How to Never Stumble or Fall: Setting Aside Your Pride

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Pastor Greg Laurie counsel is all very good spirit for the structure that you yourself will be held for Greg Laurie's live evangelistic Angel Stadium. You can get details about region harvest.org follow up with solid insight for the rest of your great help us walk with the Lord with patients that would make us all like your long for new beginning. All your Bible to just today John chapter 8 Luke chapter 22 John 18 and Luke 22 and the title of my message again this never stumble or fall. Let me sort of set the scene here in Luke 22 Jesus is in the upper room with his disciples. He's headed to the cross. He's told the he's headed to the cross is going to break bread with the tell them to do this in remembrance of him, but before that he is a fascinating conversation with Simon Peter.

Luke 22 verse 31 Jesus says Simon, Simon, Satan is asked to sift you as wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail when you have repented and turned to me again you'll strengthen your brothers.

Peter said Lord I'm ready to go to prison with you and even the die with you, Jesus said, let me tell you something before the rooster crows tomorrow morning you will denied three times that you even knew me. Put yourself in Peter samples for a moment or just hanging out with Jesus is not his normal jubilant self. He seems very serious, really intense. Then he turns to you and uses your name twice. Paul Paul Kathy Kathy Greg Greg Cindy Cindy Satan is been asking that you be taken out of the care and protection of God without freak you out of Jesus said that to you freak me out. But Jesus then says I have prayed for you and I want you to know that the Bible says Christ lives to make intercession for you at the right hand of the father. Jesus is in effect praying for you. So the next time the devil comes knocking at your door. Send Jesus to answer it. That's what happened here. I prayed for you Peter, that your faith would not fail for when you have returned, you'll strengthen your brothers returned to Florida. Peter says I'll go to prison for you all die for you will since you brought it up rock you to deny that you knew me three times. So he warned Peter that brings us to Peter's first step down and I would say that this particular attitude is at the root of any and every person who's ever fallen away from the faith, or any person was ever stumbled or fallen. I don't care what the particular sin is involved in this always starts here in its self confidence, self confidence, verse 33.

He said Lord I'm ready to go with you to prison in the death. Jesus said Peter the rooster will not grow this day, until you denied three times that you knew me according to Matthew's gospel Peter added this detail. Even if all are made to stumble, I will never be made to stumble careful, you look at someone who falls Lewiston you to never do that. I'd never be unfaithful to my wife. I never become an alcoholic never become a drug addict.

I never do that. Think now buckaroo you have the capacity to do that and much worse.

And that's what we think. I'll never do that figure trusting in yourself instead of trusting in God, the Bible says pride goes before a fall and an arrogant spirit before destruction, so this simply means that I go through life aware of the fact of my weakness, my vulnerability and my propensity to do the wrong thing.

As the old song says prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the one I love self-confidence that leads to the next step down prayer list. Miss look at Luke 22 verse 39 coming out. He went to the Mount of olives as he was a custom in his disciples followed him to the place and he said to them, pray that you enter not into temptation of this place been referred to by Luke as the garden of Gethsemane because he was withdrawn from them about a stone so he knelt down and prayed saying father if it is your will take this cup away from me.

Nevertheless, not my will but yours be done. When he rose from prayer he came to his disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow and he said why did you sleep rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation. So this I consider prayerless. This was a direct result of the first sin of self-confidence. Jesus said, specifically you guys you need to pray and they decided to sleep instead. And so there sleeping when they should have been praying and you know understand this, not praying about something can actually be a sin to sin of omission of sin of commission is doing what you should not do a sin of omission is not doing what you should do because the Bible says to him, the nose to do good and does not do it to him of this sin. While let's see what happens next other there in the garden of Gethsemane. There, sleeping when they should have been praying, here comes the temple guard and along with the Roman soldiers.

They got swords and spears and shields and torches and their coming to arrest Jesus, but Jesus did not necessarily stand out in a crowd. Judah said it's a guy that I kiss Dot's Jesus, so he has the low-key Jesus for them, which points out the fact that Jesus didn't look like he looks in religious paintings. Now if you look at religious art you always know who Jesus is everybody else's robe was sort of dusty and dirty.

He is a very white grow just picked it up at the cleaners and he is a blue sash that loose nobody gets the blue sash but Jesus sometimes is carrying a lamb around his neck why he would do that. I have no idea that he has a lamb Oreos the staff from everybody here I am the good Shepherd get you missed the memo.

Now, you soon.

Are you making fun of Jesus. Of course not. But I am kind of making fun of religious artistic depictions of him. Jesus blended into a crowd. He didn't glow-in-the-dark he was, not 10 feet tall. He had to be identified. That's the one I kiss so their approach.

Even Jesus says who do you seek. This is in John's Gospel, they said, Jesus of Nazareth, he said I am he know if you have an English Bible. You might notice the word. He is italicized, which means it's not in the original language, so a better translation would be Jesus saying who do you think this a Jesus of that I am I am this power that statement. It's a claim of deity.

It's what God said to Moses at the burning bush will be looking at this together. Moses says who shall I say 70 God says I am that I am so in a statement of beauty. I am in the Bible says they'll fall backwards and planning on top of each other like dominoes, torches flying in the air that shows he could've gotten out of that situation very easily. He could is that while yeah and you were by end of story.

But he submitted to this may take him away. These arrested. These taken to the house of Caiaphas to be try. But before that happens, the guards come in to grab Jesus. One guy named Marcus probably is first and Simon Peter, and that an attempt to defend Jesus pulls out his sword.

It slices off the ear of Malka's Jesus is like a phase you know. Yes, the picnic gear up, he puts it back in the guy in the heels of so the last earthly miracle of Jesus was covering the blunder of a disciple. Your great glory will have the second half of his message just a moment whatever you send us an email, text or post a comment on social media. We read every word.

Pastor Greg ministry right before coronavirus hit me when into lock down your sermons and how my walk with Christ is learned and grown so much as a Christian. My marriage has been rocky over the last few years and I started listening to me, even after seeing it was so beneficial to our relationship for your daughter and your messages course guy this together as a family.

Thank you so much as Pastor Greg heard from you. How have these daily studies God's word encouraged Pastor Greg let him know sending great@harvest.org again, that's great@harvest.4G well I think store harvest partners and others who support this ministry for helping to make today study available. Pastor Greg is offering biblical insight today in his message how to never stumble or fall that we shift over to John 18 I'm reading from the new living translation starting in verse 15 Simon Peter followed Jesus says that another of the disciples that would be the apostle John, the writer of this gospel. The other disciple was a corner with a high priest, and he was allowed to enter the high priest courtyard with Jesus, Peter had to stay outside the gate and the disciple who knew the high priest spoke to the woman watching at the gate. She let Peter in the woman as Peter, one of that man's disciples, are you know that I am not because it was cold, the household servants in the guards and made a charcoal fire. They stood around and warming themselves and Peter stood with them, warming himself. Third, stepped out for Simon Peter number one was self-confidence number two prayerless this number three.

He was keeping his distance from Jesus. Yes, he was following Jesus, but he was following at a distance. In this distance from the Lord in closeness and fellowship will always be at the foundation of all spiritual regression. Listen to this a true believer is never happy when they're out of fellowship with God. So if you're out of fellowship with God.

If you sin against the Lord. You're an unhappy person. If you can't be happy in your sin.

That's a good sign. David the matter for God's own heart. Sin big time.

We all knew that he described the way he felt and some 32, when he said when I kept it all inside my words became the long groans the pressure never let up all the juices of my life dried up. Then I let it all out and I said, I'll make a clean break and I'll confess my failures to God is following at a distance you see in those TV shows were no so you may be a lien going in for a kill and liens. You know, I have to say are very, very cool cats. Okay, I don't just like I like big cats and so liens you know they don't waste energy is certainly there in the tall grass and wait for lunch to come and so maybe they'll see a herd of antelope hundred of that's a herd of antelope everything as a title. Now it so a flock of seagulls. They were a band wants to, and there's a murder of crows in the back of dogs and so forth. I don't know if it's of what you call a group of antelopes look that up later, but they're moving together, you get a pretty good is a good room broke they'll do the jump rope. You know they are in life and that's a lot of work to get one of those. Then there's the one stray envelope falling about 20 feet behind the room to do you think the lines going to go in for the kill zone.

He looks at a person to dig down here. We are the people of God worshiping together serving together learning together, Barbara Boone broken a boom in here.

You 20 feet via Google Google. You know, yeah the person. This is all unit we have to go to church again. Did we do that last week really.

The Bible really again. Yes, again, the child of God hungers for these things. The compromiser only does it out of duty or obligation.

Know what is encouraging to do it. They don't do it. You're the person following at a distance you wind up in that miserable no man's land of compromise where you have too much of the Lord to be happy in the world and too much of the world to be happy in the Lord, don't be that person.

Peter's following at a distance and point number four. He's warming himself of the enemy's fire verse 18. They stood around as far warming themselves.

He hoped to go unnoticed in the larger crowd he was with the wrong people at the wrong place about to do the wrong thing. Why does it come as a revelation to people that if you hang around ungodly people. They will pull you down and so you're hanging around the wrong people of the wrong places. The next thing you know you're doing the wrong thing. Why will you want to fit in. I want to be cool. I don't think I'm some you know Jesus freak her self-righteous person. Okay, so you can do what now and you find yourself saying and doing things you can't believe you're saying and doing so here he is at the fire and now a woman asks him this is this verse the Nile you're not one of that man's disciples, are you said no I am not well he just did it the first thing I would've said if I was Peter was 30 roosters around here Jesus said something about a rooster yeah what did Jesus specifically say you will deny me three times. This is denial.

Number one. Now you would've thought the P what is that old.

I just I did the thing I said I would never do I gotta get outta here. No one was holding him here. He could have escaped to be wanted to but he did not do it. That leads me to is his next step down verse 25 as he was standing by the fire warming himself.

He asked him again, you're not one of his disciples are usually denied and say no I'm not one of the household slaves of a high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off as did Nye see you in the olive grove with Jesus. Your sin will find you out. Oh yeah, right.

You were there. I knew I should not a posted that on Instagram have the word spread. Everybody knew about what happened there in the garden of Gethsemane, but here he is still hanging around this fire.

Why was he doing it simple answer.

Write this down. Sin makes you stupid resident.

Sin makes you stupid. You do things you never thought you would do your caught in the vortex of it and here's Peter know it's his second denial. Why didn't he get out of there, good question. That brings us to the third denial and here's something you may have missed between the second and third denial. There was a one hour interval of the long time. That's plenty of time to get out of there, but he stayed there. He's he's compromise now is not thinking rationally and finally someone says to him. Yes, you were with Jesus and I know you're one of his disciples because your accent betrays you see, Peter was a Galilean and the people in Jerusalem thought of themselves as more sophisticated, so we had a sort of Galilean accent just like we have accents in different areas of the United States you know people in Texas that there is a little different than dictating to me you have an accent. I so Californians don't have accents were like devoid of act know you have the California accent.

Why because I don't say hey how y'all doing, or some like that.

I know what you know we there's all you must be from Boston because you just told me going to park your car right. I was signing books the other day and some lady mentioned she's in New York is that say the word coffee. She said coffee soon. Exactly right. So different ways we speak from different parts of the country.

He had the Galilean accent, a man we know where you're from and then we read that Peter began to curse and swear and he took a note saying I never knew the man and guess what happened at the moment.

He said that Jesus was let off of the courtyard archivists and he made eye contact with Peter. What kind of look did Jesus give to Peter.

I think it was a look of love and I'll tell you. I think it was a look of love, because Jesus predicted this ride. He said you're going to deny me, but don't forget the resident when you overturned, you'll strengthen your brothers. Peter you going to mess up. Trust me, it's going to happen. Roosters are involved. But when you have returned.

You'll strengthen your brothers, Peter, you're coming back. I don't think Peter heard you're coming back part because the Bible says he went out of web showing us the downward spiral in Peter's life that led to his denial of Christ three times were seeing the steps that lead to backsliding and how to avoid them. And there's more to come as this message continues here on a new beginning. The title of today's message how to never stumble or fall, pestering the world is in such a mess. There's turmoil everywhere you look at believers know what's coming. We know God's plan for the end times yes.

How does your new revelation. Commentary help us prepare great question, let me respond with the words of Jesus in John 14. He said let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid in my father's house are many mansions ever were not so I would've told you. I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am, you may be also notes interesting. This phrase troubled but not your heart be troubled, means agitated or filled with fear.

There are things happening in our world right now that can be scary and it can cause your heart to be filled with fear and it can cause you to feel it's like everything is out of control.

But if there's one thing that revelation clearly shows it's that God is in control.

God has a plan and things are going according to plan.

His plan, and so it's all laid out for us because you know the Bible is the one book that there is to predict the future, not once, not twice, but hundreds of times with 100% accuracy. So the Lord knows what's coming. But the great thing is is you even start the book of Revelation. You have the words of Jesus to the seven churches. So before we get into all that prophetic stuff if you will like the tribulation. The hundred and 44,000. The antichrist is taken coming the millennium. Jesus has some special words for his own people, very personal, powerful words to each of us and so this is all found in this commentary that I've just written.

I use the word commentary loosely because that sounds as though it's going to be dull and theological.

Actually, it does comment on Scripture but but it's very understandable. It's very down to earth and were calling this brand-new book here from harvest Revelation, a book of promises and I would love to send you a copy. It's hot off the press it's brand-new. We've never released this book before and so I hope you get your own copy, and by the way, is a pretty good sized book. It will be a great addition to your library, it's something you can stand on when you need to reach a higher shelf.

It'll hold a heavy door open as well and so there's a lot of uses but the best use of course would be to open it up and read it and get a better understanding of the important book of Revelation. Yeah, that's right. And we hope you will contact us today to ask for Revelation, a book of promises and by the way Pastor Greg is including a custom-designed book mark that shows the timeline of God's end times events graphically help you see the order of events very clearly. It's all available for your gift of any size given mind that your support is the only way we can keep bringing you pastor Grace daily studies. So thank you for your generosity and we hope to hear from you today just write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call us anytime night or day at 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest God for next time. Pastor Greg brings us more insight on how we can avoid the danger of backsliding continues his message how to never stumble or fall. Next join us here in a new beginning. Pastor and Bible Greg everybody thinks or listening to this podcast to learn more about harvest ministries follow this show and consider supporting it.

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