The Singing Savior & His Scattered Sheep | Mark 14:26-31 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark)

I invite you to turn with me to the gospel of Mark in chapter 14 beginning in verse 26. Mark fourteen twenty six, and the passage will end at verse 31. And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount Of Olives. And Jesus said to them, you will all fall away for it is written, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.

Peter said to him, even though they all fall away, I will not. And Jesus said to him, truly I tell you this very night before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times. But he said emphatically, if I must die with you, I will not deny you. And they all said the same. Lord, help us understand this passage.

Give us your help. We need you, and we believe you. In Jesus' name, amen. My prayer is really simple. My prayer for our time together is that the explanations and the applications of this very text that we just read would do one thing.

It would awaken the eyes of our hearts to the splendor of the savior. I hope that if anything moves you today, it will be a refined understanding of the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, my prayer is that each of us here would be fixated on him, fixated by his fascinating fortitude, his unbreakable love, his breathtaking loyalty, And the stage that is set to display his glory remains in that upper room, the same room where Jesus and his disciples honor the Passover, where the Lord discussed his betrayer while eating with him, and where Christ instituted the Lord's supper for his church. So much has happened already in one evening, and yet there's still more to discover, and I want us to explore those things by the Spirit's help. Again, my agenda with this message is by the grace of God is to reveal the heart of Jesus to you and his heart for you.

I mean, just providentially, these songs that we're singing are just praising God that so much on Christ, so much on his love, so much on his nature. Yes. We do that weekly, but I feel as though the songs that were chosen for this time fits perfectly with what we're going to see in the Lord today. So where shall we begin? Where we started?

Let's meditate on verse 12 for a brief time again. It says here, and when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount Of Olives. Be honest. How many of us would just brush over a verse like that? We would simply deem it as a transition, but it's not.

It it pulls us to meditate. It draws us into consider what's happening here. Do you realize that this is the only place in all the gospels that we're told Jesus sang? And more than singing, we have two actions here that offer powerful thoughts, each offering profound insight. So you have to understand that as the Lord here and his disciples are concluding the Passover celebration, they chose to pause and do what we tend to do when we end any service as we gather together and sing and sing.

And it's likely that the Lord who has been delegating and directing this whole meal also at this time conducted this intimate doxology. He was the one behind it. Can you imagine it? Jesus singing. Think about it.

You know what thought came to my mind when I was meditating on it? What did his voice sound like? How strong was it? What kind of emotion did he have as he sang those stanzas and those verses? What kind of focus did he have?

Did it carry the same authority as he had when he preached? Only left to imagine. And additionally, I thought, what did they sing? It says here generally that they're saying a hymn, but what hymn? The spirit doesn't tell us.

But we may have a hint from the Jewish Talmud, which is a collection of writings that were brought together by rabbinical teachings around the first century. And in that set of documents, we're told how some of the Jews, the time of Christ, would have celebrated these feast, these old testament feast. And there is a set of Psalms called the Hallel Psalms. Hallel being the same word that we have in hallelujah. Praise in Hebrew.

And those Psalms are grouped by Psalm one thirteen to Psalm one eighteen, and it is believed that throughout, specifically, the Passover, those Psalms would be sung throughout the evening. And the last Psalm, the concluding Psalm, would have been Psalm one eighteen, which is very likely what Mark referred to when he said that Jesus and his disciples sang a hymn. Is it for certain? No. Because it's not in scripture, but you know what is certain?

Maybe not what he sang, but when he sang it. When he sang it, which is just as profound. What's the context? Jesus Christ chose to lift up his voice with a melody right after revealing that he was going to be betrayed from one of the 12, and even right before he tells his own disciples that they're all gonna abandon him. That is when Jesus Christ chose to lift up worship to the Lord with a tune.

And you have to beware of of believing that when Jesus Christ made predictions or declared prophetic insights that he did so with unfeeling manifestations of omniscience. When Christ spoke about his betrayer, don't think he did so mechanically. When Christ understood that his disciples were gonna run away from him, don't think that he did so without emotion. And if you doubt that for any reason, go to the gospel of John. Look at one verse that will dispel any misconception about Christ's heart, his humanity.

In this moment, in verse 21 of John 13, listen to how the Holy Spirit pens it from John's perspective. After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit and testified, truly truly I say to you, one of you will betray me. He was disturbed with that reality. Oh, he knew it. The scriptures foretold it, but it didn't cancel out the pain with it.

He was troubled in his spirit as he shared these things. And though troubled in his spirit, he sang still. Though distressed, he mustered up the strength to give this truth in song to God and before his people. Why? Couldn't he have concluded the evening because of the heaviness of his heart with no song and just move on to the Mount Of Olives?

He could have. But why didn't he? Not because of mere custom. The Lord Jesus never did anything out of mere formality. Never.

He did it because of why he did everything. The father was worthy of it. He sought to glorify the father in every way including this way. You know, the book of Hebrews tells us that we are to offer up to God continually a sacrifice of praise. A sacrifice of praise.

That's for us. What language? Sacrifice of praise. And then he describes what that sacrifice looks like. That is the fruit of the lips which acknowledge his name.

So praise isn't internal. It should come from the inside, but it manifests outwardly. It manifests with a sound. And according to God, when you and I choose to praise, even when it feels like a sacrifice, that is a pleasing aroma to God that moves God, that honors God, that glorifies God. See, what we did here wasn't just the appetizer for the word of God.

What we just did in the past thirty minutes was worship. It was pleasing to God, both in sight and sound. And here's the Lord Jesus Christ modeling this for us. Despite the distress in his soul, he gave to the father words that blessed him and even blessed his people. Now hypothetically, if Jesus did sing Psalm one eighteen, I don't know what parts of it he sang.

I don't know if it was the entire thing, but I just love to imagine him singing these particular verses after learning he was troubled in spirit, knowing what's ahead of him. He was still able to posture himself in such a way to give God such honor. Would you like to see it with me? Go to Psalm one eighteen. Look at the first few verses.

And with everything that you just heard, imagine the son of God in flesh, in that upper room, hours away from his arrest, betrayal, torture, and him being able to do and say this in Psalm one eighteen verse one. Oh, give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Let Israel say his steadfast love endures forever. Let the house of Aaron say his steadfast love endures forever. Let those who fear the Lord say his steadfast love endures forever.

You're singing that? In light of the fact that in a few moments you're gonna be beaten and bruised? Where the father's gonna turn his face away? Where those who have claimed allegiance to you will leave you to yourself. You're you're gonna able to say his steadfast love endures forever.

That's what a sacrifice of praise looks like. It's you being able to sing these truths whether or not you're experiencing them in the moment, whether or not you believe them necessarily with your circumstances. It's saying that this truth is truth. Whether or not my flesh is in total agreement, I know in my heart, I know because this is God's word that these things are true of him. Whether or not the circumstances are favorable.

But singing also has a secondary effect. Not only does it produce a savoring thing unto God, it strengthens you and I. Does it not? That is a unique way when you lift up your voice of of engaging and gathering and stirring every part of you to face the truth, to entertain the truth, to exercise truth in every faculty of your being. When you and I sing, it it emboldens us.

It comforts us. It builds us. It refreshes us. It helps us to remember. And essentially, it draws out something from you that other ways and mediums can't.

God designed singing to do that for you. Remember what John said that Jesus was troubled in his spirit. Now I wonder if in his humanity, when Christ sang certain verses of Psalm one eighteen, that it quieted his soul. Imagine verses like this. Look at verse five of Psalm one eighteen.

Out of my distress, I called on the Lord. The Lord answered me and set me free. Now look at this. He's gonna be betrayed. Do you understand that?

He's gonna be abandoned. Look at verse six. The Lord is on my side. I will not fear. What can man do to me?

The Lord is on my side. As my helper, I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. Yes. That is true. So what can you learn from the first part of verse 12?

In your suffering, sing. Because when you choose to do that, even if it's a sacrifice, it will strengthen you. It will supply a grace for you to to know an endurance and longevity as you serve him even when it's extremely difficult to do so. But that's not the second movement of that verse, of verse 26. And And when they had sung a hymn, the second thing is they went out to the Mount Of Olives.

They went out to the Mount Of Olives. And that's interesting to me because they were celebrating the Passover. There are instructions, many detailed instructions about how one ought to celebrate the Passover, including where each faithful Israelite ought to be as they observed it. So turn to Exodus 12 and look at verse 22, and you'll see what I mean. And with this as a background insight and make you question why Jesus and the disciples made this transition.

Exodus 12 verse 22. Moses and the in Israelites were told at the inauguration of this feast, take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts and the blood that is in the basin. Now look at this. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. So when you observe the Passover as Jesus and the disciples did, part of that celebration is that you would remain indoors until the morning.

Well, we know from the gospels that when Jesus left to the Mount Of Olives with the disciples, it was still at night. So why did they leave? Well, a simple answer could be, well, they didn't honor every single detail of the instructions of the Passover. I'm not too comfortable with that. I believe Jesus is doing this intentionally and he's doing this symbolically.

Because what happened in Exodus 12? If you left the protective canopy of the blood that was smeared at your door, the firstborn of your family would die. And so you were called to refrain and trust and wait for the angel of death to pass over and that you would be spared, especially the firstborn. So to leave the house would be to walking into your death because of unbelief. And here Christ, hundreds of years later chooses to walk out, to walk out, symbolizing what?

Christ is not hiding from death. He's embracing it. He's walking out to it. He's ready to be struck. That's what we read later.

Right? That the shepherd will be struck, and here's Christ symbolizing that act, ready to go out and to do what? To institute a new exodus. Remember, when the original Passover was observed, it preceded them escaping Egypt and going into the promised land. And when did Jesus choose to establish the Lord's supper?

The eve before another exodus. Not a deliverance from the slavery of a country or a tyrant, but of sin and death. So Christ here is establishing a new exodus. He's bringing about a new deliverance through his death. And so he is walking straight into the mouth of the grave with no fear, no hesitation, no second thought.

So they went out to the Mount Of Olives, and on their way to the Mount Of Olives in verse 27, Jesus said to his disciples, you will all fall away for it is written, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. So this is more devastating news. He just finished telling that one of you, one of the 12 is gonna betray me, and now he says, you know what? Actually, all of you are gonna fall away. Now he's not speaking about the same level of treachery.

Judas would be a permanent abandonment. For these other 11, it would be momentary. They would fail because of their lack of courage, though they would be rest restored. But just like Judas, the fearful desertion of the disciples was predicted by the prophets. Remember, we learned that Judas and what he would do to Christ was told in the Hebrew scriptures.

And now Christ opens our eyes even again and more, and he says, actually, even you abandoned me, that's been that's been written. And he quotes Zechariah thirteen seven, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. Now be careful how you interpret this because some might, as they think about passages like this, come to the conclusion that, you know, this might be unfair then for for God to predict something and then for the disciples to be held responsible for it. How do we make sense of that? If if the disciples walking away from Christ, as the argument goes, has been determined, so to speak, then how can these disciples be blamed for their lack of faith and boldness and devotion?

And here's a simple way of answering this. I know some people would answer it differently, but this is what I believe is the answer. You cannot confuse God's foreknowledge with his determinism. For God to predict something does not always mean he orchestrated the event in order for it to be realized. That is especially important when you realize God speaking of something concerning man's sinful ways.

For God to say, this will take place and it deals with something evil in nature does not mean his prediction was also his production, lest he become blamed and responsible for the very thing that he said would take place. There are some things that he says, and he is behind for it to be accomplished. There are other things that he says, and it's purely his knowledge of what is going to transpire. And for these disciples to scatter from the shepherd who would be struck is fully on them. It's just been foretold by the spirit of God, showcasing his omniscience.

But I wanna spend less time on that and more time on what this verse is all about that he quotes because Jesus only quotes the second part of it. And so when you look at Zechariah thirteen seven, you see that is a more complete thought and it is astounding when you take the time to look at it and to ruminate over the jewels that it presents. Listen to what it says in Zechariah thirteen seven. Jesus quotes the second part, but here's the first part. Awake, oh sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me, declares the Lord of hosts.

Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered. I will turn my hand against the little ones. So Jesus looks at his disciples. He goes, you are about to walk into what Zechariah said would happen. And he identifies himself as the shepherd that would be struck in Zechariah.

And he identifies them as the sheep that will be scattered. But reel back and consider the wider implication. Who's the one speaking in Zechariah thirteen seven? We're told here the Lord of hosts. So it's God almighty who is saying, awake, oh sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me.

He's not speaking about a literal sword. This is metaphorical for justice being applied, Divine justice being activated. And so to understand this as God being the speaker and the initiator, in this case means that the father was the one behind through the hands of evil men, the son being slain. And the son joyfully working with the father to see that that would be accomplished. Do you know why that's important?

Do You know why it's important for God to be the one to say awake, oh sword, against my shepherd? Because Jesus was not his helpless victim. Jesus was not spontaneously and surprisingly overtaken by the wrath of his enemies. No. Jesus was strategically and submissively given over to the wrath of God.

The wrath of God. There are people out there who believe that when Jesus died, he was not the object of God's wrath. There are people who believe that because they think that's cruel. They think that's brutal. They believe that's unloving.

He did die, but there was a different reason why he died. He did surrender his life, but it was separate from the father's activity. This was a a willing death on his part to do a cleansing work separate from God's feeling towards the sin upon him. There are people who believe that. We don't believe that.

And if you want a proof text that would reject such a notion, Zechariah thirteen seven is massive. Because it's God who says, awake, oh sword, against my shepherd. This is me demonstrating my justice against my shepherd. But there's something else here to consider. You can't afford to miss the detailed description of who the shepherd is.

Look at it again, Zechariah thirteen seven. Awake, oh sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me, declares the Lord of host. So if you have a new King James, it would read against the man, against my companion with a capital c. If you have the NASB, it would say against the man, against my associate. You have the King James that would say against the man, against my fellow.

Whatever faithful translation you hold, the original Hebrew word speaks of a close neighbor. And outside of Zechariah thirteen seven, it is only used in the book of Leviticus over and over again to express or explain one who is close in proximity, a fellow neighbor here or there. And yet the Lord of hosts says of this shepherd in the ESV, one who stands next to me. This is who this shepherd is. So you understand the implications of this.

Right? The shepherd is a close confidant to the Lord. He is a nearby friend. What the Lord is saying here is that we share in our interest, in our affections, in our fellowship, and even in our nature. So there's a clear clue here that whoever the shepherd is, he's otherworldly.

But he's not just otherworldly. Because what did he say before him saying that he stands next to me? Against who? The man. So his origins are otherworldly, and yet at the same time, he is a man.

And so here again, you and I have more evidence about the prophesied dual nature of Jesus Christ. He stands next to the Lord of hosts, but he's also a man. And more than that here, we read that he is referred to as my shepherd. So he's not a random man. He's a man who's been appointed by the Lord of host to be sent into the world to save lost sheep.

And this one who is close to the Lord, but also a man who's been appointed as a shepherd to save lost sheep would save them how? By being struck by the sword of the Lord of the host. So you have gospel right here in Zechariah thirteen seven. Us believing that God became flesh is not a New Testament idea. It's been prophesied hundreds of years before and Christ fulfilled those prophecies perfectly.

And if you are a person who has trouble believing in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, then you have to take it up with him because back in our main text, he identifies himself as this shepherd from Zechariah. He's the one who's saying, I'm that shepherd who will be struck. And when you go to Zechariah 13, you realize that the Lord says, he's a man, but he's also close to me, near me, my companion, my associate. Jesus Christ is the God man, and he believed that and he proclaimed that. But he says something in verse 28.

He says, but after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee. So he doesn't finish there. He tells his disciples of his impending death and their swift desertion, but he also comforts them with two thoughts. He comforts them with two points. The first one deals with his resurrection.

He says one in 28, but after I am raised up. What a gloriously triumphant statement. I'm gonna be struck. I'm gonna be abandoned, but I'm getting out of that grave. I will be raised up.

So as much as he was looking forward to his death, he knew what was coming on the other side. He was going to be resurrected. And he's telling his disciples, listen, I'm gonna be raised. And we can spend the rest of the message talking about that, but I wanna focus on the second comforting thought. The first one deals with his resurrection.

I will be raised, but the second part deals with his reunion. Look again. What does he say? I will go before you to Galilee. I'm gonna meet you in Galilee after I'm raised.

You know what happened in Galilee? You don't have to turn there, but you read it on your own in Matthew 28. That's where Jesus issued the great commission in Galilee. So what is Christ saying about his own? He's telling them, I'm planning to be reunited with you.

After when? My resurrection? Even before that, after your betrayal. After you walk away from me, I wanna let you know that I'm planning to meet with you. I'm planning to fellowship with you, and I'm planning to use you.

Inconceivable. Well, that's Christ. The point of what Jesus is saying in this brief verse is so profound. He's aware more than you are of your frailty. You know, he tells his disciples, you're gonna all walk away from me, and they couldn't believe it.

They couldn't even register and understand how they can do that to Christ. Christ knew them more than they knew themselves. And though he knows the depths of your weakness, of your potential erings, you know what Jesus shows them? I still desire to be associated with you. I still desire to fellowship with you.

I still desire to have a future with you. You know what happens when you and I become aware of other people's imperfections? Can I tell you? I'm no prophet nor am I a son of a prophet. I just know human nature because I'm a human.

When we discover people's weaknesses, we distance ourselves from them. That's not Christ. You know what Christ does? He wants you to draw nearer to him with your weakness. How different is he from us?

Then we see here that this is the heart of your Lord and mine. He knows they're gonna betray him and he wants to meet them in Galilee. Why? So he can slap them up a little bit? No.

He commissions them to do a work. And this is so difficult for us to grasp as it was for the disciples to grasp. Do you know how I know that? Because Jesus repeats himself to the disciples even after he resurrects. Listen.

Look, verse 28. You know what verse 28 is useful for in terms of application? Praying against what the disciples operated in in response to Jesus' truth. Because why? He tells I'm gonna be resurrected again.

And guess what? They didn't believe it. He said, I'll be raised up and what they did? They stuffed themselves in a room and locked the door. Did they just not believe in his resurrection?

No. They also didn't believe in the fact that he want to reunite with them. Let me show you how. You're in Mark. I hope go to Mark 16.

This is the last chapter of our study in Mark. And notice what Jesus says to the woman who came to the tomb so that they can relay the message to the frightened apostles. In Mark 16 verse six, and he said to them, do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He has risen.

He is not here. See the place where they laid him. So what did Jesus say back in Mark? He says, I'm gonna be raised up. And he tells some of the ladies there, the sisters, he's not here.

He's risen. But notice the next part of verse seven, but go tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him just as he told you. You know what I take out of this? Here's what I take out of this.

That if there's any miss message that is difficult for disciples of Jesus to grasp, It is the wonderful truth that Christ longs to be reconciled with us after you fail him. They had difficulty grasping it, and boy, stick around the church long enough with genuine believers and genuine believers have a difficulty understanding it. You're telling me that after I messed up in this colossal way or in a series of way that this Christ that I pledged my allegiance to wants to still deal with me and use me and reveal himself to me? Yes. That's why we read the word of God.

That's why we're in Mark so we can know what the heart of Christ is like. And we see here that this is for us. That like these disciples, you and I have to rehearse that truth over and over until it's trusted. Until it's really trusted. That's the heart of my Jesus for me.

Now I'm aware that there will be some who will distort this truth and use it as a proof text to convince themselves. So listen up if this is you. That would use a proof text like this to try to convince themselves and others that, you know, God will accept you as as you are. Meaning, you can live in sin all you want, consciously, and the Lord will just gush over you. Well, there is one crucial aspect of the Lord's gracious instructions here that cannot be overlooked.

It's not in Mark. It's in Luke's account. When Luke talks about the betrayal of the disciples, he focuses it on Peter. And notice what the Lord told Peter as he was speaking in the presence of the other disciples. And Luke 22 verse 31, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you that he might sift you like wheat, But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.

I can't wait for the day that as a church we'll talk about Jesus' intercessory ministry. Because he died, he was buried, he rose again, and we we think now that Jesus is just waiting in heaven for the world to get really bad so he can come back. No. Jesus Christ has been working since he rose and ascended. He is praying for us, interceding for us every single moment of your life and mine.

He tells Peter, I've prayed for you that your faith may not fail. Notice what he says in the last part. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers. You see that crucial part? I know you're gonna fail me, Peter.

Not just you, but all of these guys are gonna fail me. But I'm gonna wait for you in Galilee. I have a wonderful plan for you with this contingency when you have turned again. So should I believe that the Lord is willing to deal with me even in my disobedience? Walk with me, love me, promise things to me?

Amazingly, yes. As long as you do your part. What's your part? Live repentedly before him. It's not necessarily the absence or presence of sin, it's what you do with that sin.

And if you, like Peter, even in denying Christ more than once choose to turn back again to him which Judas failed to do, Christ is always waiting with open arms. So this truth that I hope is a balm to the hearts of believers who love the Lord but know that they are greatly able to fail him is not for those who would try to abuse his grace. There are other prophecies in the bible for you, my friend. They're not comforting. They're terrifying.

But for the true Christian, know that this is your inheritance. He loves you. He desires you. Even on the other side of you falling on your face and disappointing him over and over again. How does Peter respond?

Since we're talking about him, he's gonna become the focus of our concluding verses. In Mark fourteen twenty nine, Peter said to him, even though they all fall away, I will not. Oh, boy. And Jesus said to him, truly I tell you this very night before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times. But he said emphatically you know what's amazing?

The word emphatically there is only found in Mark. You won't find it in the other gospel accounts. And you remember how we opened up Mark. Right? We came to the conclusion that Mark wrote this under the guidance and the inside of the apostle Peter.

And there's so many internal clues of how Peter was really the author behind Mark's writings here, and I think this is one of them. Because in the other gospel accounts, it says Peter said, but here we have the emotion behind it emphatically said with passion. And it just makes me wonder if Peter brought that to Mark's attention. He's like, make sure that when you write this that I had every intention, that my emotions were wrapped up behind my response. I emphatically said it.

Isn't it amazing how surgically precise the bible is? But he said emphatically, like it bothered him. It caused his blood to boil in a sense. If I must die with you, I will not deny you. And that passion must have been contagious because it says here, and they all said the same.

Peter Peter had a way of leading people whether he knew it or not. Many years ago, I preached the message on several occasions called the stages of backsliding. You can still find that message online. And the essence of that teaching was to examine Peter's actions and attitudes leading up to his denial of Christ and how they reflect the same pitfalls that Christians encounter before finding themselves in a perilous spiritual condition. And if you wanna listen to that message in its entirety, you can, but if you want a little preview, what Peter does here is stage one for many people as they slip into a vulnerable and unpleasant spiritual state.

You know what that is? Here's stage one, overconfidence. Jesus didn't ask the disciples if they were going to fall away. Jesus told them they were gonna fall away. Like, it's gonna happen.

And the way that this man answers him reveals that he's rejecting what the Lord said would happen. And Peter's response should not be misinterpreted as fiery fidelity. Right? He's not saying, like, I re he's saying this in pride. And if you doubt that, then see how he actually compares himself to the other disciples.

What does he say in verse 29? Peter said to him, even though they all fall away, I will not. Is that inspirational to you? No. That stinks with arrogance.

He He didn't do that privately by the way. He did that in front of the disciples. So Jesus, you're all gonna fall away. He goes, they might, not me. So you just gotta think a little bit and consider what these implications are when people use these certain words and how they're saying it.

What should have been Peter's response? I believe there should have been a humble admission and inquiry about the possibility of him failing the master, but there's no evidence of that. There's no probing. There's no brokenness. There's no investigation.

There's no examination. Just not me. Not me. And we see here that Peter is essentially declaring that it is not possible for anything or anyone to derail his devotion to Christ. And when you have that kind of a heart posture, it will eventually encourage you to indirectly challenge some of the warnings in the Bible about your flesh because you are now beginning to believe that they don't apply to you.

And over time, when you don't acknowledge what the Bible says about your flesh, you will fail to invest in the holy boundaries and disciplines that are meant to guard you and protect you from the very things that you think won't affect you. And that is exactly what happens to Peter. So he says to Jesus emphatically, I'm not. And what happens after this? Jesus calls him and two other disciples to pray with him in the garden at a very critical juncture.

How did Peter end up doing there? He falls asleep. And Jesus wakes him up and says, watch and pray lest you fall into temptation. And the very thing that Peter said wouldn't happen to him, happened to him. Because prayerlessness is the following stage in backsliding.

If you don't believe that you're able to walk away or fail in certain areas, certain sins, then you won't make this necessary measures and create the spiritual reinforcement in the disciplines that God has given us to stay strong. That's exactly what happens to Peter. And he drifts. And as he drifts, he confirms us where backsliding begins. Do you know where reverting to old sinful ways starts?

Where it started for Peter? In the heart. In the heart. Doesn't just appear. It's in seed form, and then it is nourished indirectly.

Can I prove that to you? It's in Proverbs fourteen fourteen. The Bible says, the backslider in heart. The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways. It starts in your heart.

It starts in what you believe about God, what you believe about his word, what you believe about yourself. That's where all the trouble begins. And in Peter's situation, his heart was calloused by overconfidence, and that overconfidence blinded him from seeing the urgency of this moment so he doesn't pray. Oh, let me say this in love. I'm not talking about momentary times or some days where you don't pray.

I'm talking about a lifestyle prayerlessness. Many people, when they realize that they've come to a point of backsliding, acknowledge it far too late. Many people have been backsliding. They just haven't been realizing it. When I fail to come to the Lord in an awareness of my neediness of him to sustain me and to strengthen me when that's gone, you're at a stage that you don't wanna be at.

And if you begin to think, well, this won't affect me, you're falling into the same trap that Peter did. So what's the appropriate response to what Peter does here? Is it to simply admit as a church, alright, we're all gonna fail him eventually, then sing a couple songs halfheartedly, hang our heads low, and then go and have a picnic and try to forget about the conviction we felt? I don't believe so. I believe that the appropriate response is to do what Peter didn't do.

And that is to wholeheartedly acknowledge our need for Christ and then to seek him for what he's able to supply. As I kick back and meditated on all the wonderful promises of the sustaining mercies of God, this particular text, and it's our closing one, came to mind and I presented to you with the hope that it will energize you in the way that it energized me. Jude 24. Do you know that verse? Listen to it.

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy. Who's the source of a stumble free life? Who's the source of evaporating any concern? What will I what will become of my faith in the future? I love I know I love the Lord, and I know I'm serving the Lord, and I know I'm honoring the Lord, but what will become of me ten years from now?

What will become of me when things get really ugly in America? What will become of me? Look at Jude 24. Now to him, he's your source who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless. Are we blameless before God?

Yes. Because of what Christ has done, but practical blameless is also available and possible for us as you realize that he's the source of it. He's able to keep you, not me. Peter thought it was in him. I'm able.

I I I, not Lord, keep me from doing this against you. That wasn't his heart. It was me. But it's him. So here's how I end.

How do you draw from that source? If he is the source, how do I draw from it? Is it separate from any action on my part? No. There is something on your part, yet it's so simple.

So he says in Jude 24, now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling, I want that. Peter didn't have the wrong desire in wanting that. His problem was he looked to the wrong source in realizing it. I want to never ever hurt my master. And I hope that's your heart cry as well.

So how do I draw from the power that only can come from him? Look at Jude 20. But you beloved building yourselves up in the most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God. Waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.

Praying in the Holy Spirit. That's what I want you to see. This is the exact opposite of what Peter did. Peter saw the source of his strength in himself and he failed to pray and to receive the grace to endure the temptations that were coming that night. And Jude tells us he's able to keep you from stumbling, but you have to keep yourselves in the love of God.

And one of the ways in which you keep yourself in the love of God is that you pray in the Holy Spirit. How do I pray in the Holy Spirit? You know the mind of God. You know the promise of God, the warnings of God, and you translate that in prayer. And you ask him, Lord, let these things be true of me.

Let these things be real in me, and he will keep you from stumbling. Lord, we ask that in this afternoon, that would be true of each of us. We pray, Lord, not with the arrogant attitude that we're able to endure in our own power and wisdom. We ask that this promise in Jude 24 would become our reality. Lord, I pray for those who might who might have struggle believing that, you're willing to meet us in Galilee even after we've failed you miserably.

Again, may we see the heart of Christ for us. And for those who might be in another place, for those who are in the web of deception as Peter was at this time, May you remove those webs from our thinking and may help us see that you're the source and that we draw from that source through what we're doing right now. Help us. Help us. So, Lord, at this time, we choose to sing to you.

No matter what we are experiencing, the prayers that await to be answered, the pain that might be riddling through our bodies even now, We see Jesus as our example and we choose to give you a sacrifice of praise because you're worthy of it and because we know we will be strengthened by the truths that we joyfully bring to you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Let's stand together, shall we, as the praise team comes. I wonder even if there is one person here who might have heard this message and thought, what does it take to be able to sing when it doesn't make sense to sing?

And to trust when it doesn't make sense to trust. How can I have that? And I I think that there are many answers to how that can be realized. And I wanna let you know that there is a passage in the book of Job that informs us that God is the one who gives us songs in the night. God is the one who gives us songs in the night.

And for you to know the ability to express faith and concrete confidence can only be realized when you know God. If you don't know God, then you won't be able to receive those songs in the night. So I wonder even if there is one person here. You've heard in the past hour and a half through song and through preaching about the wonders of Jesus Christ. And my question is, before we conclude this meeting is, do you know him?

Do you know him? There are many questions that people ask in life. The most important question is, who is Jesus Christ? And with it is, do you know him? Do you know him?

If you don't know Christ, let me briefly tell you who he is. He is God almighty who entered into this world taking on flesh. Not so that he can give this world teachings and maxim and proverbs and ideas for society to thrive and harmonize. He came to die. He came to die.

And he came to die a death that would apply to you and me and every other person in this world. And the way that his death makes sense is when you understand that the wages of sin is death. Why do we die in this world? Why do your loved ones die? Why is there not one part of the world where you can escape this thing called death, the cessation of life?

It's because we've all been plagued with sin. And the consequence of that is that we cease to live in our bodies, And then there's something called the second death in which we are judged for all eternity unless you put your faith in Christ. When Christ died, he paid a price on your behalf. He died so that you would not have to die, not not in this life, but in the life to come. And death in this life is no longer a fearful thing.

It's it's really just a door for you to enter into everlasting life. Christ transformed everything when he died. And the reason why he did is because he didn't stay in the grave. He rose from the grave. Do you know what it means when Jesus rose from the grave, when he was resurrected from the dead?

That was God's amen to what he did on the cross. That was God saying, I approve. This satisfied my justice, my wrath for humanity's sin. Jesus Christ satisfied God's wrath. And when you hear that, as you heard it now, and you accept that truth for yourself and believe on that truth, the blessings associated with his death and resurrection are now yours.

And you receive that inheritance where death doesn't have a sting anymore, and everlasting life is your future, not everlasting death. You're saying this sounds too good to be true. That's why we Christians call this the gospel. The gospel means good news. It's a good news.

That's why we sing because we're so happy. That's why I hope we smile a lot because we realize that our hearts have been changing. We have the greatest treasure that you can have in this life. I want you to have that gift, saying how much does it cost? It's free.

Wait. What do you mean it's free? It's free. When you get a gift from somebody, I hope you don't have to pay them halfway or do monthly returns. You just accept the gift, and Jesus extends his gift to you.

And you just you open your hands, and you receive it. And if you really receive it, then it will change you. So I invite you to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. I invite you to bring your filthy sins, even your filthy acts of righteousness, and to come before the foot of the cross and say, I surrender this. If you wrote a check to pay off my debt, give me that check.

I I'm I'm tired of paying for it for myself. I can't. The the amount is too great. And if you really do that today, you'll leave here a brand new person. Not only will he have your name written in the Lamb's book of life, but he will give you his spirit.

New life comes to you now, and then this word becomes your bread, and prayer becomes your breath. And the people of God become your company. And now you have a whole new way of looking because Jesus promised that when you put your faith in him, he changes you today. Repent and believe. I wouldn't wait for you to even leave this door to do that.

I would block out all this noise, sit back on that pew while people are hugging each other, and you talk to this God for yourself, and he will hear you. Lord, we ask that if there's even one who doesn't know you, may your Holy Spirit work in him as he has worked in us, that that one person would come to saving faith in Jesus Christ. Lord, for us who are walking this pilgrimage, for those who have put your your gospel truth on our hearts, we believed on that truth, help us help us live believing your love for us, not just when you saved us, but as you're sanctifying us. Help us believe that you love us, and you wash our feet gladly even when it gathers the dirt of this world. So, lord, please help us believe the things that we heard today.

Only you can make them real to us, and we trust that you will. And now, Lord, as we go in fellowship as a family, bless that time. May we know joy, may we know hope, may we know counsel, may we know laughter, may we know fellowship the way you intended it to be. Give us a piece of heaven this afternoon. In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen. And amen. Amen. Amen.