Tonight I want to show three things that people thought they had hope in --
But really it more a wing and a prayer instead of hope.
1) FIRST -- peter thought things couldn’t get any worse
Let’s look at Matthew 26:69-75 (Msg)
All this time, Peter was sitting out in the courtyard. One servant girl came up to him and said, "You were with Jesus the Galilean."
[70] In front of everybody there, he denied it. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."
[71] As he moved over toward the gate, someone else said to the people there, "This man was with Jesus the Nazarene."
[72] Again he denied it, salting his denial with an oath: "I swear, I never laid eyes on the man."
[73] Shortly after that, some bystanders approached Peter. "You’ve got to be one of them. Your accent gives you away."
[74] Then he got really nervous and swore. "I don’t know the man!"
Just then a rooster crowed.
[75] Peter remembered what Jesus had said: "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." He went out and cried and cried and cried.
PETER WAS NOT THE KIND OF MAN WHO CRIED A LOT.
HE WAS THE EPITOPMY OF THE MACHO KIND OF GUY
IN FACT -- if YOU LOOK UP THE WORD "MACHO" IN A HEBREW DICTIONARY - IT HAS PETER’S PICTURE.
SO WHEN THE WORD RECORDS HE cried and cried and cried, IT is a pretty big event.
Peter thought his hope was in the kingdom Jesus was creating.
So when Jesus dies on the cross, his hopes are dashed.
Friends -- some today have their hope in presidents, or prime ministers, or peace plans, or terrorists eradication efforts.
Someone ask me other day if i was worried about bush in the middle east and his peace plan --
i said "no".
I don’t understand it, but i don’t know everything he knows.
and besides - unless God is in it -- ain’t none of it going to work anyway.
My only concern is that we stay on Israel’s side --
And so far Israel seems to like what’s going on.
But my hope is not in president bush, nor is it in the peace keepers in iraq.
peter banked on the politics of the day -- and when those fell through, his world collapsed.
Some people are banking on the economy the same way,
others have their hope in their job --
And all around us there are PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD WHO ARE JUST LIKE PETER,
THEIR WORLD HAS COLLAPSED AND THEY DON’T KNOW WHERE ELSE TO TURN.
SUICIDE TODAY IS AT AN ALL TIME -- AND THE REASON IS BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE PUTTING THEIR FAITH IN PEOPLE AND THINGS --
AND PEOPLE AND THINGS FAIL.
AND WHEN WHAT YOU HAVE PLACED YOUR FAITH IN FAILS, THEN YOU HAVE NO REAL REASON TO KEEP LIVING.
PETER’S WHOLE WORLD HAD COLLAPSED
Yet HE NOT ONLY WAS ONE OF THE 12 DISCIPLES, BUT HE WAS ONE OF THE INNER 3, THE FRIENDS OF JESUS.
HE HAD WALKED ALONG THE BEACH WITH JESUS, HE HAD SHARED MEALS, AND LAUGHTER, AND JOY.
AND YET WHEN PUT ON THE SPOT TO CONFESS HIS FREINDSHIP WITH JESUS, HE DENIED EVEN KNOWING WHO jesus WAS.
the kingdom jesus was to establish WAS PETER’S WHOLE WORLD.
HE HAD GIVEN UP HIS BUSINESS TO FOLLOW JESUS --
HE WAS CONSUMED BY HIS DESIRE TO SEE JESUS BECOME THE king of israel.
BUT THEN HIS WORLD COLLAPSED.
JESUS WAS ARRESTED, TRIED, SENTENCED, AND CONDEMNED TO DEATH
-- AND PETER EVEN CURSED THE NAME OF JESUS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD TODAY WHO ARE JUST LIKE PETER.
RIGHT OR WRONG, THEY HAVE FIXED THEIR HOPE IN SOMEONE, OR ON SOMETHING,
AND THAT SOMEONE HAS FAiLED THEM OR THAT THING HAS COLLAPSED.
THEY HAVE WEPT BITTER TEARS, AND LOST SIGHT OF ANY HOPE.
They just don’t see how things could get any worse
BUT WHAT I WANT YOU TO SEE -- IS THAT JESUS CAME ON THE SCENE AND RESTORED PETER.
LOOK AT MARK 16:5-7:
At the tomb they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed all in white. They were completely taken aback, astonished.
[6] He said, "Don’t be afraid. I know you’re looking for Jesus the Nazarene, the one they nailed on the cross. He’s been raised up; he’s here no longer. You can see for yourselves that the place is empty.
[7] Now—on your way. Tell his disciples and Peter that he is going on ahead of you to Galilee. You’ll see him there, exactly as he said."
DID YOU SEE THAT -- the disciples and PETER --
FRIENDS, YOU MAY THINK YOUR WORLD HAS COLLAPSED,
YOU MAY FEEL LIKE THERE IS NO REASON TO GO ON,
YOU MAY FEEL LIKE A COMPLETE FAILURE;
BUT JESUS SAyS TO YOU TONIGHT -- HE HAS GONE BEFORE YOU, WILL SEE YOU SOON.
As long as Jesus is around things can always get better.
2) there’s another group of people; things aren’t so good, but they’re not so bad either
FOLLOW ME TO MARK CHAPTER 2, VERSES 3 THROUGH 12;
Mark 2:3-12 (Msg) They brought a paraplegic to Jesus, carried by four men.
[4] When they weren’t able to get in because of the crowd, they removed part of the roof and lowered the paraplegic on his stretcher.
[5] Impressed by their bold belief, Jesus said to the paraplegic, "Son, I forgive your sins."
[6] Some religion scholars sitting there started whispering among themselves,
[7] "He can’t talk that way! That’s blasphemy! God and only God can forgive sins."
[8] Jesus knew right away what they were thinking, and said, "Why are you so skeptical?
[9] Which is simpler: to say to the paraplegic, ’I forgive your sins,’ or say, ’Get up, take your stretcher, and start walking’?
[10] Well, just so it’s clear that I’m the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both . . ." (he looked now at the paraplegic),
[11] "Get up. Pick up your stretcher and go home."
[12] And the man did it — got up, grabbed his stretcher, and walked out, with everyone there watching him.
They rubbed their eyes — and then praised God, saying, "We’ve never seen anything like this!"
THIS PARALYTIC TYPIFIES SOME PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD TODAY, THEY HAVE PROBLEMS, BUT THEY ARE GETTING BY.
THIS PROBABLY REPRESENTS THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE TODAY.
THEY HAVE PROBELMS, BUT THEY HAVE DECIDED IT’S NOT SOMETHING THEY CAN’T LIVE WITH.
THE PARALYTIC HAD LIVED WITH THIS PROBLEM A LONG TIME.
HE HAD FRIENDS TO HELP HIM, AND HE WAS GETTING BY.
THINGS COULD BE BETTER, BUT THINGS COULD BE WORSE
NOTE THIS TONIGHT;
FOUR THINGS ABOUT PROBLEMS YOU NEED TO KNOW;
1. EVERYBODY HAS THEM
NO ONE IS IMMUNE TO PROBLEMS
SOME FOLKS HIDE THEIR PROBLEMS BETTER THAN OTHERS, BUT EVERYONE HAS THEM.
2. NO PROBLEM LASTS FOREVER
SAY THAT WITH ME -- NONE, OF MY PROBLEMS, WILL LAST, FOREVER
THINK BACK OVER SOME OF THE PROBLEMS YOU WERE FACING 2 YEARS AGO -- THINGS YOU THOUGHT YOU WOULD NEVER SURVIVE -- BUT YOU DID.
3. THERE IS SOME GOOD IN EVERY PROBLEM
MOST THINK MICE ARE A BAD PROBLEM, BUT HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ARE EMPLOYED MAKING MOUSE TRAPS
BUGS ARE A REAL PROBLEM, BUT WITHOUT BUGS, Orville Springer and Lee Heck are OUT OF BUSINESS.
4. PROBLEmS WILL MAKE YOU BETTER OR BITTER
AND ONLY YOU GET TO MAKE THE CHOICE WHICH
LOTS OF PEOPLE think they can get by on their own --
But Jesus TOUCHED THIS MAN AND MADE HIM WHOLE.
YOU MAY THINK YOU CAN CARRY ALL YOUR PROBLEMS ALoNE, AND THAT YOU’LL GET BY ONE WAY OR ANOTHER --
LISTEN FRIEND, life can only get better if you will just give Jesus a chance.
You don’t have to just get by -- you can know the power of the Lord Jesus Christ on your side.
3) the third group of people are those who thinks that life just couldn’t be better;
THEN LOOK WITH ME AT JOHN CHAPTER 2, VERSES 7-10;
(Msg) Jesus ordered the servants, "Fill the pots with water." And they filled them to the brim.
[8] "Now fill your pitchers and take them to the host," Jesus said, and they did.
[9] When the host tasted the water that had become wine (he didn’t know what had just happened but the servants, of course, knew), he called out to the bridegroom,
[10] "Everybody I know begins with their finest wines and after the guests have had their fill brings in the cheap stuff. But you’ve saved the best till now!"
THIS IS A PICTURE OF PEOPLE ENJOYING LIFE AT IT’S BEST!
HERE IS ONE OF THE GREATEST CELEBRATIONS KNOWN IN THE TIME OF JESUS -- A WEDDING
IT CELEBRATED THE CONTINUATION OF LIFE, AND OF THE FAMILY, AND THE HERITAGE -- IT WAS JUST A JOYOUS TIME.
WEDDINGS LASTED FOR 3 DAYS TO THIRTY DAYS
AND THEY ALWAYS SERVED THE BEST STUFF FIRST -- BECAUSE THE LONGER YOU EAT AND DRINK, THE LESS APPETIZING THINGS BECOME
BY DAY 25 OR 30 NOBODY TAStES MUCH OF ANYTHING
THE POINT IS -- THESE PEOPLE THOUGHT THEY WERE DRINKING THE BEST THERE WAS.
BUT JESUS CAME FOR THESE PEOPLE TOO -- HE TOOK WHAT WAS GOOD AND MADE IT GREAT.
You think your family is great now -- just wait till you give it to Jesus.
You think your job is great now -- just wait until you give it to jesus
You think your good times are great now -- just wait until they’re centered around Jesus!
You just think things can’t get any better
ALL OF YOU HERE TONIGHT FIT INTO ONE OF THESE CATAGORIES;
YOUR WORLD MAY HAVE JUST COLLAPSED AND YOU HAVE NO WHERE ELSE TO TURN
YOU MAY BE GETTING BY, YOU MAY BE SOLVING MOST OF YOUR PROBLEMS
OR YOU MAY BE ENJOYING THE BEST THAT LIFE HAS TO OFFER --
BUT WHAT I WANT YOU TO UNDERTSAND IS REGARDLESS, JESUS WANTS TO BE A PART OF YOUR LIFE
Every part of your life that you let Jesus have gets better.
