Centennial Park Baptist Church – Sunday March 14^th, 2010 – 10:30 am

IT’S A GOOD IDEA TO WITHHOLD JUDGMENT

Day 4 – Event # 4

I Warning

A. Penetrating Statements

i. Peter will DENY Jesus

ii. He will do it that very night

iii. He will do it three times

B. Poultry or Piercing Trumpet

The Cock-crow was not the voice of a BIRD. It was a time-marker – 3:00am. Romans divided the night into 4 watches:

* 1^st watch – 6:00 -9:00 pm – Evening

* 2^nd watch – 9:00pm – 12:00am – Midnight

* 3^rd watch – Midnight – 3:00 am – Cock-crow

* 4^th watch – 3:00 – 6:00 am – DAWN

Mark 13: 35-37

³⁵"Therefore, be on the alert--for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning ³⁶in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep. ³⁷"What I say to you I say to all, 'Be on the alert!'"

What about when Jesus said: “Before the cock-crow twice?”

During festival times, the Passover, because of the vast number of people in Jerusalem, two blasts would be sounded from the trumpeter, one in one direction, and one in the other.

II Warning

Mark 14: 53-54

⁵³They led Jesus away to the high priest; and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes gathered together.  ⁵⁴Peter had followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the officers and warming himself at the fire.

2 Emotions – LOYALTY vs. FEAR

Mark 14: 65-72

⁶⁵Some began to spit at Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him with their fists, and to say to Him, "Prophesy!" And the officers received Him with slaps in the face. ⁶⁶As Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came,  ⁶⁷and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, "You also were with Jesus the Nazarene."  ⁶⁸But he denied it, saying, "I neither know nor understand what you are talking about." And he went out onto the porch.  ⁶⁹The servant-girl saw him, and began once more to say to the bystanders, "This is one of them!"  ⁷⁰But again he denied it And after a little while the bystanders were again saying to Peter, "Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean too."  ⁷¹But he began to curse and swear, "I do not know this man you are talking about!" ⁷²Immediately a rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him, "Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times." And he began to weep.

# 1 – Deny and FLEE - vs. 68

# 2 – Deny and FEAR - vs. 69

# 3 – Deny with FOUL language – vs. 71-72

III Watchful Eye

“And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.” Luke 22: 61

What kind of look? ACHING Sorrow

WOUNDED Love

Loving, unmerited GRACE

Not one of us can look with judgment upon Peter. Not one. Why?

Because in our sinful nature, we have all denied Christ.

IV Wrestling with Some Questions

* What are the denials in my life?

* How have I betrayed my Lord?

* Am I warming myself at some fire of compromise?

* Am I lurking in the shadows of silence?

The test of our testimony is not how we act before the FRIENDS of the Cross, but our conduct and actions before the ENEMIES of the Cross.

I Peter 1: 6-8

⁶In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,  ⁷so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;  ⁸and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,