things once but brethren there is a tendency in us toward pride instead of the cultivation of humility as I've said before to cultivate humility kill pride because somebody's going to ask you how you doing they well I'm cultivating humility and you sound everything but humble kill pride and what lay in its wake humility it's a beautiful thing I'm really working on being humble just stop being proud that's the issue secondly the tendency towards self confidence instead of dependence upon the Spirit of God it's obvious in the passage isn't it everybody else may but I never will thirdly the tendency toward a lofty self-assessment instead of embracing God's accuracy accurate assessment in his word we should believe God that we've got problems we should believe God that we've got issues we should believe God that the Galatians 5:17 is a reality the flesh lusts against the spirit the spirit against the flesh these are contrary to one another so that you don't do the things that you want to do we ought to believe God with reference to Romans chapter seven the good that I want to do I don't do the the wickedness that I don't want to do it I find myself gravitating toward we need to believe God's assessment and you need to embrace it accept it and run with it because when we assess ourselves it typically runs afoul when we assess ourselves what happens we are higher loftier more prestigious than our fellows that lofty assessment hardens us to the very warnings of Scripture you see that I hope Jesus says this is going to happen it's not going to happen with me Jesus Jesus says it's going to happen tonight it's not going to happen with me as well that lofty assessment is ultimately an affront to God and man but I think one more thing we ought to appreciate before we leave this particular point of conclusion not conclusion this point of conclusion the tendency in us toward an uncharitable and an unforgiving spirit instead of forgiving one another even as God in Christ forgave us d hold grudges do not forgive did not pursue reconciliation are you okay with this harmony are you okay with a lack of peace are you okay with avoiding a brother for whom Jesus died well he sinned against me these guys sinned against Jesus he knew they were going to do it they actually did it and nevertheless he forgives them and meets with them in Galilee and sends them upon a mission brethren this is the rub for us are we going to be those who constantly demand our rights constantly demand that everybody sort of bow in our presence are we going to forgive even as God in Christ forgave us I want to be like Jesus you know those bracelets WWJD he'd forgive that person and love them he'd forgive them and hug them he would pursue harmony he would pursue reconciliation he would get rid of the grudge and yet for the people of God more often than not boy we just hold on to these things don't we a third observation the continuing scandal of the cross the disciples were scandalized during the trial and crucifixion first century Jews were scandalized during the early proclamation of the gospel that's Paul's point first Corinthians 1:18 and following but as well the opponents of Christianity remain scandalized today don't they well I don't know just look around you from killing believers and Muslim nations there you know persecuting believers in first world nations again not by killing them or necessarily dispossessing them from homes or businesses but there is an increasing secularization the scandal of the cross remains but the scandal of the cross may remain in God's own people today have you ever wondered why weather vanes or roosters have you if you haven't think about it what does a rooster have to do with weather I would think a weather vane would be a cloud I would think a weather vane might be the Sun well I don't know the moon at least as far as I know scientifically moon has something to do with weather Sun probably does too sorry but you would think a more weather appropriate thing would be the weather vane the significance of the rooster weather vane is Matthew 26 now I'm not condoning potpourri but there were Pope's who put roosters as weather vanes on church buildings Pope Nicholas in the ninth century ordered that all church buildings have a weather vane that was a rooster the reformed tradition didn't throw that off Reformed churches add them and probably still has them that's the point when you drive away today and you look at that weather vane remember Peter remember this crowing rooster so that you don't deny the Lord that's the significance of the rooster in the weathervane it is to preach to you it is to call you to faithfulness not desertion of the Savior not denial of the Savior but faithfulness to the Savior brethren may God most high in his glory in his power in his excellence keep us by His grace and while there is a promise to wander and a promise to leave the God we love there is that overarching proneness of God to keep us to hold us to secure us and to stabilize us and if you're not a believer here this morning the gospel is in this passage Jesus dies Jesus is raised the effects of that event is the forgiveness of sins you say I'm a great sinner he's a great Savior I've done some horrific things in my past Peter was a saved man and did this so you can never argue if you're unbelieving today that I'm too sinful for the Lord to save me that's the whole business that God is in it's because you are so sinful that the gospel was put into place it's because you're so sinful that the Son of God took on our nature with all the common protential properties and common infirmities thereof yet without sin he did this in order to live and to die and to be raised the third day to save great sinners Newton was right and you need to remember this I am a great sinner but Christ is a great Savior if you have not come come believe on Him see him in this passage as a savior that would die that would be raised and that exercises forgiveness because ultimately that's what all of us stand in need of well let us pray our Father we thank you for your word and I pray that we would take hold to take hold of these things in our own hearts and lives to grant us grace to see their application to us grant us grace to be obedient to you to be a faithful people not deserting and not denying our Lord Jesus Christ help us to remember this rooster help us to remember this account and may it indeed serve to keep us on the straight and narrow path and for any and all who are unbelieving today all those who are outside of Christ we pray that you would have mercy upon them show them the life the death the resurrection of the Savior and show them that there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared go with us now we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen but why don't we close by singing the doxology it can be found on page Roman numeral 16 in the Trinity hymnal the doxology will stand and we'll sing together Oh [Music] Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace please be seated for a brief kind of medicine you