1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:07,000 opened the bible, let’s get to the message, here is Pastor Colin! 2 00:00:10,000 –> 00:00:19,000 Please open your Bible at Mark chapter 8, which is been read to us, as we continue our 3 00:00:20,000 –> 00:00:27,000 series In the Life of Peter. We saw last week that to confess that Jesus is the Christ is 4 00:00:31,240 –> 00:00:38,240 really to embrace him as your teacher, as your savior, and as your master. 5 00:00:38,939 –> 00:00:44,939 And Jesus asked his disciples, who do you say that I am? And Peter confessed, You 6 00:00:47,860 –> 00:00:53,860 are the Christ, the son of the living God. And Jesus affirmed Peter’s answer, we saw 7 00:00:55,860 –> 00:01:01,820 from Matthew’s Gospel last time that Jesus said blessed are you Simon for flesh and blood 8 00:01:02,799 –> 00:01:08,919 has not revealed this to you, but my father who is in heaven. Now we’re going to take 9 00:01:08,919 –> 00:01:14,980 up the story today in the gospel of Mark. We have four wonderful gospels that God in 10 00:01:14,980 –> 00:01:21,900 his wisdom has given to us and different gospels full in different parts of the story. And 11 00:01:21,900 –> 00:01:28,080 in Mark chapter 8 and verse 31 we read this, that Jesus then began to teach them that the 12 00:01:28,720 –> 00:01:35,220 man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the 13 00:01:35,220 –> 00:01:42,459 scribes and be killed. And after three days rise again. So there are four things that 14 00:01:42,459 –> 00:01:52,260 Jesus says he must do. He must suffer, he must be rejected, he must be killed, and he 15 00:01:52,459 –> 00:01:59,019 must rise on the third day. And I want you to notice in verse 32 that Mark records that 16 00:01:59,019 –> 00:02:06,019 Jesus said this plainly. And that is very important. Jesus said this quite clearly. 17 00:02:06,019 –> 00:02:13,839 There was no ambiguity or doubt about what he said. So you see, Peter’s problem here 18 00:02:13,839 –> 00:02:20,600 is not that he didn’t understand what Jesus was saying. Peter’s problem is that he did 19 00:02:20,699 –> 00:02:27,699 understand what Jesus is saying, and is absolutely adamantly opposed to what Jesus has just said. 20 00:02:28,460 –> 00:02:34,860 And the title of our message today therefore is complaint. This is a story about all the 21 00:02:34,860 –> 00:02:41,860 times when we have a problem with something that Jesus says or something that Jesus does. 22 00:02:42,720 –> 00:02:48,860 And sooner or later in your experience, you will come to the place where Peter finds himself 23 00:02:48,880 –> 00:02:54,759 here — Lord, I have trusted you. I’ve confessed you as my Teacher and my Savior 24 00:02:54,759 –> 00:03:00,339 and as my Master. I confess that you’re the Christ, I believe. But I don’t like 25 00:03:00,339 –> 00:03:07,100 what you’re saying here. I don’t like what you’re doing here. I don’t like where 26 00:03:07,100 –> 00:03:12,139 you’re leading. I don’t like where you’re going. 27 00:03:12,860 –> 00:03:19,679 Now as Christians we are called always to think the best of others whatever we 28 00:03:19,679 –> 00:03:26,960 can, and so let’s give weight to what is good in Peter here. It seems to me 29 00:03:26,960 –> 00:03:30,479 that we should always do that in regards to all of our interactions with others 30 00:03:30,479 –> 00:03:34,919 and when we come to understanding the Scripture. We ought to give weight to 31 00:03:34,919 –> 00:03:40,020 what is good. We ought not to be harsh judges of other people. And so let’s 32 00:03:40,059 –> 00:03:46,460 recognize that Peter has a good heart. He loves Jesus. He really does. He wants 33 00:03:46,460 –> 00:03:53,380 the best for Jesus. He wants the best for ministry. He wants the best for the world. 34 00:03:53,380 –> 00:03:59,199 And what does the world most need from Jesus? Well in Peter’s day it was the 35 00:03:59,199 –> 00:04:05,839 same as ours. There were sick people who needed to be healed. Hungry people who 36 00:04:05,839 –> 00:04:12,279 needed to be fed. Oppressed people who needed to be set free. The world never 37 00:04:12,279 –> 00:04:17,119 changes. It’s the same today really as it was then. The needs of the world just 38 00:04:17,119 –> 00:04:23,119 press in on us. They’re all around us, and Peter had seen that Jesus had the 39 00:04:23,119 –> 00:04:29,299 power to meet these needs. I mean he’d seen Jesus feed the hungry. He had seen 40 00:04:29,299 –> 00:04:36,440 Jesus heal the sick. He had seen Jesus set the oppressed people free. And Peter 41 00:04:36,440 –> 00:04:43,019 is a leader. And anyone who has any leadership in them will recognize what 42 00:04:43,019 –> 00:04:48,100 was surely going on in Peter’s mind and heart at this moment. Like any good 43 00:04:48,100 –> 00:04:54,160 leader, he’s already framing in his mind the next phase, the next chapter of the 44 00:04:54,399 –> 00:04:59,640 vision. Jesus healed the sick, fed the hungry, freed the oppressed. But all of 45 00:04:59,640 –> 00:05:05,279 most of this had been done in a relatively small, rural area of Galilee. 46 00:05:05,279 –> 00:05:14,179 And so what’s the next chapter? Well, let’s take this to Jerusalem, and then to 47 00:05:14,179 –> 00:05:22,019 Judea and Samaria, and then to the ends of the earth. That is what we must do. And 48 00:05:22,100 –> 00:05:29,540 then Jesus says something entirely different. No! What the Son of Man must do 49 00:05:29,540 –> 00:05:37,220 is, he must suffer and be rejected and be killed, and on the third day rise again. 50 00:05:37,220 –> 00:05:42,799 Think about this. The One who has fed the hungry and healed the sick and freed 51 00:05:42,799 –> 00:05:49,339 the oppressed, has a higher calling. There is a greater work that the Father has 52 00:05:49,339 –> 00:05:54,600 called Him to do. He must, and he’s so clear in saying this, it said it very 53 00:05:54,600 –> 00:06:01,920 plainly, he must suffer and be rejected and be killed and rise on the third day. 54 00:06:01,920 –> 00:06:11,119 Now, when Jesus said this, Mark records that Peter, verse 32, took Jesus aside and 55 00:06:11,359 –> 00:06:18,100 began to rebuke Him. And then notice in the very next verse, verse 33, it says, 56 00:06:18,100 –> 00:06:26,079 But turning and seeing his disciples, he that is Jesus, rebuked Peter. So this is a 57 00:06:26,079 –> 00:06:31,700 story then about two rebukes. First you have Peter rebuking Jesus, and then 58 00:06:31,700 –> 00:06:38,500 immediately afterwards, you have Jesus rebuking Peter. And our series is called 59 00:06:38,579 –> 00:06:43,660 authentic discipleship. And today I want us to learn six very practical things 60 00:06:43,660 –> 00:06:49,540 about being a disciple of Jesus. Three of them we’re going to see from Peter’s 61 00:06:49,540 –> 00:06:56,820 rebuke to Jesus, and three of them we will see from Jesus’ rebuke to Peter. So 62 00:06:56,820 –> 00:07:03,459 let’s look first then at the presumption of Peter’s rebuke to Jesus. And I want us 63 00:07:03,459 –> 00:07:07,679 to see first first lesson in regards to discipleship, that we must learn to 64 00:07:07,720 –> 00:07:15,700 recognize when we are especially vulnerable to temptation. There are some 65 00:07:15,700 –> 00:07:23,040 times when we are in particular danger and we need to learn to recognize these 66 00:07:23,040 –> 00:07:30,019 times. Now, one very obvious example of course is when we are tired but 67 00:07:30,019 –> 00:07:35,579 especially vulnerable to temptation then. I mean I find that when I am tired I 68 00:07:35,720 –> 00:07:42,700 I just don’t see things so clearly. When I’m tired I’m less careful in what I say. 69 00:07:42,700 –> 00:07:50,559 When I’m tired I’m less patient and I’m more easily provoked. So when I’m tired I 70 00:07:50,559 –> 00:07:56,380 need to be aware that then I am especially vulnerable to temptation more 71 00:07:56,380 –> 00:08:01,820 than at other times. And you see a very obvious example of just that in the 72 00:08:01,820 –> 00:08:04,739 story of the Garden of Gethsemane. You remember the disciples are in 73 00:08:05,260 –> 00:08:10,519 the garden. It’s late at night. They’re really tired. And Jesus says to them then 74 00:08:10,519 –> 00:08:14,540 you need to watch and pray so that you do not enter into temptation. And you 75 00:08:14,540 –> 00:08:17,660 remember because they were tired they didn’t watch, they didn’t pray, they 76 00:08:17,660 –> 00:08:24,459 fell asleep and they did fall into temptation. Now it might be a useful 77 00:08:24,459 –> 00:08:30,959 conversation for us in the life groups this week to address this question. When 78 00:08:30,959 –> 00:08:38,520 do you find that you are especially vulnerable to temptation? And there are 79 00:08:38,520 –> 00:08:43,880 many answers to that question. But let me point out two answers that clearly 80 00:08:43,880 –> 00:08:49,719 come from this story that is in front of us today. We are especially vulnerable 81 00:08:49,719 –> 00:08:55,479 to temptation when we are disappointed. When we’re disappointed. You see very 82 00:08:55,479 –> 00:09:00,200 clearly that’s where Peter is at this moment. Lord, this is not what I was 83 00:09:00,200 –> 00:09:08,799 expecting. Lord, what you’re saying has taken me completely by surprise. This is 84 00:09:08,799 –> 00:09:14,739 not where I thought you would lead me. Now that’s Peter’s position. And he’s 85 00:09:14,739 –> 00:09:21,919 vulnerable to temptation when he’s disappointed. And you see the same in the 86 00:09:21,919 –> 00:09:26,299 experience of John the Baptist. Do remember he was a faithful preacher of 87 00:09:27,080 –> 00:09:31,260 He was the forerunner of the Lord Jesus Christ, he prepared the way for 88 00:09:31,260 –> 00:09:37,440 the Messiah. And then after the ministry of Jesus began, John the Baptist was put 89 00:09:37,440 –> 00:09:44,440 in prison. And here’s this man who has believed and proclaimed that Jesus is 90 00:09:44,440 –> 00:09:49,159 the Messiah. And now he’s thrown into prison. And there are questions in his 91 00:09:49,159 –> 00:09:54,760 mind. Well if Jesus is the Messiah how could He have allowed this to happen to 92 00:09:54,760 –> 00:10:01,719 me? And so he sends messengers to Jesus. This is in Matthews Gospel, in Chapter 93 00:10:01,719 –> 00:10:05,659 11. You can read this story. And John sends the messengers with this question. 94 00:10:05,659 –> 00:10:13,039 Ask Jesus are you the one who is to come or should we be looking for someone else? 95 00:10:13,039 –> 00:10:17,780 And Jesus sent back this answer to John in prison. Tell John 96 00:10:18,179 –> 00:10:25,780 The blind see, the lame walk, the dead are raised and blessed is the one who is not 97 00:10:26,280 –> 00:10:38,840 offended at me. Don’t be offended when Jesus leads you on a painful path. Look 98 00:10:38,840 –> 00:10:47,539 at what is yours in Christ and trust Him in your sorrow and trust Him in your 99 00:10:47,539 –> 00:10:54,859 loss. Watch and pray when you’re disappointed so that you do not fall 100 00:10:54,859 –> 00:11:00,000 into temptation. And then again from the story, another 101 00:11:00,000 –> 00:11:05,799 time when we are especially vulnerable is simply when we are blessed. Remember 102 00:11:05,799 –> 00:11:10,960 Peter had just confessed faith in Jesus and Jesus immediately said to Peter, 103 00:11:10,960 –> 00:11:16,739 blessed are you Simon. For flesh and blood did not reveal this to you but my 104 00:11:16,739 –> 00:11:22,619 father who is in heaven. So Peter is experiencing the blessing of God 105 00:11:22,619 –> 00:11:27,799 pronounced over him from the very lips of Jesus Himself and that’s when he fell 106 00:11:27,799 –> 00:11:33,239 into temptation. And it isn’t so hard to see how this 107 00:11:33,239 –> 00:11:42,780 happens. Jesus says to Peter, blessed are you. And Peter thinks, you know what 108 00:11:42,780 –> 00:11:49,380 that’s right. I’m blessed! Jesus says, this was revealed to you by the Father. 109 00:11:49,380 –> 00:11:56,760 And Peter thinks, yeah that’s right, the Father reveals things to me. The 110 00:11:56,760 –> 00:12:03,719 blessing of God then goes to his head and as it says in the book of Proverbs 111 00:12:03,719 –> 00:12:12,559 pride comes before what a fall. And you see he’s especially vulnerable to 112 00:12:12,559 –> 00:12:18,719 temptation in the moment that he is most blessed. So let’s draw this very 113 00:12:18,719 –> 00:12:23,219 practical discipleship lesson from the scripture that we’re looking at today. 114 00:12:23,380 –> 00:12:28,340 When God blesses you, you are especially vulnerable to temptation. 115 00:12:28,340 –> 00:12:31,859 And the temptation that you’re vulnerable to is the temptation to 116 00:12:31,859 –> 00:12:39,960 arrogance, to presumption, to being so sure of yourself that you are no longer 117 00:12:39,960 –> 00:12:45,280 listening to Jesus. That’s what happens to Peter here. You watch and pray when 118 00:12:45,280 –> 00:12:52,000 you are blessed so that you do not enter into temptation. Well, that’s the first 119 00:12:52,000 –> 00:12:58,840 very practical discipleship lesson from the story. Here’s a second. As a disciple 120 00:12:58,840 –> 00:13:08,159 of Jesus, learn humility in what you ask of Jesus. Now, if you have faith in Jesus, 121 00:13:08,159 –> 00:13:14,340 there will be times when you are tempted to tell Him what you think He should do. 122 00:13:14,340 –> 00:13:21,059 And that’s precisely what Peter does here. In Matthew’s account, he records 123 00:13:21,140 –> 00:13:24,419 the words of Peter that Peter actually said to Jesus, 124 00:13:24,419 –> 00:13:28,619 Far be it from you, this shall never happen 125 00:13:29,080 –> 00:13:37,940 to you, Lord. Now, telling Jesus what He must do 126 00:13:39,400 –> 00:13:47,400 might sound like faith. And you might hear some preachers who suggest that, 127 00:13:47,460 –> 00:13:53,780 that this is what faith looks like, that you tell Jesus what He must do. And if you 128 00:13:53,780 –> 00:13:58,580 say it with sufficient conviction, He’s going to do it. Actually, what I want you 129 00:13:58,580 –> 00:14:03,619 to see here, is that far from being faith, that is the opposite of faith. 130 00:14:03,619 –> 00:14:09,960 Think about the great contradiction here. We saw last time that when you confess 131 00:14:09,960 –> 00:14:14,159 Jesus, what that means is that you embrace him as your teacher, your Savior, 132 00:14:14,500 –> 00:14:19,919 and your master. And Peter confesses faith in the Lord Jesus, and then 133 00:14:19,919 –> 00:14:25,760 immediately after that, he presumes to tell Jesus what he must and must not do. 134 00:14:25,760 –> 00:14:33,859 So, Jesus is the teacher, but Peter presumes to teach Jesus a better way. 135 00:14:33,859 –> 00:14:41,239 Jesus is the Savior, but Peter presumes to save Jesus from going to the cross. 136 00:14:41,380 –> 00:14:50,219 Jesus is the master, but Peter presumes to tell the master what he must do. 137 00:14:50,219 –> 00:14:54,539 So, here is Peter, and he is blessed by the Father with all this wisdom and insight, 138 00:14:54,539 –> 00:15:01,340 but it has gone to his head, and now he actually thinks that he can teach the teacher, 139 00:15:01,340 –> 00:15:05,239 save the Savior, and master the master. 140 00:15:05,739 –> 00:15:07,359 And so we read here in verse 32, 141 00:15:07,359 –> 00:15:11,679 Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 142 00:15:11,679 –> 00:15:16,700 Think of that, he rebuked Jesus. 143 00:15:16,700 –> 00:15:19,520 Now, here’s the obvious practical question. 144 00:15:19,520 –> 00:15:22,260 Have you ever done that? 145 00:15:22,260 –> 00:15:30,000 Have you ever found yourself in a place where you felt that you knew better than Jesus? 146 00:15:30,000 –> 00:15:34,520 Have there been times in your life where you’ve been so sure of what the best outcome 147 00:15:34,619 –> 00:15:38,440 in that particular situation would be that you have presumed to say to Jesus, 148 00:15:38,440 –> 00:15:42,780 this is what you must do. 149 00:15:42,780 –> 00:15:49,419 And there’s clearly a warning here against presumptuous prayers. 150 00:15:49,419 –> 00:15:55,960 Learn humility in what you ask of Jesus. 151 00:15:55,960 –> 00:16:00,979 We were reminded already this morning that Jesus taught Peter and us how we are to pray, 152 00:16:01,280 –> 00:16:09,380 Your kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. 153 00:16:09,380 –> 00:16:14,520 So, here are some very practical things about being a disciple of Jesus. 154 00:16:14,520 –> 00:16:18,739 As we follow the Savior, we must learn to recognize times when we are especially vulnerable 155 00:16:18,739 –> 00:16:20,099 to temptation. 156 00:16:20,099 –> 00:16:23,979 We must learn humility in what we ask of our master. 157 00:16:24,440 –> 00:16:30,780 Third, we must learn discernment in regards to what we hear from others. 158 00:16:30,780 –> 00:16:34,719 Now, Peter said to Jesus, 159 00:16:44,179 –> 00:16:48,760 Now, I reckon Peter was a force to be reckoned with, don’t you think? 160 00:16:48,760 –> 00:16:51,739 And here he is full-on making the case. 161 00:16:52,059 –> 00:16:57,260 And I’m sure he did it with great vigor and with great passion. 162 00:16:58,479 –> 00:17:02,719 And if ever there was a moment where you might feel that you should trust what this 163 00:17:02,719 –> 00:17:05,859 man says, surely this would be it. 164 00:17:05,859 –> 00:17:07,839 I mean, Peter is blessed by God. 165 00:17:07,839 –> 00:17:09,560 He’s been walking with the Son of God. 166 00:17:09,560 –> 00:17:11,640 He’s been walking with God in the flesh. 167 00:17:11,640 –> 00:17:14,540 He’s been having things revealed to him by the Father. 168 00:17:14,540 –> 00:17:16,660 Surely we should trust what he says here. 169 00:17:16,719 –> 00:17:23,819 But do you see the point that Peter’s well-meaning counsel here is absolutely, 170 00:17:23,819 –> 00:17:25,719 completely and utterly wrong? 171 00:17:27,780 –> 00:17:32,219 And this is what he says in the next sentence to when he just confessed Jesus. 172 00:17:32,219 –> 00:17:33,859 I mean, it’s extraordinary, isn’t it? 173 00:17:33,859 –> 00:17:38,660 When he says you are the Christ, the son of the living God, he is absolutely right, 174 00:17:38,660 –> 00:17:42,719 and when he says, Lord, this shall never happen to you, he is absolutely wrong. 175 00:17:43,040 –> 00:17:46,760 Here’s what we learn from this. 176 00:17:46,760 –> 00:17:54,079 The wisest, godliest, believer you know can sometimes be wrong. 177 00:17:56,040 –> 00:18:01,520 So learn discernment as you listen to the counsel of others. 178 00:18:02,680 –> 00:18:07,939 The wisest counselor you know may sometimes be wrong, and 179 00:18:07,939 –> 00:18:12,119 that is a very important principle that we learn directly from this story. 180 00:18:12,119 –> 00:18:18,020 Because remembering this will prevent you from putting another 181 00:18:18,020 –> 00:18:24,119 person in a position in your life that you’d only belong to God alone. 182 00:18:25,920 –> 00:18:29,140 So, here are three things that we immediately learn from 183 00:18:29,140 –> 00:18:32,260 Peter’s presumptuous rebuke towards Jesus. 184 00:18:32,260 –> 00:18:37,640 We must learn to recognize times when we are especially vulnerable to temptation. 185 00:18:37,640 –> 00:18:42,800 We must learn humility in what we ask of Jesus, and 186 00:18:42,800 –> 00:18:47,380 we must learn discernment as we listen to the words of others. 187 00:18:47,380 –> 00:18:52,180 Who may, with a good heart and meaning well, 188 00:18:53,560 –> 00:18:57,880 say something that is entirely at variance with the will and 189 00:18:57,880 –> 00:19:03,239 the purpose of the Lord Jesus as revealed to us in the scriptures. 190 00:19:03,939 –> 00:19:08,040 Now, that’s what we learn from Peter’s rebuke to Jesus, and 191 00:19:08,040 –> 00:19:10,239 this is a story of two rebukes. 192 00:19:10,239 –> 00:19:14,319 So let’s now look at Jesus’ rebuke to Peter. 193 00:19:14,319 –> 00:19:18,359 And again I want us to see three further lessons here for 194 00:19:18,359 –> 00:19:21,900 disciples, and the first, very obviously, 195 00:19:21,900 –> 00:19:25,339 is that we learn to see blessing in rebuke. 196 00:19:25,339 –> 00:19:29,060 We’re told here that turning and 197 00:19:29,060 –> 00:19:32,959 seeing His disciples, Jesus rebuked Peter. 198 00:19:33,459 –> 00:19:36,719 Now, remember that when Peter rebuked Jesus 199 00:19:36,719 –> 00:19:40,800 what he’s trying to do is to stop him from going to the cross. 200 00:19:42,180 –> 00:19:45,599 Jesus has just said the Son of Man must suffer, be rejected, 201 00:19:45,599 –> 00:19:47,680 be killed, and rise on the third day. 202 00:19:47,680 –> 00:19:48,640 Peter says no, 203 00:19:48,640 –> 00:19:52,560 that’s never, never, never going to happen to you. 204 00:19:54,280 –> 00:20:00,000 And now immediately Jesus, with great force rebukes Peter. 205 00:20:00,000 –> 00:20:01,800 Thank God for that. 206 00:20:03,719 –> 00:20:07,560 Peter’s salvation and ours 207 00:20:07,560 –> 00:20:10,479 hung on the rebuke of Jesus to Peter. 208 00:20:13,239 –> 00:20:16,780 People like to tell stories 209 00:20:16,780 –> 00:20:20,699 about Peter at the pearly gates of heaven. 210 00:20:20,699 –> 00:20:22,400 Please if you have a story about Peter 211 00:20:22,400 –> 00:20:23,479 at the pearly gates of heaven 212 00:20:23,479 –> 00:20:27,160 don’t tell it to me in the foyer after the service. 213 00:20:27,160 –> 00:20:29,160 There are just so many. 214 00:20:29,160 –> 00:20:32,199 But let me paint this picture for you. 215 00:20:32,280 –> 00:20:34,319 What would it have been like for Peter 216 00:20:35,560 –> 00:20:39,040 when he arrived at the pearly gates of heaven 217 00:20:39,040 –> 00:20:41,219 if Jesus had not gone to the cross? 218 00:20:43,239 –> 00:20:47,199 Well, you see if Jesus had followed Peter’s counsel 219 00:20:47,199 –> 00:20:51,199 what would have happened when he arrived 220 00:20:51,199 –> 00:20:53,599 Peter knocks on heaven’s door 221 00:20:54,880 –> 00:20:58,500 and an angel says to him well who are you? 222 00:20:59,560 –> 00:21:01,280 And he says well I’m Peter. 223 00:21:01,800 –> 00:21:05,219 I’m one of the disciples of Jesus when he was on earth 224 00:21:05,219 –> 00:21:07,439 and the angel says well yes I know that 225 00:21:07,439 –> 00:21:09,619 but why are you here? 226 00:21:11,479 –> 00:21:14,500 And Peter says well these are the gates of heaven 227 00:21:14,500 –> 00:21:16,020 and I’d like to come in. 228 00:21:17,920 –> 00:21:19,719 And the angel says well I’m sorry 229 00:21:19,719 –> 00:21:22,939 but you are a sinful man. 230 00:21:24,400 –> 00:21:26,680 Don’t you remember you said it yourself. 231 00:21:27,640 –> 00:21:29,599 You said to Jesus depart from me 232 00:21:29,640 –> 00:21:32,680 I am a simple man. 233 00:21:33,880 –> 00:21:36,920 Peter you’ve got to understand that 234 00:21:36,920 –> 00:21:39,180 there’s no room here 235 00:21:40,819 –> 00:21:42,599 for a sinful man. 236 00:21:44,239 –> 00:21:46,939 Heaven’s a holy place. 237 00:21:46,939 –> 00:21:49,160 There’s no room here for sin of any kind. 238 00:21:51,459 –> 00:21:54,819 Now Peter, there’s another gateway over there. 239 00:21:56,339 –> 00:21:57,800 You go knock on that door 240 00:21:57,800 –> 00:22:02,800 and you’ll find that there’s plenty of room for you. 241 00:22:03,060 –> 00:22:08,060 Now do you see that what Peter was suggesting here 242 00:22:08,219 –> 00:22:10,400 Jesus not going to the cross 243 00:22:11,400 –> 00:22:15,000 would actually have led to his own utter destruction 244 00:22:15,000 –> 00:22:18,859 and thank God that the sharp rebuke of Jesus 245 00:22:18,859 –> 00:22:22,079 is a wonderful expression of his love. 246 00:22:23,439 –> 00:22:27,219 No one will stop Jesus from fulfilling his mission 247 00:22:27,239 –> 00:22:31,800 of dying for sinners in order that we may be forgiven 248 00:22:31,800 –> 00:22:33,800 and reconciled to God. 249 00:22:33,800 –> 00:22:37,140 And this rebuke of Jesus to Peter 250 00:22:37,140 –> 00:22:40,560 and the insistence of Jesus that he must suffer 251 00:22:40,560 –> 00:22:43,319 and that he must be rejected and killed 252 00:22:43,319 –> 00:22:45,160 and that he must rise on the third day 253 00:22:45,160 –> 00:22:46,719 on this our salvation 254 00:22:46,719 –> 00:22:50,040 and ultimate entrance into heaven hangs. 255 00:22:51,599 –> 00:22:54,079 Now there’s a very important principle here 256 00:22:54,180 –> 00:22:58,060 that we can apply to ourselves in many, many ways. 257 00:22:58,060 –> 00:23:02,119 When a person is on a self-destructive path, 258 00:23:02,119 –> 00:23:07,119 a sharp rebuke is an expression of love. 259 00:23:07,280 –> 00:23:09,959 For parents, think about this in regards to our children. 260 00:23:09,959 –> 00:23:12,079 They don’t know what will harm them. 261 00:23:13,540 –> 00:23:15,619 And if parents have the idea 262 00:23:15,619 –> 00:23:18,920 that somehow a sharp rebuke is inconsistent with love, 263 00:23:18,920 –> 00:23:21,479 well then what will happen is that children 264 00:23:22,119 –> 00:23:25,780 will then continue on a self-destructive path unchecked. 265 00:23:26,979 –> 00:23:30,160 Thank God that Jesus didn’t allow Peter to do that. 266 00:23:30,160 –> 00:23:31,979 No, he gives a sharp rebuke. 267 00:23:33,780 –> 00:23:37,579 And in this, Peter and we are wonderfully, wonderfully blessed. 268 00:23:37,579 –> 00:23:39,560 Peter couldn’t see 269 00:23:39,560 –> 00:23:42,680 that what he was saying would lead to his own destruction. 270 00:23:42,680 –> 00:23:45,599 He needs the rebuke that Jesus gave. 271 00:23:45,599 –> 00:23:47,180 And there will be many, many times 272 00:23:47,180 –> 00:23:49,760 when we, in our lives, will need the same. 273 00:23:50,760 –> 00:23:55,099 Now, how, then, does Jesus rebuke us? 274 00:23:55,099 –> 00:23:58,339 And the answer is, He does that through the scripture. 275 00:23:58,339 –> 00:24:03,239 This is in 2 Timothy 3, and verse 16, 276 00:24:03,239 –> 00:24:04,319 where we read these words 277 00:24:04,319 –> 00:24:07,819 that, All scripture is breathed out by God. 278 00:24:07,819 –> 00:24:10,500 And why is the scripture given to us? 279 00:24:10,500 –> 00:24:14,920 Because it’s profitable for teaching for reproof. 280 00:24:14,920 –> 00:24:16,520 And that’s often translated, 281 00:24:17,219 –> 00:24:22,219 for correcting, and for training in righteousness. 282 00:24:22,540 –> 00:24:26,660 So, Christ’s rebukes to us in scripture, 283 00:24:26,660 –> 00:24:30,739 Christ’s, no that is the wrong path, don’t do that. 284 00:24:30,739 –> 00:24:33,000 Christ’s correction to us in scripture 285 00:24:33,000 –> 00:24:35,579 is part of the expression of His great love 286 00:24:35,579 –> 00:24:38,819 to keep us from going on self-destructive paths. 287 00:24:41,099 –> 00:24:44,540 I find it really helpful to actually look 288 00:24:44,540 –> 00:24:49,540 for the rebukes in scripture, and I hope you do, too. 289 00:24:50,060 –> 00:24:52,380 What is there in this Psalm that I’m reading 290 00:24:52,380 –> 00:24:54,420 that God says I must not do? 291 00:24:55,699 –> 00:24:58,339 What is there in this story that I’m reading 292 00:24:58,339 –> 00:25:01,040 that is pointing me from a different direction 293 00:25:01,040 –> 00:25:02,500 from the way that my mind is going. 294 00:25:02,500 –> 00:25:04,880 Lord, I need your correction, I need your rebuke, 295 00:25:04,880 –> 00:25:07,359 otherwise, I’ll go on a self-destructive path. 296 00:25:07,359 –> 00:25:09,280 And it’s for this purpose that the word of God 297 00:25:09,280 –> 00:25:10,959 is given to us and needs to be opened 298 00:25:10,959 –> 00:25:12,819 before us every day and every week. 299 00:25:14,900 –> 00:25:17,040 Learn to see blessing in rebuke. 300 00:25:17,920 –> 00:25:20,160 Learn to thank God for it. 301 00:25:21,099 –> 00:25:25,400 Learn to see it as a wonderful expression of his love. 302 00:25:26,739 –> 00:25:30,619 And then here’s another very important principle 303 00:25:30,619 –> 00:25:33,900 for us as disciples to learn 304 00:25:33,900 –> 00:25:37,719 to take appropriate responsibility. 305 00:25:39,099 –> 00:25:41,060 If you would be a disciple of Jesus, 306 00:25:41,060 –> 00:25:43,300 if you want to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, 307 00:25:43,300 –> 00:25:46,920 this is really important. 308 00:25:46,920 –> 00:25:51,920 Learn to take appropriate responsibility. 309 00:25:52,800 –> 00:25:55,760 And notice these very significant words of Jesus, 310 00:25:55,760 –> 00:25:57,640 turning and seeing his disciples, 311 00:25:57,640 –> 00:26:01,020 Jesus rebuked Peter and said, 312 00:26:01,020 –> 00:26:04,479 get behind me, Satan. 313 00:26:05,640 –> 00:26:08,199 Now, look at these two phrases together 314 00:26:08,199 –> 00:26:11,319 and see the significance of what Jesus says here. 315 00:26:11,380 –> 00:26:13,739 He rebuked Peter. 316 00:26:15,020 –> 00:26:18,900 He said, get behind me, Satan. 317 00:26:20,459 –> 00:26:23,500 Now, notice first that Jesus clearly 318 00:26:23,500 –> 00:26:27,500 recognizes the activity of Satan. 319 00:26:27,500 –> 00:26:31,439 You remember that Satan had already tempted Jesus 320 00:26:31,439 –> 00:26:35,300 to avoid the cross when Jesus was in the desert. 321 00:26:35,300 –> 00:26:37,500 Satan came at him directly 322 00:26:37,500 –> 00:26:40,099 to try and divert him from that path 323 00:26:40,219 –> 00:26:41,420 that he must have known, 324 00:26:41,420 –> 00:26:45,040 even then, would have led to his ultimate destruction, 325 00:26:45,040 –> 00:26:48,579 and Jesus repels the direct temptation of Satan 326 00:26:48,579 –> 00:26:51,140 when he came to our savior in the desert. 327 00:26:51,140 –> 00:26:52,760 Now. 328 00:26:52,760 –> 00:26:55,739 Now Satan is trying the same 329 00:26:56,880 –> 00:27:00,459 tempting, but this time he’s doing it 330 00:27:00,459 –> 00:27:04,520 through the words of a well-meaning friend. 331 00:27:05,739 –> 00:27:08,560 And Peter had no idea 332 00:27:08,599 –> 00:27:12,599 that he was actually becoming a tempter to Jesus. 333 00:27:12,599 –> 00:27:14,900 He would have been appalled at the thought 334 00:27:14,900 –> 00:27:17,920 that he was actually doing the Devil’s work. 335 00:27:18,959 –> 00:27:23,439 But Jesus clearly recognizes the activity of Satan 336 00:27:23,439 –> 00:27:26,640 behind what Peter was saying. 337 00:27:27,660 –> 00:27:31,540 So Jesus says, Get behind me Satan. 338 00:27:32,920 –> 00:27:35,160 But I want you to notice, and this is very significant, 339 00:27:35,280 –> 00:27:37,959 that Jesus holds Peter responsible 340 00:27:37,959 –> 00:27:41,219 for his own words, and for his own actions. 341 00:27:41,219 –> 00:27:43,660 He rebuked Peter. 342 00:27:43,660 –> 00:27:45,459 So you see, Peter is not responsible 343 00:27:45,459 –> 00:27:47,079 for the activity of Satan, 344 00:27:47,079 –> 00:27:50,219 but Peter is responsible for what he has said. 345 00:27:52,540 –> 00:27:54,079 This is very important. 346 00:27:55,339 –> 00:28:00,199 When we sin, there is always a story 347 00:28:00,199 –> 00:28:04,719 behind what we did, that may involve various factors 348 00:28:04,780 –> 00:28:07,079 that got us to that place. 349 00:28:08,119 –> 00:28:13,119 The person says, well, I was not happy in my marriage, 350 00:28:15,280 –> 00:28:18,959 or this person put me in an impossible position 351 00:28:18,959 –> 00:28:21,099 and that is why I acted as I did. 352 00:28:22,199 –> 00:28:26,560 I was provoked, and that’s why I spoke in this way. 353 00:28:27,560 –> 00:28:32,239 And you know that our culture puts great emphasis 354 00:28:32,239 –> 00:28:35,819 on the sins and the faults of other people. 355 00:28:35,819 –> 00:28:39,680 The harm that is done by the actions of other people, 356 00:28:39,680 –> 00:28:41,959 the influence of what other people have said 357 00:28:41,959 –> 00:28:44,400 and done on us, and so forth. 358 00:28:44,400 –> 00:28:47,619 Their part in causing what we did. 359 00:28:47,619 –> 00:28:52,619 And Jesus recognizes this truth, it was not just Peter, 360 00:28:54,199 –> 00:28:58,000 Satan was clearly involved. 361 00:28:58,000 –> 00:29:00,040 But notice, and this is significant, 362 00:29:00,040 –> 00:29:04,060 that having recognized the activity of Satan in this, 363 00:29:04,060 –> 00:29:06,060 Jesus rebukes Peter. 364 00:29:07,099 –> 00:29:11,060 Jesus holds Peter responsible for what he said 365 00:29:11,060 –> 00:29:13,239 and what he did. 366 00:29:13,239 –> 00:29:15,300 This is very important for us. 367 00:29:15,300 –> 00:29:20,300 God is just and the judge of all the Earth will do right. 368 00:29:22,400 –> 00:29:24,760 You can be absolutely certain 369 00:29:24,760 –> 00:29:29,760 that God will hold others accountable for what they did 370 00:29:30,520 –> 00:29:33,140 and for the effect that it had on you. 371 00:29:34,260 –> 00:29:37,959 But we must also be very clear that God holds us accountable 372 00:29:37,959 –> 00:29:41,599 for what we say and for what we do. 373 00:29:42,599 –> 00:29:45,680 Remember when the first sin was committed 374 00:29:45,680 –> 00:29:48,300 and God confronted both Adam and Eve 375 00:29:48,300 –> 00:29:49,979 and then the serpent in the garden, 376 00:29:49,979 –> 00:29:51,680 do you remember what Eve said? 377 00:29:52,699 –> 00:29:57,699 “‘The serpent deceived me and I ate.’” 378 00:29:57,800 –> 00:29:58,839 I ate. 379 00:29:59,900 –> 00:30:01,300 There are two things there. 380 00:30:02,380 –> 00:30:06,160 The serpent was responsible for the deceiving, 381 00:30:06,160 –> 00:30:08,939 Eve was responsible for the eating, 382 00:30:09,819 –> 00:30:11,760 and God dealt with them both 383 00:30:11,760 –> 00:30:14,439 according to their responsibility. 384 00:30:15,380 –> 00:30:19,420 So learn to take appropriate responsibility. 385 00:30:19,420 –> 00:30:22,900 It’s so easy, especially in our culture, 386 00:30:22,900 –> 00:30:25,920 to put all the blame on others who played some role 387 00:30:25,920 –> 00:30:27,500 in causing you to sin. 388 00:30:27,579 –> 00:30:29,920 God will deal with them for what they did. 389 00:30:31,079 –> 00:30:34,380 Your part as a disciple of Jesus 390 00:30:34,380 –> 00:30:36,900 is to take responsibility for what you said 391 00:30:37,959 –> 00:30:39,239 and for what you did. 392 00:30:40,400 –> 00:30:43,319 And then I want you to notice that as 393 00:30:43,319 –> 00:30:47,160 Jesus charges Peter with his own responsibility, 394 00:30:47,160 –> 00:30:50,900 and clearly Peter takes responsibility for what he has said, 395 00:30:50,900 –> 00:30:55,739 that very wonderfully Jesus removes Satan from Peter. 396 00:30:55,739 –> 00:30:58,439 Get behind me Satan. 397 00:30:58,439 –> 00:31:01,319 So Peter is in front of Jesus, 398 00:31:01,319 –> 00:31:03,640 and Jesus says get behind me Satan, 399 00:31:03,640 –> 00:31:07,079 what’s happening is he’s making a separation 400 00:31:07,079 –> 00:31:11,079 between the disciple and the deceiver. 401 00:31:12,400 –> 00:31:15,660 And I’m sure that if Peter was here today 402 00:31:15,660 –> 00:31:18,119 he would say something like this. 403 00:31:18,119 –> 00:31:19,839 When Jesus spoke at that moment 404 00:31:19,839 –> 00:31:21,640 my first thought was, 405 00:31:21,640 –> 00:31:25,160 that he was telling me to get behind him. 406 00:31:26,599 –> 00:31:27,900 Oh no, I thought. 407 00:31:29,000 –> 00:31:30,300 I’m done for. 408 00:31:31,219 –> 00:31:35,239 He never wants to set eyes on me again. 409 00:31:38,319 –> 00:31:41,199 And I was about to move when I realized 410 00:31:41,199 –> 00:31:44,359 he didn’t say get behind me Peter. 411 00:31:44,359 –> 00:31:45,959 Isn’t that wonderful by the way? 412 00:31:46,920 –> 00:31:48,540 He said get behind me Satan. 413 00:31:49,640 –> 00:31:52,560 Satan was the one who had to move 414 00:31:52,739 –> 00:31:56,359 and there was hope for me in these words. 415 00:31:56,359 –> 00:31:58,300 My choice was simple. 416 00:31:58,300 –> 00:32:03,300 If I were to cling to Satan I must get behind Jesus. 417 00:32:07,380 –> 00:32:11,060 But if I would cling to Jesus he would separate me 418 00:32:11,060 –> 00:32:13,140 from the one who had deceived me. 419 00:32:14,579 –> 00:32:18,619 Jesus puts himself between the enemy and the disciple 420 00:32:19,479 –> 00:32:24,479 and in removing Satan he wonderfully restores Peter. 421 00:32:27,939 –> 00:32:31,140 So here’s what we’re learning from this remarkable rebuke 422 00:32:31,140 –> 00:32:33,859 of Jesus to Peter. 423 00:32:33,859 –> 00:32:34,979 What a blessing it is. 424 00:32:34,979 –> 00:32:37,619 Learn to see blessing in rebuke. 425 00:32:37,619 –> 00:32:39,900 Learn to take appropriate responsibility 426 00:32:39,900 –> 00:32:41,540 and here’s the very last thing briefly. 427 00:32:41,540 –> 00:32:46,540 Learn the central importance of the atonement. 428 00:32:46,540 –> 00:32:49,540 Jesus says, you are not setting your mind 429 00:32:49,540 –> 00:32:54,540 on the things of God but on the things of man. 430 00:32:55,199 –> 00:32:57,400 And when Jesus speaks about the things of God here, 431 00:32:57,400 –> 00:33:02,380 he’s very clearly referring to what he had just said 432 00:33:02,380 –> 00:33:05,339 that the son of man must suffer and be rejected 433 00:33:05,339 –> 00:33:09,219 and killed and must rise on the third day. 434 00:33:09,219 –> 00:33:10,819 That’s what Jesus had on his mind. 435 00:33:10,819 –> 00:33:12,699 That’s what he’s spoken about plainly. 436 00:33:12,699 –> 00:33:15,660 These are the things of God. 437 00:33:15,680 –> 00:33:18,619 And you see that Satan was doing all that he could 438 00:33:18,619 –> 00:33:21,239 to prevent Jesus from going to the cross. 439 00:33:21,239 –> 00:33:24,000 Oh, he knew that if Jesus went to the cross 440 00:33:24,000 –> 00:33:29,000 and atoned for our sins, his future was ultimate defeat. 441 00:33:31,000 –> 00:33:33,579 What the world most needs from Jesus 442 00:33:34,520 –> 00:33:38,020 is that he should suffer, and be rejected, 443 00:33:38,020 –> 00:33:41,160 and be killed, and on the third day rise again. 444 00:33:41,160 –> 00:33:42,900 And this is what he has done. 445 00:33:43,900 –> 00:33:45,619 And if you’re asking the question, 446 00:33:45,619 –> 00:33:47,300 Why is that so important? 447 00:33:47,300 –> 00:33:48,900 Why is that really the thing 448 00:33:48,900 –> 00:33:51,459 that the world most needs from Jesus? 449 00:33:52,420 –> 00:33:55,500 The answer is because at the cross, 450 00:33:55,500 –> 00:33:59,900 Jesus made atonement for our sins. 451 00:33:59,900 –> 00:34:02,540 At the cross he bore the condemnation 452 00:34:02,540 –> 00:34:04,939 that would have been ours. 453 00:34:04,939 –> 00:34:08,020 At the cross he made peace with God 454 00:34:08,020 –> 00:34:10,580 and reconciled us to the Father. 455 00:34:10,679 –> 00:34:13,500 This is why Satan did everything he possibly could 456 00:34:13,500 –> 00:34:16,340 to prevent Jesus from going o the cross. 457 00:34:16,340 –> 00:34:20,060 And even through the words of his disciple, 458 00:34:20,060 –> 00:34:21,939 Jesus’ dearest friend, 459 00:34:23,219 –> 00:34:25,260 Jesus will not be prevented. 460 00:34:25,260 –> 00:34:28,979 He goes forward, he sets his face for Jerusalem. 461 00:34:28,979 –> 00:34:33,979 He did suffer and he was rejected and he was killed 462 00:34:34,540 –> 00:34:38,300 and on the third day he did rise again. 463 00:34:39,260 –> 00:34:40,899 And what that meant for Peter 464 00:34:40,899 –> 00:34:44,320 and what one day it will mean for us is simply this. 465 00:34:44,320 –> 00:34:45,459 That being forgiven 466 00:34:45,459 –> 00:34:47,780 for all of our sins in Jesus Christ 467 00:34:47,780 –> 00:34:50,500 and being reconciled to the Father 468 00:34:50,500 –> 00:34:53,199 through the shedding of his precious blood. 469 00:34:55,020 –> 00:34:57,919 And Peter arrives at the pearly gates of heaven. 470 00:34:59,179 –> 00:35:00,580 There’s a new and living way 471 00:35:00,580 –> 00:35:04,179 that is open for him to walk right in. 472 00:35:05,139 –> 00:35:09,340 And Jesus has made that new and living way 473 00:35:10,199 –> 00:35:14,379 for everyone who embraces him as the Christ, 474 00:35:15,340 –> 00:35:20,340 who embraces him as teacher and savior and master. 475 00:35:24,139 –> 00:35:27,540 And may that be true of each and every one of us 476 00:35:27,540 –> 00:35:30,780 in this congregation today. 477 00:35:30,780 –> 00:35:31,820 Let’s pray together. 478 00:35:34,379 –> 00:35:39,340 Father we confess how easily, 479 00:35:41,300 –> 00:35:44,580 as those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, 480 00:35:45,959 –> 00:35:50,179 our minds get in completely the wrong place. 481 00:35:51,899 –> 00:35:55,040 And we thank you for your grace and for your mercy. 482 00:35:56,100 –> 00:36:01,020 And we ask that you would restore us from our folly 483 00:36:01,760 –> 00:36:06,760 so that in humility, we may truly and clearly 484 00:36:08,000 –> 00:36:12,219 this day and every day, be walking with you 485 00:36:12,219 –> 00:36:17,219 as our teacher and as our savior and as our master 486 00:36:18,840 –> 00:36:22,419 until we arrive at the very gates of heaven 487 00:36:22,419 –> 00:36:24,500 and then enter into all the joy 488 00:36:24,500 –> 00:36:27,699 that you have opened up and prepared for us 489 00:36:28,239 –> 00:36:33,139 through the infinite sacrifice of yourself 490 00:36:33,139 –> 00:36:37,639 that you have made for us at Calvary’s Cross. 491 00:36:37,639 –> 00:36:40,879 These things we ask in Jesus’ wonderful name, amen. 492 00:36:43,500 –> 00:36:44,760 You’ve been listening to a sermon 493 00:36:44,760 –> 00:36:47,159 with Pastor Colin Smith of Open The Bible. 494 00:36:47,159 –> 00:36:52,159 To contact us, call us at 1-877-OPEN365 495 00:36:52,439 –> 00:36:54,659 or visit our website, openthebible.org.