A New Beginning

Greg Laurie: Peter said, "I swear to God, I never knew Jesus Christ."

Guest (Male): The Apostle Peter took a giant step backwards in his integrity and proclamation of the gospel. But Pastor Greg Laurie says God grants second chances.

Greg Laurie: Believers can fall. Believers can stumble. But believers can get up again. For Peter, his setback was going to turn into a setup. His mess would be turned into a message.

Guest (Male): Golfers know the meaning of the word Mulligan. Bad golfers know it very well. A Mulligan is a do-over. Take that swing over again. Well, thankfully, the Lord allows Mulligans in the spiritual life.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins. Today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie helps us follow the biblical account of a certain spiritual failure. We'll see what it was that led to the sin and how that sin was forgiven and fellowship restored.

Greg Laurie: We have a story before us now in the Bible of a man who was overtaken by sin. A man who probably never realized that one thing would lead to another, and through five steps he fell away from the Lord.

And this man was a full-fledged apostle of Jesus Christ, and his name is known to all of us. I want to tell the story of Simon Peter and his fall and his restoration, hence the title, "A Second Chance in Life." Look with me, if you will, at Mark chapter 14, starting in verse 27. And by the way, I'm reading from the New Living Translation.

"On the way, Jesus told them, 'All of you will desert me, for the scripture says God will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. But after I'm raised from the dead, I'll go ahead before you into Galilee, and I'll meet you there.' Peter said, 'Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will.'

Jesus replied, 'Well, I tell you the truth, Peter, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.' 'No,' Peter declared emphatically, 'Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you.' And all the others vowed the same."

Now, there are five steps that led Peter down to his denial of Christ. Here's step number one, if you're taking notes: His first step down was self-confidence. Self-confidence. Go back to Mark 14:29. Peter said to Jesus, "Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will."

And this is after the Lord revealed that Judas would betray him. So Peter is effectively saying, "Hey, even if Judas betrays you, I'll never let you down." And he's almost boasting at the expense of others. Even if these others fall short, I—remember you gave me that new name Rock? I, Rocky, will never let you down. The Bible says pride goes before a fall.

Peter's second step down was prayerlessness. I'm not even sure if that's a word, but it's a real thing—prayerlessness. How many of us would be honest to admit that we need to pray more? I know that I do. And Peter was sleeping when he should have been praying.

Going back to Mark 14:37, they're in the Garden of Gethsemane now. Jesus says to the disciples, Peter, James, and John, "Watch with me. Watch and pray." And we read these words, and this is from the New King James Version: "He came and found them sleeping and said to Peter, 'Simon, why are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.'

Again, he went away and prayed and spoke the same words. And when he returned, he found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy and they did not know what to say to him." Here's Jesus contemplating the horrors of the cross in the Garden of Gethsemane.

And according to Dr. Luke, he's sweating as it were great drops of blood. Literally sweating blood as he thinks about what is ahead. All he asked for was a little companionship from Peter, James, and John, and they fell asleep.

You know, it's interesting in the Bible, sleep is spoken of as sort of a negative thing. It says to Christians, "Now is the time to wake up, for our salvation is nearer than when we first believed." And we all know what it's like to fall asleep at an inappropriate time.

Maybe you've fallen asleep in church. By the way, pastors know when you fall asleep. I think it comes as a revelation to people to know that not only can you see me when I'm speaking, but I can see you. And when someone nods out and they may put their hands up to their face like they're praying, I know you're sleeping, okay?

Especially when you start snoring. But we always deny it when we're sleeping for some reason. Someone will say, "Did you fall asleep?" "No, no." You did. And these guys fell asleep. But you see, Jesus was getting them ready. He is saying, "Boys, you need to pray," because he knew a storm was brewing.

He knew that hard times were ahead, and they needed to be praying. Literally, the devil's son is on his way with some armed guards to arrest Jesus. And it's a reminder to us that prayerlessness can be as much of a sin as breaking a commandment.

See, there's not just sins of commission, that's when you do what you should not do, but there's sins of omission when you don't do what you should do. The Bible says, "To him that knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin."

So if the Lord impresses upon your heart the need to pray and you don't pray, that could be a sin. Jesus is saying to Peter, James, and John, "Guys, you need to pray." "Yeah, whatever. We're gonna catch some Z's right now." That was a mistake.

His third step down was Peter trusted human efforts instead of God's power. He trusted human efforts instead of God's power. Verse 46 of Mark 14: "They laid their hands on him and took them and one of them who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear."

Now Luke fills in some details here, and we find out who one of them was. It was Peter. And he is soundly rebuked by Jesus after he does this. And Christ says to Peter, "Put your sword in its place, for those that live by the sword will perish by the sword. Don't you realize I could pray to my Father, and he would provide me with 12 legions of angels?"

Now, in fairness, we can understand Peter's outrage. Judas Iscariot. He's hung out with this guy for three years plus. Thought of him as a friend. And yet here is Judas, who has betrayed Jesus. And how did Judas betray Jesus? The Bible says with a kiss.

Couldn't Judas just say, "Look, it is the guy I'm pointing to, that's Jesus. Arrest him." Or "the guy I'm shaking his hand." There he is. He betrays him with a kiss. And in the original language, it wasn't just a peck on the cheek; it was repeated kisses.

And he's appearing to be someone who loves Jesus when he is betraying him. And Jesus says to Judas as he approaches, "Friend, why have you come?" Friend? He should have said, "Fiend, why have you come?" Jesus knew why he came.

But I think Judas missed it. But Christ was giving to Judas one last opportunity to repent of his sin, and Judas did not take it. Remember, Satan filled Judas's heart. So Peter's just ticked off. He's angry. He's a fisherman, not a swordsman.

He pulls out the sword—vroom! He takes a swing. Off comes the ear of a guy named Malchus, another gospel tells us, who probably was leading the charge. And Jesus reaches down, picks this man's ear up, and reattaches it.

So the last miracle of Jesus before he died on the cross was the healing of a man who was coming to arrest him. And it was also a miracle that was done to cover the blunder of a disciple. What an amazing story that is.

Guest (Male): Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment.

Guest (Female): We're so thankful to hear from listeners who share how Pastor Greg's messages are touching lives.

"Pastor Greg, my brother is a youth pastor. He and a small group of adults were able to bring 16 kids from his youth group to one of your Harvest Crusades. At the end of your message, 10 of the kids answered the altar call to follow Jesus. One of the girls expressed that she wanted to be baptized, and even my husband, who watched the livestream of the crusade, felt the Holy Spirit urge him to get baptized too. Thank you so much for these opportunities to grow closer to the Lord. God is moving."

Guest (Male): We're grateful to hear of the changed lives through Harvest Ministries. And if you have a story to tell of how Pastor Greg's messages have touched your life and that of a family member, I hope you'll contact us. Email Pastor Greg. Send it to Greg@Harvest.org. That's Greg@Harvest.org.

Well, we're studying Peter's failure in Mark chapter 14 today. Pastor Greg is helping us focus on why it happened. Let's continue.

Greg Laurie: Two more steps that led to Peter's fall. Step number four: He was warming himself at the enemy's fire. He was warming himself at the enemy's fire. Go back to Mark 14:66.

We read: "As Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came and she saw Peter warming himself. She looked at him and said, 'You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.' He denied it, saying, 'I don't know or understand what you're saying.' And he went out on the porch and a rooster crowed." Remember what Jesus said? "You will deny me three times before the rooster has crowed twice." So he's warming himself by the fire.

Have you ever tried to go undercover as a Christian, sort of hide your faith, go unnoticed in the larger crowd? Following at a distance, Peter became cold and was attracted to the warmth of the fire. He didn't think that anyone would recognize him there.

Now he is following Jesus still, so we have to give him some credit. He hasn't run away. But he's not doing anything either. In fact, we're given a detail here in Matthew 26:58. We read that Peter went and sat with the servants to see the end.

See, that's what he thought it was: the end. There's no more hope. Everything's gone off the tracks. Jesus, in Peter's estimation, was supposed to establish his kingdom and drive out the Romans, and now he has been betrayed by one of us.

And now he is going to die on a cross. But I guess I'll just stay here and see the end. But it was not going to be the end. It was going to be a beginning, a new beginning. It's not a bad thing that he was warming himself by a fire, but he's with these people around the fire.

The Bible says in Psalm 1, "Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, or stands in the way of sinners, or sits in the seat of the scornful." See, that's what was happening. He was mixing in with this crowd, and he's called out.

Right there he should have said, "Yes, I'm a follower of Jesus," but he denies it. Denial number one. Now his fifth step down: another denial. Luke's gospel tells us some time elapsed before the first and second denial.

So Peter could have left that place, but he stayed inexplicably. He had plenty of time to think about it. And we might criticize him for it, but wait a second. The last time you were tempted, did you flee? Did you remove yourself from that place where you were being pulled down?

When that scene in the movie came on the screen, did you walk out of the theater or did you turn the TV off? When your buddy mocked or cursed God, did you speak up for your faith? That temptation from that girl that came your way, did you flee like Joseph did?

See, it is very easy for us to critique, but we do the same. And we get compromised, and that's what Peter was doing right now. He was trapped in a miserable web of compromise. Suddenly, someone recognizes Peter.

Mark 14:69: "A servant girl saw him again and began to say to those who stood by, 'This is one of them.' But he denied it again. A little later, those who stood by Peter said to him again, 'You're one of them, for you're a Galilean and your speech shows it.' And he began to curse and swear, saying, 'I do not know the man of whom you speak.' A second time the rooster crowed."

"Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said, 'Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.' And when he thought about it, he wept." "You're a Galilean," they said. Now we don't understand what that means, necessarily.

But it was sort of an insult because those who lived in Jerusalem, a sophisticated city at the time, thought of the people that lived in the region of Galilee as being at a lower level. It would be sort of like saying, "You're a country bumpkin," or "You're unsophisticated," or "You don't know what you're talking about, you're uneducated like we are in Jerusalem." And then Peter denies again, and the rooster crows.

The interesting thing is this: It says he took an oath. Peter should have just come clean and admitted he was a follower of Jesus Christ. But verse 71 says he began to curse and swear, saying, "I do not know this man of whom you speak." And then the rooster crows.

Now, when the Bible says he cursed and swore, it doesn't mean that Peter swore like a sailor, though he was a sailor. But it's a different term. It means to take an oath and to swear to God. So in what could best be described as the worst illustration of taking the Lord's name in vain, Peter effectively said, "I swear to God, and I take an oath right now, I never knew Jesus Christ."

Now Luke fills in an important detail, Luke 22:59: "While he was still speaking, the rooster crowed." Listen to this: "And the Lord turned and looked at Peter." And then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, what he had said to him, and he went out and wept bitterly.

The Lord looked at Peter. So at the very moment of his third denial and the rooster crows, who appears on the scene? Jesus. They're leading him from one place to another, and he makes eye contact with Peter.

Imagine that if you can. What kind of expression was on the Lord's face? Do you think he rolled his eyes like, "What a loser"? Do you think he looked at Peter with scorn and anger? No, actually I think he looked at Peter with deep love.

Did this all come as a surprise to Jesus? No. He knew Peter would do this. He told Peter he would do this. Did Jesus know Peter would fail? Absolutely. Was Peter still a believer at this moment? Yes, he was.

Believers can fall. Believers can stumble. But believers can get up again. Peter needed to remember that Jesus said, "When you have returned, you will strengthen your brothers." In other words, this setback is temporary.

See, for Peter, his setback was going to turn into a setup. And God was going to use this failure as a way for Peter to encourage other people. Yes, his mess would be turned into a message.

This is a great example to us that anybody can fall into sin. But Peter was really repentant. And the Bible says he wept bitterly. And the Bible says godly sorrow produces repentance. See, everyone's going to sin.

And when you sin and feel bad about that, that's a good thing because it means your conscience is working. But if you can sin and sin again, and even sin some more, even committing the same sin repeatedly and feel no remorse, no guilt, something isn't working right in your heart and in your soul.

The conviction of the spirit that will produce guilt is a reminder that you need to get right with God. Peter wept bitterly. Are you sorry for your sin? Now let me ask a follow-up question: Are you sorry enough to stop?

This is a hopeful story because Peter went out and wept bitterly, but three days later, Jesus rose again from the dead. And what was the message? It was: Go tell the disciples and Peter he's risen.

Why wasn't it "Go tell the disciples and John" or "Go tell the disciples and Andrew or Matthew"? It is: Go tell the disciples and Peter. Why was Peter singled out? Because he needed a special word from the Lord.

Am I talking to someone right now that needs a special reminder from God that you are loved by him? Well, let me say that to you: God loves you. God longs for a relationship with you. And when you run from him or fall spiritually, he longs for you to return to him again.

God says in Jeremiah 3:22, "Return you faithless people and I will cure you of backsliding." How is this all possible? Through the death of Jesus. Where was Jesus headed? He was headed to the cross to die for the sins of Simon Peter.

To die for the sins of the apostles. To die for the sins of all the people of that day. To die for the sins of people of every generation. He was going to the cross to die for your sins and mine. I love the way that the Apostle Paul personalized it when he said of Christ, "He loved me and gave himself for me." It's personal.

Jesus died on the cross for you. Why? Because he knew there was no other way for you to be made right with God. Do you think good works will get you to heaven? Do you think living a better life is going to get you closer to God? It won't.

No, you see, every one of us falls short of God's glory. Every one of us breaks his commandments. And that separates us from him. But Christ died for our sin and paid for our sin. So what you need to do to come into this relationship with God, what you need to do to be forgiven of your sin, what you need to do to know that you'll go to heaven when you die, or what you need to do to come back to the Lord is: Admit you're a sinner, turn from that sin, and put your faith in Jesus.

Would you do that right now? Yes, there can be a second chance in life for you. Jesus Christ, who died on that cross and rose from the dead three days later, is alive and here. And he's knocking at the door of your life and he is saying, "If you'll hear my voice and open the door, I will come in."

So why don't you open that door, so to speak? Why don't you invite Jesus into your life? Listen, if you would like your sin forgiven, if you would like to know that you'll go to heaven when you die, if you would like that second chance in life I've been talking about, you can pray a prayer with me right now.

I'll pray a simple prayer, and I'll ask you to just stop what you're doing wherever you are. You could bow your head, close your eyes if you'd like. You can pray with your eyes open if you want.

But I would ask you to pray this out loud. And this is a prayer where you are asking God to forgive you of your sin. A prayer where you're asking Jesus Christ to come into your life, or a prayer where you're recommitting your life to the Lord. If you need to do this, do it right now with me. Let's pray.

Pray these words: "Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. But I know that you are the Savior who died on the cross for my sin. I turn from my sin now, and I choose to follow you from this moment forward. Thank you for hearing this prayer and thank you for answering this prayer. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen."

Guest (Male): Well, hopefully you prayed along with Pastor Greg Laurie just now and entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ. If you did, we'd like to first of all say congratulations. You've just made the best decision of your life.

But we'd also like to make available Pastor Greg's New Believer's Bible. It'll help you get well-grounded in God's word and build a solid foundation for your relationship with the Lord. You can request it free of any charge when you call us at 1-800-821-3300. That is a 24/7 phone number: 1-800-821-3300. Or go online to Harvest.org and click "Know God."

And then let us take a moment to thank you for praying for this ministry and for supporting it through your generous donation. It's an investment in kingdom business. Isn't that right, Pastor Greg?

Greg Laurie: Yeah, it's really true. And I believe it's so important because the gospel saves lives. It saves eternal lives. Because when a person believes in Jesus according to scripture, they pass from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to the power of God.

And then of course, that changes the course of their future. That impacts their children and their children's children. The gospel changes everything. And thousands and thousands of people respond every single year.

Thanks to the Lord, also thanks to you for your investment in this ministry, enabling us to reach people wherever they are. So if this is something you care about, I encourage you to make a financial investment in A New Beginning and Harvest Ministries.

Guest (Male): Yeah, that's right. And we really do appreciate your support. Thanks for partnering with us today. It can make a real difference, not just for today or this week, but for eternity.

So get in touch with your support today by calling 1-800-821-3300. That's a 24/7 phone number: 1-800-821-3300. Or go online to Harvest.org.

Well, next time, Pastor Greg takes a revealing look at the significance of the Lord's death at Calvary. It is a look at what Jesus' sacrifice means to believers today. Join us here for A New Beginning with pastor and Bible teacher Greg Laurie.