How to Never Stumble or Fall - II

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by Harvest Partners, helping people everywhere know God. If you would like to know how you can become a Harvest Partner, just go to Harvest.org.

That's Harvest.org. The Bible says, Pride goes before a fall and an arrogant spirit before destruction. And it's when we think, I'll never do that, that you're trusting in yourself instead of trusting in God. So many people made a decision for Christ this past weekend. We had scores of people joining us for A Rush of Hope, Pastor Greg Laurie's cinematic Harvest Crusade. You can get details about that outreach at Harvest.org.

But we want to follow up with them and provide some solid insight for the rest of us. Pastor Greg helps us walk with the Lord and avoid the temptations that would make us fall. We're glad you're along for a new beginning today as we offer practical insight for all believers. Turn in your Bible to two passages today. John chapter 18 and Luke chapter 22. Again, John 18 and Luke 22.

And the title of my message again is, How to 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 them he's headed to the cross. He's going to break bread with them and tell them to do this in remembrance of him.

But before that, he has a fascinating conversation with Simon Peter. Luke 22 verse 31. Jesus says, Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.

But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. And 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 to die with you. Jesus said, let me tell you something.

Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even knew me. Put yourself in Peter's sandals for a moment. You're just hanging out with Jesus. He's not his normal jubilant self.

He seems very serious, very intense. And then he turns to you and uses your name twice. Paul, Paul. Kathy, Kathy. Greg, Greg.

Cindy, Cindy. Satan has been asking that you be taken out of the care and protection of God. Would that freak you out if Jesus said that to you?

It freaked 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? Lord, Peter says, I'll go to prison for you. I'll die for you.

Well, since you brought it up, Rock, you're going 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 has ever fallen away from the faith. Or any person who has ever stumbled or fallen. I don't care what the particular sin is they're involved in. It always starts here. And it's self-confidence.

Self-confidence. Verse 33. He said, Lord, I'm ready to go with you to prison and to death. Jesus said, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day until you deny 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 now. You look at someone who falls into a sin, you'd say, I'd never do that. I'd never be unfaithful to my wife. I'd never become an alcoholic. I'd never become a drug addict. I'd never do that thing.

Hold on now, buckaroo. You have the capacity to do that and much worse. And it's when we think I'll never do that that you're 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 and 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. And that leads to the next step down, prayerlessness. Look at Luke 22 verse 39. Coming out, he went to the Mount of Olives as he was accustomed and his disciples followed him to the place. And he said to them, pray that you enter not into temptation.

Now this place being referred to by Luke is the Garden of Gethsemane. As he was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, 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 second sin of prayerlessness 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 they're sleeping when they should have been praying. And you know, understand this, not praying about something can actually be a sin. It's a sin of omission. A 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 that knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Well, let's see what happens next. So they're there in the Garden of Gethsemane. They're sleeping when they should have been praying. Here comes the temple guard. And along with them, Roman soldiers, they've got swords and spears and shields and torches. And they're coming to arrest Jesus. Jesus did not necessarily stand out in a crowd. Judas said, it's the guy that I kiss. That's Jesus. So he has to locate 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 is sort of dusty and dirty. He has a very white robe.

Just picked it up at the cleaners. And then he has a blue sash. Nobody gets the blue sash but Jesus. Sometimes he's carrying a lamb around his neck. Why would he do that? I have no idea. He has the lamb.

Or he has the staff. Hey everybody. Here I am. The good shepherd. I guess you missed the memo. Now you're saying, 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 ten feet tall. He had to be identified.

It's a one I kiss. So they're approaching and Jesus says, who do you seek? This is in John's Gospel. They said, Jesus of Nazareth. He said, I am he. Now 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 seek? They said, Jesus of Nazareth. I am.

I am. There is power in that statement. It's a claim of deity. It's what God said to Moses at the burning bush.

We will be looking at this together. Moses says, who shall I say sent me? God says, I am that I am.

So in a statement of deity, I am. And the Bible says they all fell backwards. And landing on top of each other like dominoes.

Torches flying in the air. That shows he could have gotten out of that situation very easily. He could have said, I am.

And you were. Bye. End of story. But he submitted to this and they take him away. And he is arrested and he is taken to the house of Caiaphas to be tried. But before that happens, as the guards come in to grab Jesus.

One guy named Malchus, probably his first. And Simon Peter in an attempt to defend Jesus. Pulls out his sword and slices off the ear of Malchus. Jesus is like, he has to pick the ear up.

He puts it back on the guy and he heals him. So the last earthly miracle of Jesus was covering the blunder of a disciple. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment. It's so encouraging when we hear from listeners who have been impacted by the ministry of a new beginning.

Including this man who is listening to Pastor Greg while driving. I'm a 50 year old man who drank terribly yesterday. Had a horrible mouth yesterday. And despised people yesterday. But today I woke up with a genuine great regard for people. I like people.

I don't have any desire to drink. I don't have a nasty mouth anymore. And I just feel hope for the first time in as long as I can recall. I'm just calling to say thank you. And if you had any idea the person I was yesterday to who I feel like today.

I wish this comment line were able to take an hour worth of telling you how much difference there is. And what a life I've come from and out of. But more than anything I just wanted to tell you all thank you. And I can't say thank you enough. God bless you Greg and everybody on staff. You have no idea what an impact you've made in at least this man's life. What a great story of how God changes lives.

If you've had your life changed because of the ministry of Harvest. Would you let Pastor Greg know? Just drop him an email at Greg at Harvest dot org. Again that's Greg at Harvest dot org. Well our thanks to our Harvest partners and others who support this ministry. For helping to make today's study available. Pastor Greg is offering biblical insight today in his message.

How to never stumble or fall. Now we shift over to John 18. I'm reading from the New Living Translation starting in verse 15. Simon Peter followed Jesus as did another of the disciples.

That would be the apostle John the writer of this gospel. The other disciple was acquainted with the high priest. And he was allowed to enter the high priest's 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 and she let Peter in. The woman asked Peter you're not one of that man's disciples are you?

No he said I am not because it was cold. The household servants and the guards had made a charcoal fire. They stood around it warming themselves and Peter stood with them warming himself. Third step down for Simon Peter. Number one was self confidence. Number two prayerlessness. Number three he was keeping his distance from Jesus. Yes he was following Jesus but he was following at a distance. And 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've sinned against the Lord you're an unhappy person.

If you can't be happy in your sin that's a good sign. David the man after God's own heart sinned big time. We all knew that. And he described the way he felt in Psalm 32. When he said when I kept it all inside my words became day 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. He's following at a distance. You've seen those TV shows where they'll show you maybe a lion going in for a kill. And lions you know I have to say are very they're very cool cats okay. I don't just like all cats.

I like big cats. And so lions you know they don't waste energy. They sort of lay there in the tall grass and wait for lunch to come. And so maybe they'll see a herd of antelope. I don't know if it's a herd of antelope.

Everything has a title now. It's a flock of seagulls. They were a band once too. Then there's a murder of crow and there's a pack of dogs and so forth. So I don't know if it's a what you call a group of antelopes.

I'll look that up later. But they're moving together. Antelopes are kind of funny because they're kind of they all do the jump.

There they are an alliance and that's a lot of work to get one of those. Then there's the one stray antelope falling in about 20 feet behind. Who do you think the lion's going to go in for the kill on? So when he looks at a person to take down. Here we are the people of God worshipping together, serving together, learning together.

And here are you 20 feet behind. You know. Yeah.

The person that says oh you know do we have to go to church again? Didn't 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. And if no one is encouraging him to do it they don't do it.

You're the person following at a distance. And you end 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 is following at a distance. And then point number four. He is warming himself of the enemy's fire. Verse 18.

They stood around this fire 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 a godly people they will pull you down? And so you're hanging around the wrong people at the wrong places.

And next thing you know you're doing the wrong thing. Why? Well you want to fit in. I want to be cool.

I don't want to think I'm some you know Jesus freak or self-righteous person. Okay. So you're going to 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 his first denial. You're not one of that man's disciples are you? He said no I am not.

Whoa. He just did it. The first thing I would have said if I was Peter was are there any 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 have thought that people would have said hold on I just I did the thing I said I would never do.

I got to get out of here. No one was holding him here. He could have escaped if he wanted to but he did not do it. That leads me to his next step down. Verse 25. As he was standing by the fire warming himself they asked him again. You're not one of his disciples are you?

He denied it saying no I'm not. Ah but one of the household slaves of the high priest a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off asked. Didn't I see you in the olive grove with Jesus?

Your sin will find you out. Oh yeah right yeah you were there. I knew I should not have posted that on Instagram. Now the word had 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. Doesn't it? Sin makes you stupid. You do things you never thought you would do.

You are caught in the vortex of it. And here is Peter now. It is his second denial. Why didn't he get out of there?

Good question. And that brings us to the third denial. And here is something you may have missed. Between the second and third denial there was a one hour interval. That is a long time.

That is plenty of time to get out of there. But he stayed there. He is compromised now.

But thinking rationally. And finally someone says to him. Yes you were with Jesus. And I know you are 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 he had a sort of Galilean accent. Just like we have accents from different areas of the United States.

You know people in Texas they are a little different. They say to me you have an accent. I say Californians don't have accents. We are like devoid of accents. No you have the California accent.

Why? Because I don't say hey how are you all doing or something like that. No you must be from Boston because you just told me you are going to park your car. Right? I was signing books the other day and some lady mentioned. She is from New York. I said say the word coffee.

She said coffee. I said exactly. Right? So different ways we speak from different parts of the country. He had the Galilean accent.

Hey man we know where you are from. And then we read that Peter began to curse and swear. And he took an oath saying I never knew the man.

And guess what happened? At the moment he said that Jesus was let out of the courtyard of Caiaphas. 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 will tell you why I think it was a look of love. Because Jesus predicted this right? He said you are going to deny me but don't forget the rest of it. When you have returned you will strengthen your brothers. Peter you are going to mess up. Trust me it is going to happen.

Roosters are involved. But when you have returned you will strengthen your brothers. Peter you are coming back. I don't think Peter heard your coming back part.

Because the Bible says he went out and wept bitterly. Pastor Greg Laurie is showing us the downward spiral in Peter's life that led to his denial of Christ three times. We are seeing the steps that lead to backsliding and how to avoid them. And there is more to come as this message continues here on A New Beginning. But if you missed any portion of this important study today I hope you will get a replay online at harvest.org. There are often several more minutes of insight online as we don't have the same tight time requirements as we do on radio. If you would like a permanent copy of this study on CD call us at 1-800-821-3300.

Call us any time 24-7 at 1-800-821-3300. The title of today's message is How to Never Stumble or Fall. You know Pastor Greg it is not hard to see that our current culture lacks for real heroes. It is amazing the people that are looked up to today.

Amazing and disturbing at the same time. But you have a new resource full of heroes that we should look up to. In fact we should pattern our lives after. Yeah absolutely and their lives have been recorded in the pages of scripture to inspire us. Hebrews chapter 11 has been called the Hall of Faith. And I like to call it just the Hall of World Changers because these are people that changed their world. Enoch and Noah and David and Samson and many others.

Daniel who took bold steps of faith and stood their ground and made all the difference in the world. I use this analogy in the book and I ask the question are you a thermostat or are you a thermometer? You know a thermostat simply tells us what the temperature is and if you're like my home we're always disagreeing about the temperature.

Kathy always thinks it's too cold and I always think it's too warm. So we're constantly messing with that thermostat. We have one of those thermostats called a nest because it has a mind of its own which really bugs me. So now I have me, I have Kathy and the stupid nest itself saying this is what I think the temperature should be because you said it at this temperature three years ago.

I don't know how the brain of a nest works. But anyway the idea of a thermometer is it changes the temperature of a room. Thermostat just tells you what the temperature is.

So here's the question are you a thermostat or are you a thermometer? Are you merely being affected by your surroundings or are you affecting your surroundings? Let me say it another way. Are you changing your world or is your world changing you? You know the Bible says don't be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. So when we open up God's word it changes the way that we think and it changes the way that we live and then we can go change our culture. The Bible describes the church of the first century as turning the world upside down. And I'll tell you what this world needs to be turned upside down right now. And so many people are so excited and passionate about politics and I think politics have their place but politics will not change the heart of people only the gospel will. And so I think first of all we want to be following Christ and then we want to let our light shine and be a world changer instead of having the world change us and shine as a bright light in a dark place. So I've written about this quite extensively in this brand new book called World Changers and I'd love to send you a copy for your gift of any size.

And when I say that I mean it. I mean if you send only a little you'll get a copy. Some of you can send a little bit more. We appreciate you giving and we only offer resources that we feel will really help you spiritually. But if you feel prompted by the Lord I hope that you'll be generous as you order your own copy of World Changers. And I pray that it will bless you and encourage you to change your world. Yeah that's right and your donation helps us change the world as well. So thanks for your investment and we hope you'll ask for this brand new book by Pastor Greg World Changers. You can write A New Beginning Box 4000 Riverside, CA 92514 Or call any time 24 hours a day 1-800-821-3300 That's 1-800-821-3300 Or go online to Harvest.org Hey everybody Greg Laurie here inviting you to join me every weekend for what we call Harvest at Home. It's a church service, it's a worship service, it's a Bible study and it's wherever you want it to be.

In your home, in your car, sitting on a beach, walking down the street, watching it on your phone. Wherever you are you can take it with you and be ministered to every weekend. Join us for Harvest at Home at Harvest.org Well next time Pastor Greg brings us more insight on how we can avoid the danger of backsliding. He continues his message How to Never Stumble or Fall next time on A New Beginning. This is the day, the day when life begins The preceding message from Greg Laurie was made possible by Harvest Partners. Helping people everywhere know God. Sign up for Pastor Greg's free daily email devotions at Harvest.org