Bible Reading : Mark 14:26-31, 66-72
Sermon Points
- We should be realistic about our ability to withstand temptation.
1 Corinthians 10:12 principle: “[…] let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” (ESV)
We need daily to cast ourselves upon the Lord, rely on His strength, and commit ourselves to His promises.
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We need to be alert to how temptation comes.
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Temptation often strikes at our weakest point—our besetting sin.
“[…] let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely” (Hebrews 12:1, ESV)
- God’s mercy abounds to His elect, in spite of their sins.
71 But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” 72 And immediately the cock crowed a second time. And Peter 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 how Jesus had said to him, “Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept. (Mark 14:71–72, emphasis added, ESV)
What caused Peter to remember?
60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. 61 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒕 𝑷𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly. (Luke 22:60-62, emphasis added, ESV)
“ 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯! 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘮, 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘶𝘬𝘦, 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘗𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨… 𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵’𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦? 𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘳, 𝘏𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘗𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳. ”
— 𝘌𝘥𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘋𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘌𝘺𝘦𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘔𝘢𝘫𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘺