3 Truths About Temptation | Mark 14:66-72 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark Series)

I do invite you to the gospel of Mark chapter 16, excuse me, chapter 14, beginning in verse 66. Just place your hand there. We're not going to read just yet. Mark fourteen sixty six. Before we read this passage, I want to briefly address what may be weighing heavy on some hearts this afternoon.

Some of you may have heard the recent news of a prominent American evangelical preacher who recently admitted to an inappropriate relationship with a woman who is not his wife. And it is always gut wrenching to learn of a well respected minister who sins in a manner that disqualifies them from ministry. And the heartbreak goes beyond the fact that such people cannot serve in a certain capacity, doesn't it? We have to keep in mind the testimony of the gospel. The spouses, the children, the local church, fellow ministers, close friends, and the broader Christian community that is impacted by such a fall.

And this should lead us to pray not only for those who sinned grievously as leaders, but also for those who are feeling the effects of that sin. And as I was exploring some articles and engaging with some individuals about this incident, you know, you just wanna know as many details as possible, not to satisfy curiosity, but just so that there are more answers than questions, I stumbled upon another fallen pastor's comments about the situation. Now I have heard of this individual, when I first became a believer, and I remember, though I didn't follow his ministry, hearing about how he succumbed to sexual immorality around the time when his church was experiencing explosive growth and his influence was broadening out, nationally. It was a sad, it was a sad thing to hear. But he was reflecting upon the aftermath of his own fall in in his comments, and especially, with the recent news that shocked thousands.

He had said something that I believe is helpful for us to hear, and it will be very sobering. He said the following, you are capable of falling in a way that seems unthinkable to you right now. Meditate on that. You and I are capable, not destined, but capable of falling in a way that is unthinkable to you right now. That sat with me for a few days, and it didn't take very long for a variety of biblical examples and illustrations to surface and confirm a very powerful statement.

And I know I asked you to turn with me to Mark 14, but for a moment, let's go to first Kings because I want to just show you what you may think is a predictable example, but is nonetheless instructive for us. In first Kings 11 verse four, I want you to see specific detail noting Solomon's fall, his greatest fall. In first Kings 11 verse four, it says here, for when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the lord his god as was the heart of David his father. I want you to notice the first few verse words of this verse. For when Solomon was old.

Solomon was old when he experienced his greatest downfall. And we often assume that it is only the young who are ensnared by lust. That is not the case. What this reminds us is that all temptation, including sexual temptation, arises in every season of life. And this also tells us that age does not promise wisdom.

Experience in life does not guarantee prudence or discretion. It should, but it's not automatic. For when Solomon was old, And this is no less true for those who have accomplished great things for God like Solomon did. There is a tendency for those who have glorified the Lord in remarkable ways to let their guard down after some time, and to not be convinced as they once were of their dependence on the Lord, to sustain them, empower them, guide them, shield them. For some reason, a strange deception persuades servants of God, especially after great feats of obedience.

So I wanna let you know that victories and testimonies of the past do not prepare you for temptations that await tomorrow. There is only one thing, at least a main thing, that will equip you to be ready for unforeseen allurements and enticements in the days ahead. One thing. One thing. Daily devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ.

I want you to look back at this verse with me, first Kings eleven four. The word heart appears not once, not twice, three times. Look at it again. For when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. Do you think that's coincidence?

That's not coincidence. That's strategic. What is the Holy Spirit trying to convey? That downfalls begin in the heart. Before there is any external humiliation, there is unchallenged internal deterioration.

Before there is any public scandal, know this for certain, there is always significant private neglect. So as long as we know how to guard our hearts, we will know Christ honoring character for the long haul. We will. Longevity is possible. It's possible to be old and be vibrant and holy and consistent.

And I don't bring all this up because it brings me pleasure, and I'm not bringing this up to you because I feel like venting. I bring this up to you because I want you to recognize God's providence with me. Because in our study of Mark, we have now arrived to a text that examines the lowest point of another disciple's life, and that is Peter the Apostle. What we're going to read in a moment here is Peter, in a sense, doing something that he thought he would never do. Falling in an unthinkable way.

So let's read from Mark fourteen sixty six down to the end of this chapter together before we zoom in. And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, you also were with the Nazarene Jesus. But he denied it saying, I neither know nor understand what you mean. And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, this man is one of them.

But again, he denied it. And after a little while, the bystanders again said to Peter, certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean. But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, I do not know this man of whom you speak. And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.

And he broke down and wept. So many things, so many ways of approaching this text, but there's a clear theme, is there not? Temptation. And even with that theme, there are so many points to draw out from Peter's example. But for the sake of time, I'm gonna talk about three things.

I wanna look with you at three truths about temptation from Peter's denial. Our brother prayed so beautifully, but I want us to pray again before we come to this text. We do trust you, Lord Jesus, that you have something to say to us through your word. So by your spirit, guide us every step of the way. Lord, empower our hearts, our minds, empower this voice so that your word would not just be explained the way it should, but delivered in a way that glorifies you and benefits your people.

We look to you trusting that we will leave here refreshed, equipped, ready to endure, and bring glory to your name. In Jesus' name, amen. Three truths about temptation drawn from Peter's denial, and the first one is found in the first two verses of our main text. Temptation is ever present. Temptation is ever present.

The the impression that we get from Peter's posture before these waves of temptation ambushed him is that he was unsuspecting. Look again here what Mark tells us. It tells us that Peter in verse 66 was below in the courtyard. One of the servants, girl, the high priest came and seen Peter warming himself. So he's cold.

Significantly, he's physically cold, not realizing that spiritually he's also cold. But he's warming himself and Matthew actually tells us what is preoccupying Peter from within. So you don't have to turn there, but let me read this to you from Matthew 26 verse 58. And Peter was following him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside, he sat with the guards to see the end. The end of what?

The end of the matter of Christ. So Peter has a mixture of things going on. He's afraid. He's actually petrified. But he also is curious, and he he wants to know what's gonna happen to his master.

And so he's really here, busy trying to blend in so that nobody identifies him as a disciple, but also wanting to see what's going to happen to the rabbi, my rabbi, my lord, the Christ. And as he is doing this, this is the portrait that we have of him. Peter seems to look innocent, but actually this is concerning. Not only because he planted himself in a very compromising crowd, but also because he heard something Jesus told him about this very night, and it's strange how he is acting this way in light of what he was told by Jesus. Go back to Mark 14 verse 30.

Earlier that evening, Jesus predicted something. It says here in Mark fourteen thirty, and Jesus said to him, truly I tell you this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times. Pause. I want you to put yourself in Peter's shoes now. And I want you to imagine Jesus Christ looking at you in the eye and telling you, this night, before this night is over, you're going to deny me three times.

Jesus never lies. He never exaggerates. He's always right. How would you respond to that declaration? What would you do throughout that evening?

How would you posture yourself? The obvious answer, you're gonna pray. You're gonna pray a lot. Did Peter pray? He failed to pray.

And more than just pray, I'm sure you would be on high alert, extremely cautious, deeply discerning. And the impression that we get of Peter is that he's none of those things. He's cold. He's anxious. He's scared.

He's curious, but he is not mindful of what Jesus warned him about. And though the warning is unique to Peter, it carries universal application. Temptation is ever present. Temptation is not courteous. It's not considerate.

It's not compassionate. It doesn't it doesn't, concern and take any regard of your surroundings. It doesn't care about your circumstances. It's not sensitive to your feelings. Temptation intrudes on your thoughts even amidst other distractions, and it certainly does not care about your spiritual condition.

It's invasive. It's rude. It's surprising. Hey. Some of you as I'm preaching right now may be tempted in one way or another.

It's It's very possible. Peter was many things, but he was not aware of his vulnerability. And many of you know that I am personally passionate about the doctrine of the fear of the Lord. The reason for that is because, one, it made an impact on my life, but because there's also so many instructions regarding it and rewards attached to it. And if you're a person here who believes that the fear of the Lord is relevant, which it is for you and I as Christians, then this verse that I'm gonna bring to you, I believe, is one of the most important understandings of the fear of the Lord, at least in experiencing it for all that it has to offer.

Turn with me to Proverbs 23 and look at what the Holy Spirit says in verse 17. The spirit says, let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord. Three very important words. All the day. Do you know what this teaches me?

It's possible to walk in the fear of the Lord sometimes. It's possible to be inconsistent in how you perceive God. So what does the Holy Spirit say? Fear the Lord. Okay.

Good. No. No. No. Fear the Lord all the day.

What does that look like practically? Here's what it looks like practically. It looks like you being aware of God and being in awe of God beyond a two hour service on a Sunday. So when you're home alone, be aware of God and be in awe of God. When you go out with your friends to the heart of the city, be aware of God.

Be in awe of God. When you go to work and you know that you're gonna be surrounded by godless people, be aware of God. Be in awe of God. When you're in your living room with your family looking for something to kind of watch together, be aware of God. Be in awe of God.

When you're on your phone and you have a specific kind of screen that doesn't allow others to see what you're texting or browsing, be aware of God. Be in awe of God. When you're texting somebody, be aware of God. Be God. Fear the Lord all the day.

And there are many blessings that will flow from that frame of mind if you so choose to adopt it, and one of them is mentioned in the very next verse. Look at it. Surely, there is a future and your hope will not be cut off. Do you want a bright future? Who doesn't?

Who doesn't want a bright future? There's something very wrong if you don't want a bright future. Well, if you want a bright future, then you must choose to fear the Lord all the day, every day. And if temptation is ever present, then may our awareness and awe of God be the same. Again, I I mentioned how there's so many points about temptation that we can draw out from this.

One of them that I didn't include is how temptation is persistent, but let me mention it here. Do you see the pattern? Do you see that how after Peter denied Christ the first time, temptation was not satisfied? Came again, and it came again. And notice what happens to Peter's denials.

They get more intense. By the time you come to the third denial, he what? Verse 71, he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear. And we kinda have our a preconceived notion of how Peter denied Jesus. But notice how he denies him in verse 71.

I do not know this man of whom you speak. Not only does he say I'm not associated with him, he's like, I don't even who's Jesus? Who? Jesus of Nazareth? I don't know who you're talking about.

So temptation is listen. Temptation is not a sin. What you do with temptation determines if it's a sin or if it's a victory. But temptation is persistent, and it's not satisfied in you just slipping here and there. Temptation wants you dead.

It wants to kill your testimony. It wants to kill your marriage. It wants to kill your relationship with your children. It wants to kill your finances. It wants to kill your body.

It wants to absolutely crush you to find powder. So the antidote, at least one of them, to guarding your heart from surprising temptations that just spring up in your mind all of a sudden, and there's nothing even around you that would stimulate such thoughts or ideas, is to walk in the fear of the Lord, which can be simply summarized as an awareness of God, oh, but just more than that, in awe of God. Temptation is ever present. The second thing we learned from this in verse 68 is that temptation is conquerable. Look at verse 68.

But he denied it saying, I neither know nor understand what you mean, and he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. Now listen, temptation may catch you off guard. It may be unsuspecting, but there are things that we can do to minimize its frequency and its intensity. And we learned last week that how when Peter chose to follow Jesus, he did so in a very tricky manner. He did so at a distance, which led him to stand with guards and those who opposed Christ, and not just stand, what did he end up doing?

He sat with them, he got comfortable with them, and so as much as this was not the best place for him to be, we concluded that you have to also remember, he chose to be there. You're familiar with the flesh enough to understand that in order to overcome temptation, you have to avoid compromising conversations, seducing situations, any opportunity for the flesh to flare up. We have been given the responsibility to be very aware of what we are doing, cautiously or even accidentally, that might position us to be weak. Peter was not in the right place, yet we also know that despite your efforts to try to exterminate any external influences, it does not completely delete the possibility of temptation harassing you. Stick a man on an island with no computer, no iPhones, no people, he'll still know temptation.

Why? Because it's flesh. It's his heart. And that may make you feel hopeless, but it shouldn't. It shouldn't because there's a promise that God has given us, and I rate this promise as probably one of the greatest in all of scripture.

This is one of those that I I would encourage you to actually memorize. It's not a difficult verse, but does it really help? Is it useful to wield as you are facing temptation of any kind? It's what Paul said in first Corinthians ten thirteen. And he says so gloriously, no temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.

God is faithful and he will not let you be tempted beyond your own ability, but with the temptation, he will what? Provide a way of escape that you may be able to endure it. I'm tempted to just memorize that with you right now and call it a day today. Look at this verse again. Do you understand its implications?

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. First, no matter how extreme or unique your situation may be, we are not allowed to ever excuse ourselves to give in to it as though nobody else ever experienced it. No matter, again, how personal it may be, it's not unique. Others have also experienced something similar. But with that also, God promises each of us to never allow temptation to become unbearable.

Think about that. There is not one temptation that can overtake you and you come out of it saying, I had no choice. Not one. No matter the nature of it, no matter how fierce it is, there is not one single temptation. No matter how powerfully binding it is, no matter how much we have given into into it, the nature of the allurement and in God's grace promises us that it might be it might be intense but it never overcomes.

There's not a single temptation that any of us cannot overcome. It shouldn't make you sad, it shouldn't make you happy. If you're not happy yet, this will make you happy. With every temptation, big or small, God always provides an exit. Isn't that what he says?

But with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape. That way of escape may look different in every case, but one thing is for certain, he makes a way for us to be able to resist it. So there's no excuses, so now we're humbled, but we're also excited. Why? Because he he promises that in his goodness, there's not one temptation that will swallow you.

Now you're able to resist it. Why? Because he provides a path out. I bring this up to you to not just remind you a promise, but to actually show you how, in the verse that we read in Mark 14, the Lord provided Peter a way out. Go back to Mark fourteen sixty eight.

Maybe you missed it. But he denied it saying, I neither know nor Now, do you remember what Jesus told Peter about the rooster crowing? How many times would the rooster crowed before Peter denied him three times? Twice. Mark tells us though, as we just read, that the russer crowed once after Peter initially denied Jesus.

The russer's gonna crow a second time, and Jesus's fulfillment is gonna be realized. But we see here that the rooster crowed once and I am fully convinced that it was a gracious alarm for Peter to escape while he could. It was supposed to awaken his conscience. It was supposed to remind him early on. It was supposed to trigger him and cause him to remember what Christ had told him.

Oh, if only Peter heard the first crow. And in the same way that the Lord uses a crow to awaken Peter, at least to attempt, he implements many things to get our attention before we enter or we continue in sin. It right now. God's warnings, listen, they can be through roosters and they can be through preachers. They don't guarantee that a person would escape though.

Do you know why? Because the bible told us that he will provide the way of escape. It doesn't say he'll force you into it. God provided it in his providence with that rooster crowing once. Peter wasn't listening.

Are you listening? Are you listening? God's warnings and his grace come our way often to try to get us to run, to cancel, to change before it gets worse or before you even begin that dreadful journey. I don't even think this is the only way that God provided Peter a way of escape. Turn with me to John and let's see how John includes a detail that no other gospel account provides.

In John eighteen fifteen, this is actually really interesting detail of this story. It says in John eighteen fifteen, Simon Peter followed Jesus and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple who was known to the high priest went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door and brought Peter in. There are no random inclusions in the Bible, no random details.

And so what some make of this text is that they essentially applaud Peter. Yes, fearful, but he was able to muster up the courage to at least follow Jesus. Yeah, at a distance, but he was still following Jesus. And he comes to this point now where him and what most believe to be John, they arrive at the courtyard. John, we're not told how, has this relationship with the high priest and so he has a relationship with the servants of the high priest.

So he was given he was given access. He was given a pass. He walks in, and he realizes quickly, oh, Peter Peter doesn't have the same access that I do. So he goes to the servant girl at the door and convinces her for him to get entrance. And and why did they applaud Peter?

Because you find Peter here standing outside waiting at the door. He yes, he's fearful, but he he still wants to find out what's happening to Christ. And he was persistent even with obstacles. Others would differ. Others see it differently.

And the reason why is because what awaited Peter on the other side of that door was not in his favor. Especially because he was not equipped spiritually to enter into such an environment. What happened right after Peter walked through that door? Look at the next verse, John eighteen seventeen. The servant girl at the door said to Peter, you also are not one of this man's disciples, are you?

He said, I am not. It makes you wonder, you might disagree, that's okay. If Peter not being able to enter the door at first was a providential grace. One that should have encouraged him to reconsider his choice and to walk away from a dangerous scenario. And sometimes, one of the ways in which God provides a way of escape is to redirect us providentially.

Delays, detours, dead ends, some sort of obstacle that would give you the chance to pause and reflect, asking yourself, is what I'm about to do in accordance to God's word? Is my conscience really clear on this matter? I wish I can give you real life scenarios because there are so many real life scenarios, and you've probably seen them and you've probably sat across a table with others. And as they explain their scenario, their situation, you both identify how even God in his invisible hand has made it a little bit difficult for that person before they made a tragic mistake. And what do they do?

Like Peter, they chose not to listen. They chose to ignore it. The Lord is merciful even as we're being drawn from temptation to cause you to to stop in one way or another and to think, am I about to do something that I'm gonna regret? Temptation is conquerable. That's that's good.

That's good thing. That's a wonderful thing. Let me give you the final point about temptation in our study today. We learned that temptation is ever present. Temptation is conquerable.

Lastly, temptation must lead us to Christ. Let's read the rest of these verses from 69. And the servant girl saw him and began to say to the bystanders, this man is one of them, but again he denied it. And after a little while, the bystanders again said to Peter, certainly you are one of them for you are a Galilean. But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, I do not know this man of whom you speak.

And immediately the rooster crowed a second time and Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times. And he broke down and wept. In the moment of temptation, you and I must remember Jesus. You must recall God's promises. You have to believe that he never sets you up to fail, but has provided every means possible to prevail.

And one of the things that has helped me in this area, and I share it with you, hopefully it'll help you, early on in my Christian walk, by the grace of God, he's helped me to see rejection of any kind of temptation as an act of worship. That has helped me tremendously. So that whatever the enticement may be, it might be a selfish opportunity or a cheap sensation. I look at that temptation as it enters my mind, as it begins to pull on my senses, and I say, Lord, I'm choosing to say no to this temptation because I love you more than this. And if I'm called a living sacrifice, then here I am as a living sacrifice.

I love you more than what this will do for me, what this will make me feel like, what this will do for my future. See it as an act of worship. See your no as a fragrance before the throne. And that's why the greatest secret to overcoming illegitimate loves is to possess a stronger love for a greater God. That's the greatest secret.

Not saying that if you succumb to temptation that you don't love God, in fact that's the point that I wanna bring up. What if you fail to resist temptation? What if you ignore the way of escape and give in? The charge is no different. Remember Christ.

Look at what happens to Peter again, verse 72, and Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him. Peter remembered when he fulfilled the prediction of a severe sin. It is good that he recalled the words of Christ, but it's also good that it brought him to sorrow. Don't feel bad for Peter as he's crying his eyes out. Sin leads to agony.

Sin leads to pain. Sin leads to shame. Sin leads to regret. And that is all good as long as it leads you to repentance. You know where we should feel bad for Peter?

Is if he denied Christ and it didn't disturb him. But you know what would have been better for Peter? Is if he remembered more than just Christ's warning. Look how specific the bible is. What did Peter remember?

You remember when Jesus told him before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times. But that's not all that Jesus said. That's not all that Jesus told him. Jesus added certain things. So let me remind you in Luke 22, we're we're wrapping this up very soon.

Luke 22 verse 31. I want you to see with your own eyes a promise, if you would. Luke twenty two thirty one, 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. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers. So the Lord didn't just reveal Peter's massive failure, he also spoke of the possibility of him to turn back and be restored.

Do you see that? And when you have turned again. And if you have given into temptation, you must remember the same. He waits for you to turn back. Luke also adds another detail to this story.

Yes, it was the second time the rooster crowing that And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times. So what did Peter experience? He experienced something with his ears, but he also experienced something with his eyes. I I don't know what the scene looked like exactly, but I'm sure it was tense.

I'm sure it was somewhat loud. I'm sure it was busy. But in the midst of all that, as Jesus is on trial, as they're organizing themselves, Peter is there having a separate conversation. He denies Jesus three times. The rooster crows.

And at some point, he looks over, Jesus turns, and with laser beam focus, plants them on Peter. Peter sees it and it crushes him. I remember when this verse was first opened to me, and I sat back and I thought to myself, what did Peter see in those eyes? What did it mean that Jesus turned and what are we to make of that? Well, I think one thing that we're supposed to take from that is that Jesus was aware.

Jesus was aware of Peter's temptation, and Jesus was aware of Peter giving into that temptation. It's no different for us that when we are wrestling with temptation and when we are living in sin, Jesus sees it. He sees it. Nobody else may see it. Jesus sees it.

But it's more than just Jesus being aware. I believe when you look at the context, you realize that what Peter saw in those eyes was something that melted him because there is compassion oozing out of those eyes. Saying, how did you come to that conclusion? Well, keep in mind that Jesus is about to do what he came to do in the world and for the world, die for humanity sin. This is it.

We're reaching the climax of that. Right? He's about to be nailed to a tree, buried, and he's about to conquer the grave through his resurrection. Nothing can interfere or interrupt that. Peter sees Jesus.

He's so overcome by a mixture of feelings, and he takes off and he weeps. And you don't see Peter and Jesus sharing any interaction until the resurrection. And I've been sharing what I'm about to share with you, I've been sharing this on more than one occasion lately, and I hope it helps you. Revisiting it over and over for me has definitely helped me. So again, the last interaction that we have between Peter and Jesus before Jesus goes into that tomb and defeats death is this.

What's the next time that these two interact? It's in Luke. Go to Luke 24 as we conclude and look at verse 13. Luke twenty four thirteen. That very day, two of them were going to a village named Emmaus about seven miles from Jerusalem.

We know this story very well. This is when Jesus comes to those two and he gives them the greatest old testament bible study that we'll never know about. And he restores their faith and he opens their eyes to realize that he is indeed alive, but it's those few words that move me the first three. That very day. What very day?

Well, the context tells us that it was the very day of his resurrection. So on the first day of his resurrection where he appeared in the span of forty days, explained the things of the kingdom of God to his disciples, On the first day, he appears yes to these two but not just to these two. After these two opened their eyes, at least were granted that miracle, Luke twenty four thirty three, something happens. And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem and they found the 11 and those who were with them gathered together saying, the Lord has risen indeed and has appeared to Simon. So it wasn't just the bible study through the old testament that's concealed to us.

Somehow these two experienced Christ on the first day of Jesus' resurrection were informed that Jesus also met with Simon. Who's Simon? Peter. What do you think Jesus did when he appeared to Simon? Do you think he scolded him?

Do you think he slapped him behind the head? What do you think he did? Well, when you consider Jesus interacting with Peter in John 21, where that is Peter's public restoration, you know what Christ's heart was. It was to restore him. It was to reassure him.

It was to comfort him. It was to heal him with his love. You know what I find so amazing? We're told that he appeared to Simon on that very day, but we're told nothing about it. It was intimate.

It was private. This is the heart of Christ. On the first day of his resurrection, he made it a priority to restore Peter. That's his heart. You know how we might forgive people and restore people?

We might, if we're in Jesus' shoes, wait till the end of the forty days. Let Peter simmer in that guilt a little bit longer. Jesus doesn't do that. Shortly after that stone was rolled away from the tomb, he saw it as a joyful duty to find Peter at the right time to have a one on one conversation with him. Do you believe that about Jesus when you fall into temptation?

That he's waiting to wash your feet? He is. Even if you're a pastor that has done wonderful things for the Lord over decades and have failed majorly, Jesus waits. He doesn't want a minute to go by before you come broken, in shambles even, so that he can restore you. Jesus waits regardless of the nature of your sin.

How embarrassing, no matter what kind of relationships you've shattered through it, I'm not here to give you some practical counseling advice of what to do from a human to human standpoint when it comes to sin. I'm here to just focus on Jesus Christ and your walk with him. Jesus Christ is eager to heal you and restore you. Temptation is ever present, so may our awareness of God and our awe of him be the same. Temptation is conquerable.

I refuse to give into the popular opinion that we're just all gonna struggle for the rest of our lives, so live in sin and just wait till you get to heaven. Will we be tempted? Absolutely. Can we know victory over sin? Yes.

That's the gospel. I'm in that camp. Why am I in that camp? Because that's what the Bible says. So what we're not gonna talk about week after week is, oh, you're in sin.

It's okay. Just live in sin. No. It's not okay. God's not happy with that.

And he provided the means and the spiritual blessings and riches for us to know victory, to be able to say no to temptation. Sinless perfectionism, also an error. You got a crowd of people who believe every time you sin you lose your salvation. What kind of salvation is that? No.

No. I'm trying to tell you that you can know joy and victory. You can know things that have once clutched you and kept you in bondage, and Christ can actually set you feet free. It's not theoretical. This is reality.

It can happen. So no matter what the bondage is, I don't care how many years, I don't care how generational it is, Christ can redeem you. He can set you free. That's the power of the gospel. Thankful there's amens here.

Praise God. If you say that there's some people that look at you like you're an alien. Lastly, temptation must lead us to Christ. While you're in it, while you feel like it's rising up to your neck, you you remember Jesus. You you cry out to him.

And as I heard from a faithful professor in seminary, learn to take your temptation and make it into a conversation with God. And even as you fall, remember Jesus. He's waiting for you. Maybe you're in sin right now as I'm talking. If you're overcome with shame and embarrassment to the greed that you don't wanna show yourself to church or before the Lord, you're not hearing this message right.

You're supposed to be drawn to him. He's just as eager to wash you as he did when he initially bathed you in his salvation. Do you believe that? Oh, I hope you do. Let's pray.

Lord, we know that there are so many other things that could be said. Perhaps there are still questions in people's minds, but, Lord, we trust that what was shared has accomplished the goal of realizing that temptation is something that we all wrestle with. But you've given us answers to be stronger with it, to be joyful about it. Because you have given us what we need to to be victorious. And Lord, in your grace, you've even reserved joy in our failure not to live in that failure, but to know that there's hope.

There's hope for broken marriages here. There's hope for wayward children who have disgraced more than just their family name, but the name of Christ. There's hope for those who are addicted. There's hope in you. Thank you, Lord, that you don't give up on us.

And, Lord, though there are consequences to sin, people lose ministries, maybe even respect, your ways are not our ways and your thoughts are not our thoughts. You're much more compassionate and forgiving than we are. Help us believe that. So, Lord, like Peter, we sit here and we melt in your mercy. And Lord, if this message served as a rooster crow, as a providential nudge for anybody who might be enduring something, may they heed and may they answer.

Lord, we trust you today. We trust that this was what you wanted to say on this Lord's day, and we give you thanks for it. May we leave here with our hearts more convinced of your love, and more convinced that you have prepared us for a journey that can know true victory. Your word was spoken. It was received.

But, Lord, the power for these things to be made real can only come from you. So we ask that you would do that because only you can. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Let's stand.